Physical geography of Duhok district

Duhok district is located in the south-west of Duhok governorate in the northern Iraq region. It is placed at 37°07'- 36°47' north Latitudes and 43°18' - 42°33' east longitudes. It is tectonically in the system of Zagros mountain in the north-east of Arabian plate. In this article covers the principal physical geographical properties such as geology, geomorfology, climate, hydrography, natural vegetation and soil of the Duhok. Generally, due to the influence of several factors, large differences could be observed between the southern, central, and northern regions of Iraq in terms of natural features. Tectonic circumstance is one of those factors. The age of the area of study dates back to the Mesozoic era. There are a number of geological formations in the area including the Billaspi formation which is selected as a sample. The area covered in the limitation of the study in between the height of 445-1450 meters. There are some important plains among the mountains in the area, the most important is Mamani plain. A part of the agricultural products of the area of study is produced in this area. Because of the impact of the continental climatic conditions and the winds coming on the Mediterranean Sea, the raining in Duhok is mostly during the winter. According to Buringh classification, the widest type of soil in Duhok district is Lithosol soil. Hydrographically, the most important rivers in Duhok district are Sindur and Garmava rivers. There is a big difference between the types of natural plants in the low parts compared to the high parts. This difference is also due to the influence of the factor of weather elements such as ( rain, temperature, and humidity) as well as the effects of landforms, height, and tilt direction. The upper part of the area is covered by oak forest, which is mainly composed of Q. aegilops and Q. infectoria. With the assistance of ArcGIS v10.4.1 software and other applications various maps have been created. Keywords: Duhok, Northern Iraq Regional Government, Billaspi, Mamaniplain, Garmava, Sindur.