Ten fun facts about Iraq
Fact 1
Important inventions such as the 60-minute hour and the 60-second minute, the wheel, the worlds first maps and accurate calendar, all originated in Iraq.
Fact 2
Iraqi’s have been bee-keeping for over 5,000 years. For most Iraqi families, honey is an important source of income and food.
Fact 3
Interestingly, the word Dinar, which is the Iraqi currency, has been derived from the “deni” which means “ten” in Latin.
Fact 4
Most Iraqi Christians are Roman Catholics. The country is primarily a Muslim one and Christians are forbidden to either speak about their faith or hold any kind of religious event outside their church.
Fact 5
It is believed that superstitions surrounding black cats, measurements of the 12-hour day and 12-hour night and fortune-reading based on constellations, all originated in Iraq.
Fact 6
Iraq is known for its locust swarms. The largest swarms may be made up of 40-80 million insects and can travel more than 8- miles per day. The last recorded major locust swarms that passed through the country were in 1987 and 1989.
Fact 7
The venomous saw-scale viper is found in Iraq. It is considered to be one of the most dangerous snakes the world has, strikes without any provocation, chases its victims and its bite can result in death.
Fact 8
In 1991, the largest natural wetlands of the Middle East which existed here were destroyed under Saddam Hussein’s orders. These rich wetlands had been home to Ma’dan (marsh Arabs) for 5,000 years. Hussein had them drained as a punishment for rebelling against his rule.
Fact 9
The popular story- Alibaba and the Forty Thieves was written around 1,000 years ago in Iraq.
Fact 10
The oldest-known system of writing was developed around 3200 B.C, in Iraq and is known as cuneiform. What makes it unique is that instead of the alphabet, it used around 600 signs with each sign denoting a particular syllable or word.
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