BAGDAD

BAGDAD, on the Tigris, 500 m. from its mouth, and connected with the Euphrates by canal. It is the capital city of Iraq. It is an imposing city to look at. It suffered much from visitations of cholera and famine, and also terrorism and war.

History

It has been the capital of a province of the same name, and one of the most flourishing cities of Asiatic Turkey; dates, wool, grain, and horses are exported; red and yellow leather, cotton, and silk are manufactured; and the transit trade, though less than formerly, is still considerable. It has been a station on the Anglo-Indian telegraph route, and was served by a British-owned fleet of river steamers plying to Basra. Formerly a centre of Arabic culture, it has belonged to Turkey since 1638.

In 1938, Iraq was recognized as an independent state.