10,000 donums in Basra reclamation project

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: A total of 10,000 donums of land will be reclaimed as part of a project to rehabilitate al-Suwayb farm in Basra province, according to a statement released by the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources. “The total area of the project is 20,000 donums (1 donum = 2,500 square meters),” read the statement that was received by IraqiNews.com news agency. The piece of land zoned for the project has been divided into three parts, the statement noted. Basra, 590 km (340 miles) south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, has an estimated metropolitan population of 2,300,000 in 2008. Basra, a Shiite province with 20% of the population are Sunnis, is the cradle of the first civilization of Sumer. It has the seven main Iraqi ports. The first built in Islam 14 A.H. (After Hegira), the city played an important role in early Islamic history. The area surrounding Basra has substantial petroleum resources and many oil wells. The city’s oil refinery has a production capacity of about 140,000 barrels per day (bpd). The only Iraqi outlet to the sea, Basra is in a fertile agricultural region, with major products including rice, maize corn, barley, pearl millet, wheat and dates as well as livestock. A network of canals flowed through the city, giving it the nickname “The Venice of the Middle East” at least at high tide. The only Iraqi outlet to the sea, Basra has the commercial ports of Iraq. SS (S)/SR 1