| Iraq's capital city of Baghdad is located on the | | | | the city's National Library, when the entire building |
| Tigris River. With a population touching 7 million, it | | | | fell due to arson. |
| is the nation's most important metropolis, and the | | | | This continued till the end of the war, when |
| one of the largest of its kind in southwest Asia. | | | | Hussein was deposed, and Baghdad was taken |
| With its history dating back to the 8th century, | | | | over by the United States military. A Green Zone |
| when it was renowned as a hub of learning and | | | | was created in the heart of Baghdad, for the |
| knowledge, it was the home of the House of | | | | Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) to govern the |
| Wisdom created solely for Greek, Middle Persian, | | | | nation, while the people of the country formed |
| and Syriac works' translations. With problems | | | | their own government. The CPA began the |
| brewing with the ancient Caliphate rule of the | | | | procedure for creating new political functions for |
| region during the period between the 10th and | | | | the city's 89 official neighborhoods within nine |
| 16th centuries, during which the Mongols | | | | districts. With neighborhood councils in place, the |
| destroyed a great part of the heart and body of | | | | members voted for their own representatives to |
| the city, Baghdad fell to further despair under the | | | | take a place on the city's nine district councils, |
| Ottoman empire's reign till the 19th century. Then | | | | which was followed by the district councils electing |
| with the formation of a British kingdom in Iraq in | | | | their people for representation at the 37 member |
| the early 20th century, the nation finally took | | | | Baghdad City Council. With various other areas |
| over the reins of its own governance in 1958. A | | | | just out of Baghdad but lying within its provincial |
| couple of decades on, Baghdad rose to enormous | | | | jurisdiction, a similar method was employed to |
| power and prosperity with the steep upward | | | | form local councils from a total of 20 |
| climb of the price of oil, which happens to be the | | | | neighborhoods, which in turn chose their |
| nation's largest export. | | | | representatives for the six district councils. These |
| Post the Gulf War and Saddam Hussein's invasion | | | | in turn sent their chosen few to represent them |
| of Kuwait, the United States military's bombing of | | | | in the 35 member Baghdad Regional Council. |
| Baghdad began in mid 2003, which is when a lot | | | | The last step of creation of the Baghdad province |
| of looting and rioting took place all over the city, | | | | local government was done by election of people |
| resulting in loss of invaluable human and national | | | | from the lower councils by their peers, for |
| treasures. The political upheaval of the country lies | | | | representation in the new Baghdad Provincial |
| intricately woven into every aspect of its | | | | Council. This happened in 2005. Though this |
| existence. Various priceless artifacts of the | | | | complicated hierarchy of 127 distinct councils |
| National Museum of Iraq were stolen during | | | | might seem bulky, one must always remember |
| random disturbances. A Similar fate was in store | | | | that even at the lowest level, the groups serve a |
| for the hundreds of ancient documents lying in | | | | population of close to a 100,000 people each. |