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.