Al Anbar Governorate

**Al Anbar** (;  or **Anbar**) is a Western Region of Iraq. The largest province in Iraq by area, it shares borders with Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Al Anbar is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim Arab. Its capital is Ar Ramadi.

The name of the province is from the Arabic , *’Anbār*, and means "granaries," as this region was the primary entrepot on the western borders of Lakhmid Kingdom. The famous Sunni theologian Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man, who developed Hanafi school, one of the Sunni Madh'habs (schools of thought) is associated with this region.

Before 1976 the province was known as **Ramadi**; before 1962, it was known as **Dulaim**.

## People 
Most of the inhabitants are Sunni Muslim Arabs from Dulaim tribe.

## Geography of Al Anbar
The Euphrates River flows diagonally from the north to the southeast, passing through six of the eight districts; Al-Qa'im, Anah, Haditha, Hīt, Ramadi, Fallujah, Abu Ghraib, Ar Rutba, forms the majority of the Governorate's area, occupying the large desert area in the southwest.

## Weapons in Al Anbar 
There are an estimated 20 million weapons in Al Anbar, opposed to an estimated population of 2 million, according to official reports, a ratio of ten firearms for every citizen.
It's traditional for Dulaim tribe members to keep a weapons at home.
The arms included mortars, surface-to-air missiles, anti-tank shells, rocket-propelled grenades as well as large quantities of mines, explosives and ammunition.

## Iraq War events in Al Anbar
The city of Fallujah is also in Anbar. The Iraqi resistance were widely considered to be the strongest in this province than in any other in Iraq, and hostility toward Against American forces was at the highest in Anbar Province.

In late 2004 to 2007, a series of operations by US forces, was not successful in driving out resistance from Anbar. Additionally, in early 2006, several clans—some including resistance groups raids against Americans forces in the area, the increase of sectarian violence in Baghdad(that pushed many of the Sunni Dulaimi clans back into alliances with militants) and the continued resistance control of several cities in Anbar showed that fighting in the region was far from over. Reports in March 2006 suggested that the Anbar capital Ramadi had largely fallen under insurgent control along with most of the region, as a result the US sent an additional 40,000 soldiers and 3,500 Marines to re-establish control of the region.

The Iraq war website casualties has reported that 1,842 Iraqi soldier and 2220 US Soldier and 7542 Mercenary were killed in action in Anbar province between the start of 2004 and the end of February 2006. Many of these died in and around Fallujah and Ramadi.

Anbar, with Ramadi and Haditha and Hit and Al Qa'im and Fallujah in particular, is known for its inhabitants' strong tribal
and religious traditions. Allegedly, former President Saddam Hussein was constantly
wary of the volatile nature of the area. All the inhabitants of the province are Sunni Muslim Arabs from the Dulaim tribe. In late 2013 and early 2014, large parts of Anbar including the city of Fallujah came under control by the ISIL militant group.

In 2015, Islamic State forces conquered Ramadi and other places in Anbar.  In late 2016 the government of Iraq recovered most of those places.

## Cities and The Population 
According to statistics of the Ministry of Commerce in 1999, there about million and half million inhabitants in seven major Cities in Al Anbar province.
According to statistics in 2008 The population 2,405,000 people.

According to the former regime in 2003 just the city of Fallujah (600 thousand) and Ramadi (700 thousand) exceed million and three hundred thousand people.

According to the election for the council governorate on January 30, 2005, The largely Sunni province of Anbar is one of the most violent Against the American forces in Iraq and turnout was very low. Of the total population of some 2 million only 3775 voted.

According to The UN statistics in 2003 the Population of Al Anbar is 1,230,169, Ramadi (444,582), Fallujah (425,774), Al-Qaim (116,129), Hit (105,825), Haditha (75,835), Anah (37,211), Ar Rutba (24,813).

But The governor of Al Anbar Mamoun Sami Rashid Alwani says "The UN statistics are Incorrect and just included 7 major Cities from 80 cities and towns in Al Anbar" It continues, "We know our country more than strangers And Al Anbar Population about more than 3 million citizen".

Number of the Population is unknown, and there are no precise statistics Include all of the cities and towns and villages and the people of Al Anbar, just in the city of Abu Ghraib eastern Al Anbar There between 750,000 and 1.5 million inhabitants.
after the occupation The population of Al Anbar province Increase because of the sunni immigrants from Baghdad and southern Iraq, Whom are more than million people, and some areas in Al Anbar Decreased such as Fallujah and Ramadi.

### The most important cities 
* Ramadi (445 thousand) —capital of Anbar
* Fallujah (425 thousand)
* Hit (150 thousand)
* Al-Qaim (105 thousand)
* Haditha (100 thousand)
* Abu Ghraib (1.5 million)
* Anah
* Rawah (25 thousand)
* Kabisa
* Anbar
* Al Baghdadi
* Al-Nukhaib
* Akashat
* Tarbil
* Husaibah Al Sharqiah
* Amiriyah Fallujah (40 thousand)
* Saqulauiah
* Jabhah
* Al Sharqiah
* Al Waleed
* Sa'dah
* Al Saqrh
* Al Mamorha
* Al Enaimih
* Al Rummaneh
* Al Karblah
* Baroana (20 thousand)
* Al Khaldiya
* Al Habanyah
* Al Karmah
* Al Quqa'
* Al Haqlaniyah
* Al Rahaliyah
* Ar Rutba

## Other websites
* US Army Captain Travis Patriquin presentation, "How to win in Al-Anbar"
*(Captain Patriquin USA, and Major Rachel McLung USMC were both Killed by an IED, while escorting press in Anbar (one of whom was Oliver North)*http://www.iraqwarheroes.com/patriquin.htm http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2006/12/a_second_bad_da.html

## Sources