Country Iraq Governor Yahia Nasseri Local time Monday 9:10 PM | Capital Nasiriyah Area 12,900 km² | |
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Weather 18°C, Wind W at 11 km/h, 35% Humidity Population 1.836 million (7 Jan 2011) | ||
Dhi Qar Governorate (Arabic: ذي قار Dhī Qār) is a governorate in southern Iraq. The provincial capital is Nasiriyah. Prior to 1976 the governorate was known as Muntafiq Governorate. Dhi Qar was the heartland of the ancient Iraqi civilization of Sumer, and includes the ruins of Ur, Eridu, Lagash, Larsa, Girsu, Umma, and Bad-tibira. The southern area of the governorate is covered by Mesopotamian Marshes.
Contents
Map of Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq
Government
Modern Dhi Qar
The governorate includes the towns of al-Rifai, Qalat Sukkar, Ash Shatrah, al-Gharraf, Suq al-Shuyouk, Khamisiyah and al-Chibayish
In the mid 1990s the governor was Tahir Jalil Habbush al-Tikriti, who later became police chief of the country, and in 1999, director of the Iraqi Intelligence Service.
An Nasiriyah witnessed some of the heaviest fighting and some of the stiffest resistance against invading U.S. forces in 2003.
Demographics
The population is approximately 2,000,000, predominately Shia Arab. The southern marshes have traditionally been home to many Marsh Arabs.
As of 2007, the area is very poor, with an unemployment rate of 31% and poverty rate of 32%.