Baghdad ( ,بغداد ,
Iraqi pronunciation: ) is the capital of the
Republic of Iraq. The population of Baghdad, as of 2011, is approximately 7,216,040, making it the largest city in Iraq, the second largest city in the
Arab world (after
Cairo,
Egypt), and the second largest city in
Western Asia (after
Tehran,
Iran). According to the government, the population of the country has reached 35 million, with 9 million in the capital.