1350
MESOPOTAMIA
MESOPOTAMIA.
Mesopotamia was conquered by Indian and British troops during the Great War. The town of Basra was occupied on November 22, 1914, and Baghdad on March 11, 1917. In the Treaty of Peace with Turkey, Mesopotamia is recognized as an independent State, to be placed under a mandatory Power. The Supreme Council has allotted the mandate to Great Britain.
Government. — Ifl 1920 a Council of State was formed, as a provisional measure, to conduct the administration of the country, until a National Assembly can meet and decide upon the future form of Government. For this purpose an electoral law is being drafted.
The Provisional Council of State consists of 18 members, under the Presidency of the Naqib of Baghdad. Eight of these hold portfolios for the administration of the existing departments (Interior, Finance, Justice, Pious Foundations, Education, Defence, Public Works, and Commerce).
Area and Population. — The country has an area of 143,250 square miles (the vilayets respectively of Baghdad, 54,540 square miles, Basra, 53,580 square miles, and Mosul, 35,130 square miles), and a population, according to the Census of 1920, of 2,849,282. The following are the detailed figures of the census results : —
Division
Sunni
130.000
66,455
54,953
8,678
1,000
445
15,983
247,000
Shi'ah
Jewish
Christian
Other Religions
Total
Baghdad Samaria Uialah . Kut
Diwaniyah Shamiyah Hillah . Dulaim .
54,000 14,215 4G.097 !iS,7] -J 192,300 189,000 155,897 200
60,000 300
1,689 381
6,000 5S0
1,066
2,600
15,000
397 LOT
5,000 20
n
200
1,000
900
200 6
28
25il,0OO 80.971' 104,036 107.79S 204.5011 190,000 178,000
250,000
Total Vilayet of liaghdttd .
524,414
750,421
62,665
20,771
2,133
1,360,304
Basra .... Amara .... Muiuafik
24,408 7,000 11,150
110,494 284,700 806,220
6,928
8,000
160
10,088
2,221 300 80
1,549 5,000 2,440
165,600 300,000
Total Vilayet of Basra
42,558
721,414
2,651
8.9S9
7 85,600
Mosul .... Arbil ....
Kirkuk .... Snleiiiiani
244,713 96,100 85,000
153, 'JOO
17,180 5,000
7,635 4,800 1,400 1,000
BO.W0
4,100 600 100
(0,188
1,000
S50.378 106,000
156,000
Total Vilayet of Mosul
570,713
22,180
14,S:<-.
65,470
31,1S0
- o
- U7S
Grand 1
otal.
1,146,685
1,494 016
87,488
78,792
42,3 -
2,849,282
Municipalities have been established wherever possible, and tribal councils set up for tribal districts. These councils are developing into Divisional Councils, which are consulted on the expansion of railways,
