Diyala Governorate ( ) or Diyala Province is a

governorate A governorate or governate is an administrative division headed by a governor. As English-speaking nations tend to call regions administered by governors either states or provinces, the term ''governorate'' is typically used to calque divisions ...

in northeastern

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

Provincial Government

*Governor: Muthanna al-Tamimi *Deputy Governor: Mohammed Jassim al-Jubouri

Council

Geography

Diyala Governorate extends to the northeast of

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

as far as the Iranian border. Its

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

Baqubah Baqubah (; BGN: Ba‘qūbah; also spelled Baquba and Baqouba) is the capital of Iraq's Diyala Governorate. The city is located some to the northeast of Baghdad, on the Diyala River. In 2003 it had an estimated population of some 280,000 people. ...

. It covers an area of 17,685 square kilometres (6,828 sq mi). A large portion of the province is drained by the

Diyala River The Diyala (Arabic: ; ; Farsi: , ) is a river and tributary of the Tigris. It is formed by the confluence of the Sirwan and Tanjaro rivers in Darbandikhan Dam in the Sulaymaniyah Governorate of Northern Iraq. It covers a total distance of . ...

, a major tributary of the

Tigris The Tigris ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the eastern of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian Desert, Syrian and Arabia ...

. Because of its proximity to two major sources of water, Diyala's main industry is agriculture, primarily

dates Date or dates may refer to: * Date, the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'') * Jujube, also known as red date or Chinese date, the fruit of ''Ziziphus jujuba'' Social activity *Dating, a form of courtship involving social activit ...

grown in large groves. The province also contains one of the largest

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

groves in the Middle East. It is also recognized as the

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...

capital of the Middle East. The

Hamrin Mountains The Hamrin Mountains (, ) are a small mountain ridge in northeast Iraq. The westernmost ripple of the Zagros Mountains, the Hamrin mountains extend from the Diyala Governorate bordering Iran, northwest to the Tigris river, crossing northern Sala ...

pass through the governorate.

Population

The governorate is home to a diverse population of

Arabs Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...

Kurds Kurds (), or the Kurdish people, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group from West Asia. They are indigenous to Kurdistan, which is a geographic region spanning southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syri ...

and

Turkmen Turkmen, Türkmen, Turkoman, or Turkman may refer to: Peoples Historical ethnonym * Turkoman (ethnonym), ethnonym used for the Oghuz Turks during the Middle Ages Ethnic groups * Turkmen in Anatolia and the Levant (Seljuk and Ottoman-Turkish desc ...

. According to the latest statistics, the number of inhabitants is approximately 1,6 million. Defense

Culture

Sports

Diyala is home to

Diyala SC Diyala Sports Club () is an Iraqi professional football club based in Diyala, that plays in the Iraq Stars League. History Diyala club played in the Iraqi Premier League for the first time in the 1975–76 season, and was relegated to the Iraq ...

that plays in

Iraq Stars League The Iraq Stars League (), is the highest level of the Iraqi football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Iraqi Premier Division League. It is governed by the Iraqi Pro League Associa ...

, the highest division of the Iraqi football league system, following promotion from

Iraqi Premier Division League The Iraqi Premier Division League () is the second-highest division of the Iraqi football league system after the Iraq Stars League. The league is contested by 20 clubs and is operated by the Iraq Football Association (IFA). Each season, the two ...

in 2024. The club is based in

and

Ba'quba Stadium Ba'quba Stadium (), also known as Diyala Stadium, is a multi-use stadium in Baqubah, Diyala Governorate, Iraq. It is used for football matches and serves as the home stadium of Diyala football club. The stadium holds about 10,000 people. See a ...

is its home stadium.

Administrative districts

Diyala Governorate comprises seven districts, listed below with their areas and populations as estimated in 2003:

Cities, towns, and villages

(provincial capital) *

Nahrawan The Nahrawan Canal () was a major irrigation system of the Sasanian and early Islamic periods in central Iraq, along the eastern banks of the Tigris and the lower course of the Diyala River. Created in the 6th century, it reached its peak under the ...

Miqdadiyah Miqdadiyah (; , Şareban (Shareban, Sharaban)) is a city in the Diyala Governorate of Iraq. Its population is a mix of Arab, Kurdish and Turkmen. The city is located about 80 km (50 mi) northeast of Baghdad and 30 km (19 mi) northeast ...

Hibhib Hibhib (, Hibhib Village) is a village in Iraq, located northwest of Baquba. It is predominantly Sunni Muslim Arab. History The former leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, who was the Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jorda ...

Khanaqin Khanaqin (; ) is the central city of Khanaqin District in Diyala Governorate, Iraq, near the Iranian border (8 km) on the Alwand tributary of the Diyala River. The town is populated by Kurds who speak the Southern Kurdish dialect. Khan ...

Balad Ruz Balad Ruz () is a city located some 120 km (75 mi) northeast of Baghdad in the Diyala Governorate of Iraq. Balad Ruz has a radio station that was opened on 18 December 2006, known as Al Noor Radio Station, meaning "The Light" in Arab ...

Al Khalis Al Khalis (''Khalis'' or ''Khales'') () is a town in Diyala, Iraq, roughly 15 kilometers (9 mi) northwest of Baqubah. It is the main town of Khalis Arfan District. The Khalis Arfan district previously housed the Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI ...

* Bani Sa'ad *

Jalawla Jalawla (, also known as Jalula) is a town in Diyala Governorate, Iraq. It is located on the Diyala River, north of Sadiyah. The town is populated by Arabs, Kurds and Turkmens. It experienced significant Arabization during the Saddam era. T ...

(or Jalula) *

Al-Sadiyah Sadiyah (; ) is a town in Diyala Governorate, Iraq. It is located near the Diyala River 8 km (5 mi) south of Jalawla. The town is populated by Arabs, Kurds and Turkmens. It is disputed and experienced significant Arabization during the Saddam e ...

* Mansouryat al-Jabel *

Camp Ashraf Camp Ashraf or Ashraf City is a camp in Iraq's Diyala Governorate, having the character of a small city with all basic infrastructure, and the former headquarters of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The population used to be around 3,40 ...

Dwelah Dwelah is a village in Diyala Governorate, Iraq, about 72 km north of Baghdad. 2007 militant attack Dwelah was the location of a December 1, 2007, militant attack. Around 6:30 a.m., 50 to 60 suspected al-Qaida , image = Flag of ...

Kingirban Kifri District () is one of the six districts of Diyala Governorate in Iraq. Its main town is Kifri. The population was estimated at 42,010 in 2003.2003 - NGO Coordination Committee in Iraq References Districts of Diyala Provin ...

Naft Khana Naft Khana is an Iraqi town in Diyala Governorate, central Iraq, near the Iraqi-Iranian, Iraqi-Iranian border. Its population were Kurdish population, Kurdish nationality during the Iran–Iraq War, Iran-Iraq war. Its residents were displaced acc ...

* Al-Ghalibiyah * Abd Allah Bayk (عبدالله بيك) * Safra' * Marfu Village * Village of Nye * Udame * Kan’aan * Al Wajihiya * Al Muntheriya * Abu Saydah * Buhriz * Mandali * Qaryat Imam ʽAskar *

Kifri Kifri (; ; ) is the central town of Kifri District in Diyala Governorate, Iraq. It has a mixed population of Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen. It is under de facto administration by Kurdistan Region, but remains a disputed area claimed by the central ...

* Qara Tapa

Infrastructure

The Diyala Province boasts the Diyala Media Center which has one of the Middle East's tallest radio and television antennas at 349 metres (1,047 ft). The Diyala Media Center was built under contract by a Japanese architectural firm in 1989. It is one of Iraq's few independent radio and television stations that offer local television and radio news coverage as well as rebroadcasting state-run television.

Civil unrest/Iraq War

There is evidence that

Al-Qaeda in Iraq Al-Qaeda in Iraq (; AQI), was a Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization affiliated with al-Qaeda. It was founded on 17 October 2004, and was led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi until its disbandment on 15 October 2006 after he was killed in a targ ...

moved its base of operations from Anbar province to Diyala in 2006 and during late 2006, Baqubah and majority of the Diyala province were reported to have come under Sunni insurgent control. This insurgent control is reported to have continued through 2007 and into early 2008. On May 11, 2007, Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, commander of the Multi-National Division North said he needed more troops in order to contain the current level of violence in the Diyala province, this coming in the recent wake of a troop "surge", involuntary recalls by the U.S. military, and the

public debate Public debate may mean simply debating by the public, or in public. The term is also used for a particular formal style of debate in a competitive or educational context. Two teams of two compete through six rounds of argument, giving persuasiv ...

about the level of commitment from the U.S. government. By mid-2007 the

Islamic State of Iraq The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI; ') was a Salafi jihadist militant organization that fought the forces of the U.S.-led coalition during the Iraqi insurgency. The organization aimed to overthrow the Iraqi federal government and establish an ...

, already holding Baqubah and most of the province under its control, declared its capital to be

. The Sunni insurgent group

Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna Jamaat Ansar al-Sunnah (), also known as Jaish Ansar al-Sunna ('Army of the Helpers of Sunnah'), Ali ibn Abi Talib Battalion or simply as Ansar al-Sunnah was an Iraqi Sunni insurgent group that fought against United States troops and their loc ...

was also active in the region around this time. In June 2007, US forces launched

Operation Arrowhead Ripper Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

with night air assaults in

. By August 19, Baqubah was largely secured, although some insurgent presence remained in the city and surrounding areas. Fighting continued in the

valley but by the beginning of October, US and Iraqi forces held most of the province while the insurgents were in retreat to the north and west. On October 27 the Islamic State of Iraq attacked a police base in Baqubah, killing 28 Iraqi policemen and police recruits, showing that insurgent cells still remain in the province. In January 2008 Operation Phantom Phoenix was launched in an attempt to eradicate the remaining insurgents following the

Diyala campaign The Diyala campaign was a series of operations conducted by coalition forces against Iraqi insurgents and a number of bombing and guerrilla attacks against the security forces in the Diyala Governorate of Iraq, with the purpose of control of the ...

between 2006 and 2007. Mid-2008 saw many changes in Diyala province with an increased effort by U.S. Forces and a substantial Iraqi Army presence, and in the Baqubah region,

's activity was dramatically hampered, and the

Sons of Iraq The Sons of Iraq ( ''Abnāʼ al-ʻIrāq''), also known as al-Sahwah (), were a coalition in the Al Anbar province in Iraq between Sunni tribal leaders as well as former Saddam-era Iraqi military officers that united in 2005 to maintain stabi ...

program served only to further weaken

Islamic State in Iraq The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI; ') was a Salafi jihadist militant organization that fought the forces of the U.S.-led coalition during the Iraqi insurgency. The organization aimed to overthrow the Iraqi federal government and establish an ...

Declaration of autonomy

In December 2011, the governing council in Diyala province declared itself a semi-autonomous region within Iraq. This comes two months after

Saladin Governorate The Saladin, Salah ad Din, or Salah Al-Din Governorate (, ) is one of Iraq's 19 governorates, north of Baghdad. It has an area of , with an estimated population of 1,042,200 people in 2003. It is made up of 8 districts, with the capital being T ...

made a similar declaration. The council in Diyala, using Article 119 of the Iraqi Constitution as justification, made the declaration because of suspicion of the

Shi'a Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor ( caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community ( imam). However, his right is understoo ...

-dominated government of

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Nouri al-Maliki Nouri Kamil Muhammad-Hasan al-Maliki (; born 20 June 1950), also known as Jawad al-Maliki (), is an Iraqi politician and leader of the Islamic Dawa Party since 2007. He served as the Prime Minister of Iraq from 2006 to 2014 and as Vice President ...

. Unlike

Salah ad Din province The Saladin, Salah ad Din, or Salah Al-Din Governorate (, ) is one of Iraq's 19 governorates, north of Baghdad. It has an area of , with an estimated population of 1,042,200 people in 2003. It is made up of 8 districts, with the capital being Tik ...

however, Diyala province is more ethnically and religiously mixed, and such an announcement led to the outbreak of protests in the province.

References

{{Authority control Governorates of Iraq Upper Mesopotamia