Cranes at Umm Qasr await cargo.

Umm Qasr (Arabic: أم قصر‎), is a port city in southern Iraq. It stands on the canalised Khawr az-Zubayr, part of the Khawr Abd Allah estuary which leads to the Persian Gulf. It is separated from the border of Kuwait by a small inlet; prior to the Persian Gulf War traffic between Kuwait and Iraq flowed over a bridge across the waterway. Download high resolution version (427x640, 42 KB)Port of Umm Qasr. ... Download high resolution version (427x640, 42 KB)Port of Umm Qasr. ... The Arabic language ( ), or simply Arabic ( ), is the largest member of the family of Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew, Amharic, and Aramaic. ... The Khawr Abd Allah (Arabic: ‎) is today an estuary, but once was the point where the great Euphrates and Tigris rivers emptied into the Persian Gulf. ... It has been suggested that Persian Gulf States be merged into this article or section. ... See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ...

Umm Qasr was originally a small fishing town but was used as a military port on a few occasions. It was said to have been the site of Alexander the Great's landing in Mesopotamia in 325 BC. During the Second World War a temporary port was established there by the Allies to unload supplies to dispatch to the Soviet Union. It fell back into obscurity after the war, but the government of King Faisal II sought to establish a permanent port there in the 1950s.^[1] Alexander the Great (Greek: ,[1] Megas Alexandros; July 356 BC–June 11, 323 BC), also known as Alexander III, king of Macedon (336–323 BC), was one of the most successful military commanders in history. ... Mesopotamia refers to the region now occupied by modern Iraq, eastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, and Southwest Iran. ... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC - 320s BC - 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 330 BC 329 BC 328 BC 327 BC 326 BC - 325 BC - 324 BC 323 BC 322... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Faisal II of Iraq Faisal II (May 2, 1935 - July 14, 1958) was the last king of Iraq from April 4, 1939 to 1958. ... The 1950s was the decade spanning from the 1st of January, 1950 to the 31st December, 1959. ...

After the Iraqi Revolution of 1958, a naval base was established at Umm Qasr. The port was subsequently founded in 1961 by the Iraqi ruler General Abdul-Karim Qassem. It was intended to serve as Iraq's only "deep water" port, reducing the country's dependence on the disputed Shatt al-Arab waterway that marks the border with Iran. The port facilities were built by a consortium of companies from West Germany, Sweden and Lebanon, with a railway line connecting it to Basra and Baghdad.^[2] This article needs cleanup. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... Abdul Karim Qassim (also various other spellings; popularly known as az-Za’im [the leader]) (1914 - 9 February 1963) was an Iraqi military officer involved in the 1958 military coup détat. ... The Shatt al-Arab (Arabic: شط العرب, Stream of the Arabs) or Arvand (called اروندرود: arvandrÅ«d in Persian), also called the Shatt-al-Arab waterway, is a river in Southwest Asia of some 200 km in length, formed by the confluence of the Euphrates and the Tigris in the town of al... Location of Basra Basra (Arabic: ‎ ; BGN: Al BaÅŸrah) is the second largest city of Iraq with an estimated population of c. ... Baghdad ( translit: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ...

During the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) its importance increased as fighting restricted access to other ports further east. Umm Qasr was threatened after the successful Iranian invasion and occupation of the al-Faw peninsula in 1986. However, the port never fell during the Iran-Iraq War. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Al-Faw peninsula, Iraq This article is about the Iraqi peninsula. ...

Access to the port was a significant issue in the territorial dispute with Kuwait which led to the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Both countries contested ownership of the inlet leading to Umm Qasr as well as control of the nearby Kuwaiti islands of Bubiyan and Warbah.^[3] After the war, during which the port was bombed, control of the inlet was transferred to Kuwait, and a large trench and sand berm was constructed along the border of the two nations. The Iraqi government rejected the border changes and continued to claim Kuwaiti territory near the port.^[4] Meanwhile much commerce was shifted to Umm Qasr away from Basra by deliberate Iraqi government policy to punish Basra for its role in the post-war rebellions against the rule of Saddam Hussein. 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... Bubiyan Island is the largest island in the Kuwaiti coastal island chain with an area of 863 sq km. ... Location of Basra Basra (Arabic: ‎ ; BGN: Al Başrah) is the second largest city of Iraq with an estimated population of c. ... Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majidida al-Tikriti (Arabic: ‎ [1]; born April 28, 1937[2]), was the President of Iraq from July 16, 1979 until April 9, 2003, when he was deposed during the United States-led 2003 invasion of Iraq. ...

Umm Qasr was the target of one of the first major military operations in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, on March 29, 2003. The assault on the port was spearheaded by British Royal Marines and Polish GROM troops, but Iraqi forces put up unexpectedly strong resistance, requiring several days' fighting before the area was cleared of defenders.^[5] After the waterway was de-mined and reopened, Umm Qasr played an important role in the shipment of humanitarian supplies to Iraqi civilians.^[6] Combatants Coalition Forces: United States United Kingdom Poland Australia South Korea Romania Spain Portugal Italy others. ... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... His/Her Majestys Royal Marines, also known as the Royal Marines (RM), are the Royal Navys Light Infantry, the United Kingdoms amphibious force and specialists in Arctic and Mountain Warfare. ... Official force name Other names GROM Grupa Reagowania Operacyjno-Manewrowego Polish Army GROM Force Branch Polish Army Chain of Command Directly subordinate to Polish Ministry of Defence Description Special Operations Force, rapidly deployable light infantry force. ...

During a House of Commons debate in late March 2003, British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon compared Umm Qasr to the southern English city of Southampton. The analogy was met with scepticism among the troops on the ground. A British soldier was widely quoted in media reports as retorting, "There's no beer, no prostitutes and people are shooting at us. It's more like Portsmouth." ^[7] The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Geoff Hoon (right) at Pentagon briefing Geoffrey William Geoff Hoon (born December 6, 1953) is a British politician. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... Southampton is a city and major port situated on the south coast of England. ... Portsmouth is a city of about 189,000 people located in the county of Hampshire on the southern coast of England. ...

In January 2006, the 100th British soldier to die in Iraq, Corporal Gordon Pritchard, was killed in a bomb explosion in the town.^[8]

See also

• List of places in Iraq

This is a list of places in Iraq. ...

References

1. ^ "Iraq Hopes For Revival As An International Highway", The Times, 15 May 1961
2. ^ "General Kassim Founds £15M. Port", The Times, 27 March 1961
3. ^ "Iraq - First Persian Gulf War - Causes", Encyclopædia Britannica (2006)
4. ^ "Kuwait - The First Persian Gulf War and its aftermath", Encyclopædia Britannica (2006)
5. ^ "Fierce battle around port," The Guardian, 24 March 2003
6. ^ "Iraq aid confined to south", The Guardian, 2 April 2003
7. ^ "War games", The Guardian, 2 April 2003
8. ^ "Latest victim was one of the first liberators of Iraq", The Times, 1 February 2006

External link

• Umm Qasr, Iraq

Coordinates: 30°02′N 47°56′E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...