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Iran... or Iraq?

For each statement, guess whether it applies to Iran, Iraq, or both.
Quiz by Aaron197
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Featured Quiz
Last updated: February 18, 2019
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First submittedFebruary 13, 2019
Times taken28,991
Average score64.7%
Rating4.30
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1. Was once led by Saddam Hussein
Iran ✓
Iraq ✓
2. Its capital city is Tehran
Iran ✓
Iraq ✓
3. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers run through it
Iran ✓
Iraq ✓
4. Borders the Caspian Sea
Iran ✓
Iraq ✓
Both ✓
5. Has a majority Shia Muslim population
Iran ✓
Iraq ✓
Both ✓
6. Has two official languages
Iran ✓
Iraq ✓
Both ✓
Iraq's official languages are Arabic and Kurdish. Iran's official language is Persian.
7. Its most powerful leaders are elected democratically
Iran ✓
Iraq ✓
Both ✓
Iran's Supreme Leader is not elected by the people and has been in power since 1989. Not only can he override the actions of the President and Parliament, he directly controls the courts, military, and state TV
8. More than 5% of the population is Kurdish
Iran ✓
Iraq ✓
Both ✓
Iran is about 10% Kurdish and Iraq is about 15% Kurdish
9. Does not recognize Israel
Iran ✓
Iraq ✓
Both ✓
10. Invaded the other in the beginning of the Iran-Iraq War
Iran ✓
Iraq ✓
11. Is a member of OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
Iran ✓
Iraq ✓
Both ✓
12. Women are required by law to wear a headscarf (hijab) in public
Iran ✓
Iraq ✓
Both ✓
Ironically, in the 1930s Iranian women were banned from wearing the hijab in public
13. Basra is one of its major cities
Iran ✓
Iraq ✓
14. Where the world's first system of writing was developed around 3200 BC
Iran ✓
Iraq ✓
15. Is home to Asia's only wild cheetah population
Iran ✓
Iraq ✓
16. Was part of George Bush's "Axis of Evil"
Iran ✓
Iraq ✓
Both ✓
North Korea was the third member
17. Has the higher average elevation
Iran ✓
Iraq ✓
brandybuck96
+12
Level 83
Feb 18, 2019
*its major cities, not it's
mf3
+5
Level 87
Feb 18, 2019
Hey, that correction is MY unofficial job! :)
Quizmaster
+4
Level ∞
Feb 18, 2019
Ha. I swear I know the rule, but for whatever reason I only apply it correctly about half the time. Fixed now.
kalbahamut
+14
Level 82
Feb 18, 2019
Almost got everything. Didn't realize there were that many Kurds in Iran.
Quizmaster
+5
Level ∞
Feb 18, 2019
Yeah, I missed that one too.
JustBeYourSelf
+4
Level 20
Aug 21, 2020
They both own part of kurdistan tho
mf3
+6
Level 87
Feb 18, 2019
I thought there was an Arab area in southern Iran, so I misguessed that Arabic might be a second official language.
promastermage
+8
Level 64
Feb 18, 2019
There are many languages spoken in Iran, but the only official is Persian.
azhfandak
+6
Level 75
Feb 20, 2019
Thanks for the quiz.

As an iranian I can tell you that the supreme leader is not DIRECTLY elected by the people. The assembly of experts that its members are directly elected by the people in elections simultaneous with parliament election (each 4 years) is responsible for electing the new or reinstating (or disposing) the incumbent leader. It's true that Iran's supreme leader has been in power since 1989, but it do not violate the law, because the leader may be disposed in cases of treason, inconsistency , or incapability. There is a hot debate about dictatorship or democratic stance of the leader, but in any case Iran's leader as the most powerful political figure of the country is democratically elected.

Quizmaster
+1
Level ∞
Feb 20, 2019
Here is what Wikipedia says "In theory, the Supreme Leader is appointed and supervised by the Assembly of Experts. However, all candidates to the Assembly of Experts, the President and the Majlis (parliament), are selected by the Guardian Council, whose members are selected by the Supreme Leader of Iran".
azhfandak
+7
Level 75
Feb 21, 2019
Only half of the members are selected by the leader among respectful Islamic jurists (you can not consider them as puppets. They are well known in cleric community and are rather independent). On the other hand the next half (6 out of 12) are common (not Islamic) jurists selected by the Parliament. This is not probably written in Wikipedia.

Furthermore, the guardian council rejects and not selects. it is tasked to reject the ones who fail to meet the predefined criteria. For example presidential candidates must meet 11 criteria from that for example he (and not she) must be born in Iran and be able to control the country (based on his previous carrier). The rejected candidates have the right for an appeal and the council must express what criteria are not met and why. I propose you to study the constitution of IRI, not Wikipedia articles.

redsplat
+7
Level 74
Feb 21, 2019
What azhfandak said. "In theory" refers to laws, in Iran as everywhere. And it's not easy to assess the efficacy of impeachment laws in general, because they so rarely occur. At any rate this is too nuanced to be boiled down for a binary...er 'trinary' answer. Imagine looking at the U.S. Electoral College from far away. How about just asking which one has a president?
Quizmaster
+2
Level ∞
Feb 21, 2019
I respectfully disagree, sorry.
mikeb
+4
Level 66
Mar 28, 2019
Had my problems with some of the "Boths".
kalbahamut
+7
Level 82
Mar 28, 2019
Pretty easy. Too bad this quiz wasn't around for George Bush to take c. 2001.
SWATkun
+3
Level 60
Mar 28, 2019
Isn't Kurdistan, which is fighting for independence in Iraq ?
kalbahamut
+5
Level 82
Mar 28, 2019
The area known as Kurdistan includes territory from Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Armenia, and Iran. When European powers were drawing up the boundaries of these countries they largely ignored different ethnic or tribal groupings and the Kurds ended up split between five different countries and a minority in all five. Actually the most significant chunk is in Turkey, which is why Turkey is so adamantly opposed to there being a Kurdistan.
Yeoryios
+3
Level 73
Oct 2, 2020
It doesn't include Armenia. Plus I'm pretty sure European powers would've made a Kurdistan if the Treaty of Sevres was passed, so not entirely Europeans fault.
kalbahamut
+1
Level 82
May 10, 2021
I've seen different maps. Several includes parts of Armenia. Some include bits of Azerbaijan and Georgia, too.
ouishdvoojaf
+1
Level 28
May 13, 2021
Is there anything European powers are not ignorant of?!
kalbahamut
+2
Level 82
Jul 6, 2022
cheese?
bentshaggyoil
+1
Level 59
Sep 13, 2022
Well he’s not wrong
kalbahamut
+4
Level 82
Mar 28, 2019
Currently the only Kurds that enjoy a high degree of autonomy are those living in Northern Iraq and Eastern Syria - but with Daesh on the decline and the Syrian civil war winding down this may change soon. If the Americans don't insist on protecting them, the governments in Iraq and Syria, with assistance from the Turks and Russians, would likely turn their attention toward the Kurds and squash out any independence that they have.
kalbahamut
+2
Level 82
Jan 26, 2020
Also calamitous for the Kurds would be if we had a deeply conflicted idiot president. My prediction turned out to be correct. It's depressing being right all the time.
2Guys1Cat
+2
Level 15
Jul 7, 2019
That is in my quiz called "Potential Countries in 2050",which has Kurdistan as one of the countries. It has about 210 countries that are expected to exist in 2050.
AlexThirkell
+4
Level 75
May 12, 2021
I'm not a fan of the "both" option in these quizzes myself. Seems a short step from that to adding a "neither" option, which would be even more unsatisfying.

For 5 out of the 10 Iran/Iraq/Both questions the correct answer is "both", which looks lazy in my opinion.

ouishdvoojaf
+2
Level 28
May 13, 2021
This was super fun. Very surprised I got 14/17
MCdoesgeography
+1
Level 69
May 12, 2023
For some reason I expected Iraq to recognise Israel :0... Silly me.
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