- 1. The history of Iraq spans thousands of years, with the region being home to some of the earliest known civilizations in the world. Mesopotamia, located in present-day Iraq, is known as the 'cradle of civilization' due to its importance in the development of agriculture, writing, and urban societies. Over the centuries, Iraq has been ruled by various empires, including the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Persians. In the 7th century AD, Islam was introduced to the region, leading to the establishment of the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad. In more recent history, Iraq was under Ottoman rule before becoming a British mandate in 1920. The country gained independence in 1932 and went through periods of instability, including multiple coups and conflicts. The most recent chapter in Iraq's history includes the 2003 invasion by a US-led coalition, which led to the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime and subsequent years of conflict and reconstruction efforts.
Which ancient civilization is often considered the cradle of civilization and emerged in the region now known as Iraq?
A) Sumer
B) Persia
C) Mesopotamia
D) Babylon
- 2. Who was the leader of Iraq from 1979 to 2003 known for his authoritarian regime and involvement in multiple conflicts?
A) Saddam Hussein
B) Osama bin Laden
C) Muammar Gaddafi
D) Ayatollah Khomeini
- 3. In what year did Iraq invade Kuwait, leading to the Gulf War?
A) 1996
B) 1988
C) 1992
D) 1990
- 4. Which ancient city located in present-day Iraq was famous for its hanging gardens and is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world?
A) Nineveh
B) Babylon
C) Eridu
D) Ur
- 5. Which ancient Mesopotamian king is famous for creating one of the earliest known written codes of law?
A) Hammurabi
B) Nebuchadnezzar II
C) Ashurbanipal
D) Sargon
- 6. What is the capital city of Iraq?
A) Baghdad
B) Tehran
C) Riyadh
D) Damascus
- 7. What was the name of the military operation led by the United States and its allies to oust Saddam Hussein in 2003?
A) Operation Desert Shield
B) Operation Iraqi Freedom
C) Operation Enduring Freedom
D) Operation Desert Storm
- 8. In what year did Iraq gain formal independence from British mandate?
A) 1945
B) 1932
C) 1958
D) 1921
- 9. Which country invaded Iraq in 2003 claiming that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction?
A) Russia
B) France
C) China
D) United States
- 10. What was the name of the brutal campaign launched by Saddam Hussein in the late 1980s against the Kurdish population in Iraq?
A) Gulf War
B) Anfal Campaign
C) Black September
D) Operation Desert Storm
- 11. Who became the Prime Minister of Iraq in 2006 and played a key role in the surge strategy during the Iraq War?
A) Nouri al-Maliki
B) Iyad Allawi
C) Haider al-Abadi
D) Adel Abdul-Mahdi
- 12. What is the name of the ethnic and religious group that were targeted by ISIS in Iraq for their beliefs?
A) Sufis
B) Yazidis
C) Druze
D) Bahá'ís
- 13. Which river, known as the 'Great River', flows through Iraq?
A) Euphrates
B) Nile
C) Jordan
D) Tigris
- 14. Who served as the interim Prime Minister of Iraq from 2004 to 2005 following the US-led invasion?
A) Nouri al-Maliki
B) Ayad Allawi
C) Jalal Talabani
D) Ibrahim al-Jaafari
- 15. Which ancient city in Iraq is known as the birthplace of Abraham and is of religious significance to Muslims, Christians, and Jews?
A) Babylon
B) Nineveh
C) Ur
D) Eridu
- 16. Which city in Iraq is considered one of the holiest cities in Shia Islam due to the tomb of Imam Husayn?
A) Samarra
B) Karbala
C) Najaf
D) Kufa
- 17. What is the name of the famous ancient library in Nineveh, Iraq, that housed many important historical texts?
A) Library of Ashurbanipal
B) Library of Alexandria
C) Library of Pergamum
D) Library of Congress
- 18. Which military commander led a surge of US troops in Iraq in 2007 in order to stabilize the country?
A) David Petraeus
B) Tommy Franks
C) Norman Schwarzkopf
D) James Mattis
- 19. When did the Iraq War start?
A) August 2, 1990
B) January 1, 1991
C) March 20, 2003
D) September 11, 2001
- 20. When did Iraq officially declare victory over ISIS?
A) June 2014
B) December 2017
C) October 2016
D) May 2015
- 21. Which ethnic group makes up the majority of the population in Iraq?
A) Arabs
B) Kurds
C) Yazidis
D) Turkmens
- 22. What is the official language of Iraq?
A) Kurdish
B) Arabic
C) Turkmen
D) Syriac
- 23. Who was the British diplomat who helped establish the modern state of Iraq after World War I?
A) Lawrence of Arabia
B) T. E. Lawrence
C) Gertrude Bell
D) Mark Sykes
- 24. Iraq shares borders with which of the following countries?
A) Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
B) Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria
C) Israel, Lebanon, Cyprus, Yemen, Oman, Qatar
D) Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran
- 25. Who was the founder of the Ba'ath Party, the ruling party in Iraq for many years?
A) Hafez al-Assad
B) Michel Aflaq
C) Ruhollah Khomeini
D) Gamal Abdel Nasser
- 26. When did the Ba'ath Party come to power in Iraq?
A) 1979
B) 1990
C) 1968
D) 1958
- 27. What is the southern region of Iraq known for?
A) Deserts
B) Marshes
C) Plateaus
D) Mountains
- 28. Which city in Iraq is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world?
A) Tikrit
B) Kirkuk
C) Fallujah
D) Erbil
- 29. What is the predominant religion in Iraq?
A) Yazidism
B) Christianity
C) Islam
D) Zoroastrianism
- 30. Which ethnic group constitutes a large minority in northern Iraq?
A) Turkmens
B) Bedouins
C) Kurds
D) Assyrians
- 31. Which city in Iraq is considered a holy city for Shia Muslims?
A) Basra
B) Kufa
C) Karbala
D) Najaf
- 32. Who served as the de facto leader of Iraq after the U.S. invasion in 2003?
A) George W. Bush
B) Colin Powell
C) Paul Bremer
D) Condoleezza Rice
- 33. What industry is a major contributor to Iraq's economy?
A) Textiles
B) Oil
C) Tourism
D) Agriculture
- 34. Who was the first king of Iraq?
A) Saddam Hussein
B) Nouri al-Maliki
C) Faisal I
D) Abdul Karim Qasim
- 35. Who became the Prime Minister of Iraq in 2016?
A) Haider al-Abadi
B) Adel Abdul-Mahdi
C) Nouri al-Maliki
D) Mustafa al-Kadhimi
- 36. Which body of water lies to the southeast of Iraq?
A) Black Sea
B) Mediterranean Sea
C) Persian Gulf
D) Red Sea
- 37. Which US president ordered the invasion of Iraq in 2003?
A) Joe Biden
B) Barack Obama
C) Donald Trump
D) George W. Bush
- 38. What was the name of the group that ruled Iraq under a US-led administration after the fall of Saddam Hussein?
A) Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
B) Coalition Provisional Authority
C) United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq
D) Ba'ath Party
- 39. What is the name of the waterway that forms part of Iraq's southeastern border with Iran?
A) Suez Canal
B) Shatt al-Arab
C) Strait of Hormuz
D) Gulf of Oman
- 40. Who is the current President of Iraq as of 2021?
A) Adel Abdul-Mahdi
B) Jalal Talabani
C) Barham Salih
D) Fuad Masum
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