Geoheritage and Geodiversity in Iraq

The topography of Iraq has geomorphologic heterogeneity between high-land, more than 3600 m.asl. in the mountains of Kurdistan Region (north and northeast Iraq), and less than zero in the Al-Faw Town, south Basra City, north of Arabian Gulf are essential for Establishing Geoheritage in Iraq. The well-established practice of following the crucial geosite assessment depends on the three types of use: scientific, educational, and geotourism. This study focuses on three essential heritages: Shanider Cave in the Zagros Folded Zone for its archaeological importance; Huwaiza Marsh in the Mesopotamian Zone for its tourism importance; Gaara Depression in the Stable Shelf, western Iraq, for its biodiversity importance. Many factors of geodiversity are available in those selected sites and the surrounding areas for Sustainable Natural and cultural tourism, including Archaeological, religious, and heritage tourism. These are the basis of the geological heritage and contribute to the activation and revitalization of geological and natural tourism on a large scale.