ABSTRACT
Iraq consists mainly of a basin or syncline, which lies between an arch of mountains to the north and east and the Syrian desert to the west and south. The land descends from the mountains to the desert in a series of hills and steppes, cut by rivers and wadis which carry the winter rainfall and melted snow to the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys, which run through the basin, from north-west to south-east across the Iraqi desert. This desert stretches from the west bank of the Euphrates to the western frontier and constitutes about 47% of Iraq's total area.
