| Babil Governorate Arabic: بابل |
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| — Governorate — | |
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| Coordinates: 32°37′N 44°33′E / 32.617°N 44.55°E | |
| Country | Iraq |
| Capital | Al Hillah |
| Area | |
| - Total | 5,603 km2 (2,163.3 sq mi) |
| Population (2003)[1] | |
| - Total | 1,385,783 |
| Main language(s) | Arabic |
Babil (Arabic: بابل) is a province in central Iraq. It has an area of 5,603 square kilometers (2,163.3 sq mi), with an estimated population of 1,385,783 people in 2003.
The provincial capital is the town of al Hillah. The city Al Musayyib and the ancient ruins of Babylon (Babil, after which the region is named) are also in the province.
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Provincial Government
- Governor: Salman Al-Zargany
- Deputy Governor: Iskander Witwit
- Provincial Council Chairman (PCC): Kadhim Majid Tuman
History
Before 1971 it was known as Hilla province. [2] The ancient city of Babylon in present-day Babil province was the capital of the Old Kingdom of Babylonia situated on the Euphrates River south of modern Baghdad, Iraq.
The city was occupied from the 3rd millennium BC but became important early in the 2nd millennium under the kings of the First Dynasty of Babylon. The sixth king of this dynasty was Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC) who made Babylon the capital of a vast empire and is best remembered for his code of laws. This period was brought to an end by the Hittites when in 1595 BC Babylon is sacked by King Mursili I.
The city then had a mixed history until the Neo-Babylonian Period of the 7th-6th centuries BC. It once again achieved pre-eminence when Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC) extended the Chaldean Empire over most of Western Asia. Babylon fell to Cyrus the Great of Persia in 539 BC; occupation continued in the Achaemenid Period.
The city was taken by Alexander the Great in 331 BC.
More than five years after the start of the Iraq War, governance of Babil Province was returned to Iraq on 23 October 2008.[3] The ceremony took place between local representatives, representatives from Baghdad, and the US Army represented by Lieutenant-General Lloyd Austin.[3]
Cities
- Al Hillah (500,000) — capital of Babil
- Al Askandariyah
- Al latifiyah (150,000)
- Salman Pak
- Yousefiah
- Musayyib
- Jurf Al Sakhar
- Al Muhaweel (212,000)
Districts
- Al-Mahawil District (Al-Mahawil)
- Al-Musayab District (Al-Musayab)
- Hashimiya District (Hashimiya)
- Hilla District (Hilla)
See also
References
External Links
- Iraq Inter-Agency Information & Analysis Unit Reports, Maps and Assessments of Iraq's Governorates from the UN Inter-Agency Information & Analysis Unit
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