| Babil Governorate بابل محافظة Babylon Province |
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|---|---|
| — Province — | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Iraq |
| Capital | Hillah |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5,119 km2 (1,976.5 sq mi) |
| Population (2011 Estimate) | |
| • Total | 1,500,000 |
Babil Governorate (Arabic: بابل Bābil) (or Babylon Province) is a province in central Iraq. It has an area of 5,603 square kilometres (2,163 sq mi), with an estimated population of 1,385,783 people in 2003. The provincial capital is the city of Hillah, which lies opposite the ancient city of Babylon (بابل), on the Euphrates river.
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The ancient city of Babylon in present-day Babylon Province was the capital of ancient Babylonia, situated on the Euphrates river south of Baghdad, Iraq.
The city was occupied from the 3rd millennium BC but became important early in the 2nd millennium under the kings of the First Dynasty of Babylon. The sixth king of this dynasty was Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC) who made Babylon the capital of a vast empire and is best remembered for his code of laws.
The city achieved pre-eminence when Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC) extended the Babylonian Empire over most of Western Asia.
| Al Anbar Governorate | Baghdad Governorate | Diyala Governorate | ||
| Karbala Governorate | Wasit Governorate | |||
| Babil Governorate | ||||
| Najaf Governorate | Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate |
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