Collections of the Month March 2003: Iraq

"The land between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers was once known as Mesopotamia, much of which is now modern-day Iraq. There, in the 4th, millennium BC, the Sumerians developed what was probably the earliest urban civilization. Mesopotamia formed part of Turkey''s Ottoman Empire for three centuries until World War I. British forces invaded in 1914, and Iraq was created in 1921 as a kingdom under British Mandate. Iraq was given independence in 1932, but Britain intervened during World War II to overthrow a pro-Nazi nationalist leader who had taken power. A republic was established in 1958, and this has been governed by a succession of military regimes. Iraq has a population of around 24 million. About 20 per cent are Kurds, who see themselves as a separate nation. Other smaller groups include Persians, Turkmens, Assyrians, Sabaeans, and the "Marsh Arabs"... The Archives Hub provides a single point of access to descriptions of archives held in UK universities and colleges. At present these are primarily at collection-level, although where possible they are linked to complete catalogue descriptions. The Archives Hub forms one part of the UK''s National Archives Network, alongside related networking projects."