Map of Iraq | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire Iraq was occupied by Britain during the course of World War I; in 1920 it was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next dozen years Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A 'republic' was proclaimed in 1958 but in actuality a series of military strongmen ruled the country the latest was SADDAM Husayn. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990 Iraq seized Kuwait but was expelled by US-led UN coalition forces during the Gulf War of January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions over a period of 12 years led to the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. Coalition forces remain in Iraq helping to restore degraded infrastructure and facilitating the establishment of a freely elected government while simultaneously dealing with a robust insurgency. The Coalition Provisional Authority which temporarily administered Iraq after the invasion transferred full governmental authority on 28 June 2004 to the Iraqi Interim Government (IG) which governed under the Transitional Administrative Law for Iraq (TAL). Under the TAL elections for a 275-member Transitional National Assembly (TNA) were held in Iraq on 30 January 2005. Following these elections the Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG) assumed office. The TNA was charged with drafting Iraq's permanent constitution which was approved in a 15 October 2005 constitutional referendum. An election under the constitution for a 275-member Council of Representatives (CoR) was held in December 2005. The CoR approval in the selection of most of the cabinet ministers on 20 May 2006 marked the transition from the ITG to Iraq's full-term government.


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Location: Middle East bordering the Persian Gulf between Iran and Kuwait

Geographic coordinates: 33 00 N 44 00 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 437,072 km²
Land: 432,162 km²
Water: 4,910 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Idaho

Land boundaries
Total: 3,650 km
Border countries: (6) Iran 1,458 km; , Jordan 181 km; , Kuwait 240 km; , Saudi Arabia 814 km; , Syria 605 km; , Turkey 352 km

Coastline: 58 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Continental shelf: not specified

Climate: mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry hot cloudless summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraq

Terrain: mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
Extremes highest point: unnamed peak; 3,611 m; note - this peak is not Gundah Zhur 3,607 m or Kuh-e Hajji-Ebrahim 3,595 m

Natural resources: petroleum natural gas phosphates sulfur

Land use
Arable land: 13.12%
Permanent crops: 0.61%
Other: 86.27% (2005)

Irrigated land: 35,250 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: dust storms sandstorms floods

Geography
Note: strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf


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Population: 26,783,383 (July 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 2.66% (2006 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Iraqi
Adjective: Iraqi

Ethnic groups: Arab 75%-80% Kurdish 15%-20% Turkoman Assyrian or other 5%

Languages: Arabic Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions) Assyrian Armenian

Religions: Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65% Sunni 32%-37%) Christian or other 3%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 39.7% (male 5,398,645/female 5,231,760)
15-64 years: 57.3% (male 7,776,257/female 7,576,726)
65 years and over: 3% (male 376,700/female 423,295) (2006 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 19.7 years
Male: 19.6 years
Female: 19.8 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.66% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 31.98 births/1000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 5.37 deaths/1000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2006 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: government water control projects have drained most of the inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting the feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of Marsh Arabs who inhabited these areas for thousands of years has been displaced; furthermore the destruction of the natural habitat poses serious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequate supplies of potable water; development of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers system contingent upon agreements with upstream riparian Turkey; air and water pollution; soil degradation (salination) and erosion; desertification
International agreements party to: Law of the Sea
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male/female
Total population: 1.02 male/female (2006 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 48.64 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 54.39 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 42.61 deaths/1000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.01 years
Male: 67.76 years
Female: 70.31 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.18 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: less than 500 (2003 est.)
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 40.4%
Male: 55.9%
Female: 24.4% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Iraq
Conventional short form: Iraq
Local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah
Local short form: Al Iraq

Government type: transitional democracy

Capital
Name: Baghdad
Geographic coordinates: 33 21 N, 44 25 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins 1 April; ends 1 October

Administrative divisions: 18 governorates (muhafazat singular - muhafazah); Al Anbar Al Basrah Al Muthanna Al Qadisiyah An Najaf Arbil As Sulaymaniyah At Ta'mim Babil Baghdad Dahuk Dhi Qar Diyala Karbala' Maysan Ninawa Salah ad Din Wasit

Dependent areas

Independence: 3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration); note - on 28 June 2004 the Coalition Provisional Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government

National holiday: Revolution Day 17 July (1968); note - this holiday was celebrated under the SADDAM Husayn regime but the Iraqi Interim Government has yet to declare a new national holiday

Constitution: ratified on 15 October 2005

Legal system: based on European civil and Islamic law under the framework outlined in the Iraqi Constitution

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: formerly 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Jalal TALABANI (since 6 April 2005); Vice Presidents Adil ABD AL-MAHDI and Tariq al-HASHIMI (since 22 April 2006); note - the president and vice presidents comprise the Presidency Council)
Head of government: Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI (since 20 May 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Barham SALIH and Salam al-ZUBAI (since 20 May 2006)
Cabinet: 37 ministers appointed by the Presidency Council, plus Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI, and Deputy Prime Ministers Barham SALIH and Salam al-ZUBAI
Elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of Representatives

Legislative branch
Elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of Representatives that will finalize a permanent constitution
Election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; number of seats by party - NA

Judicial branch: Supreme Court appointed by the Prime Minister confirmed by the Presidency Council

Political parties and leaders
Note: the Kurdistan Alliance, Iraqi National List, Iraqi Consensus Front, Iraqi Front for National Dialogue, and United Iraqi Alliance were only electoral slates consisting of the representatives from the various Iraqi political parties

International organization participation: ABEDA AFESD AMF CAEU FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC ISO ITU LAS NAM OAPEC OIC OPEC PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Samir Shakir al-SUMAYDI
In the us chancery: 1801 P Street, NW, Washington, DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 483-7,500
In the us fax: [1] (202) 462-5,066
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Zalmay KHALILZAD
From the us embassy: Baghdad
From the us mailing address: APO AE 9,316
From the us telephone: 00-1-240-553-0584 ext. 5,340 or 5,635; note - Consular Section
From the us fax: NA

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top) white and black with three green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; the phrase ALLAHU AKBAR (God is Great) in green Arabic script - Allahu to the right of the middle star and Akbar to the left of the middle star - was added in January 1991 during the Persian Gulf crisis; similar to the flag of Syria which has two stars but no script Yemen which has a plain white band and that of Egypt which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band; design is based upon the Arab Liberation colors

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Iraq's economy is dominated by the oil sector which has traditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings. Iraq's seizure of Kuwait in August 1990 subsequent international economic sanctions and damage from military action by an international coalition beginning in January 1991 drastically reduced economic activity. Although government policies supporting large military and internal security forces and allocating resources to key supporters of the regime hurt the economy implementation of the UN's oil-for-food program which began in December 1996 helped improve conditions for the average Iraqi citizen. Iraq was allowed to export limited amounts of oil in exchange for food medicine and some infrastructure spare parts. In December 1999 the UN Security Council authorized Iraq to export under the program as much oil as required to meet humanitarian needs. Per capita food imports increased significantly while medical supplies and health care services steadily improved. Per capita output and living standards were still well below the pre-1991 level but any estimates have a wide range of error. The military victory of the US-led coalition in March-April 2003 resulted in the shutdown of much of the central economic administrative structure. Although a comparatively small amount of capital plant was damaged during the hostilities looting insurgent attacks and sabotage have undermined efforts to rebuild the economy. Attacks on key economic facilities - especially oil pipelines and infrastructure - have prevented Iraq from reaching projected export volumes but total government revenues have been higher than anticipated due to high oil prices. Despite political uncertainty Iraq has established the institutions needed to implement economic policy has successfully concluded a three-stage debt reduction agreement with the Paris Club and is working toward a Standby Arrangement with the IMF. The Standby Arrangement would clear the way for continued debt relief from the Paris Club.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $94.1 billion (2005 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: -3% (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1800 (2005 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 7.3%
Industry: 66.6%
Services: 26.1% (2004 est.)

Agriculture products: wheat barley rice vegetables dates cotton; cattle sheep poultry

Industries: petroleum chemicals textiles leather construction materials food processing fertilizer metal fabrication/processing

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 7.4 million (2004 est.)
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: 25% to 30% (2005 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $19.3 billion
Expenditures: $24 billion; including capital expenditures of $5 billion (2005 budget)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 33% (2005 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: $5.665 billion (2006 est.)

Exports: $28.41 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Commodities: crude oil 84% crude materials excluding fuels 8% food and live animals 5%
Partners: US 46.8% Italy 10.7% Canada 6.2% Spain 6.1% (2006)

Imports: $21.48 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Commodities: food medicine manufactures
Partners: Syria 26.5% Turkey 20.5% US 11.8% Jordan 7.2% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $19.66 billion (2006 est.)

Debt external: $54.46 billion (2006 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: New Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 1466 (2006) 1475 (2005) 1890 (second half 2003) 0.3109 (2001)


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Electricity
Production: 31.7 billion kWh (2005)
Consumption: 33.3 billion kWh (2005)
Exports: 0 kWh (2005)
Imports: 2.02 billion kWh (2005)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 2.35 billion m³ (2005 est.)
Consumption: 2.35 billion m³ (2005 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2005 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2005)
Proven reserves: 3.04 trillion m³ (1 January 2006 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.547 million (2005)
Mobile cellular: 8.7 million (2006)

Telephone system
General assessment: the aftermath of the liberation of Iraq in 2003 severely disrupted telecommunications throughout Iraq including international connections; USAID repaired switching capabilities and constructed a mobile and satellite communication facility; landlines now exceed pre-war levels
Domestic: repairs to switches and lines destroyed during 2003 have been completed, but sabotage remains a problem; additional switching capacity is improving access; cellular service is widely available in major cities and centered on 3 regional GSM networks, improving country-wide connectivity; there are currently 8.7 million users of cellular services
International: country code - 964; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Arabsat (inoperative); coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey; despite a new satellite gateway, international calls outside of Baghdad are sometimes problematic (2006)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .iq
Hosts: 3 (2006)
Users: 36,000 (2004)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 8.6% (2006)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-40 years of age for voluntary military service (2006)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 110 (2006)
With paved runways total: 76
With paved runways over 3047 m: 19
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 37
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With paved runways under 914 m: 9 (2006)
With unpaved runways total: 34
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 3
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 4
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 13
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 10 (2006)

Heliports: 17 (2006)

Pipelines: gas 2,228 km; liquid petroleum gas 918 km; oil 5,506 km; refined products 1637 km (2006)

Railways
Total: 2,272 km
Standard gauge: 2,272 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

Roadways
Total: 45,550 km
Paved: 38,399 km
Unpaved: 7,151 km (1999)

Waterways
Note: Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third River (565 km) are principal waterways (2006)

Merchant marine
Total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 67,796 GRT/101,317 DWT
By type: cargo 11, petroleum tanker 2 (2006)

Ports and terminals: Al Basrah Khawr az Zubayr Umm Qasr


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Disputes international: coalition forces assist Iraqis in monitoring internal and cross-border security; approximately two million Iraqis have fled the conflict in Iraq with the majority taking refuge in Syria and Jordan and lesser numbers to Egypt Lebanon Iran and Turkey; Iraq's lack of a maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction disputes beyond the mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf; Turkey has expressed concern over the autonomous status of Kurds in Iraq

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 15,000 (Palestinian Territories), 11,960 (Iran), 16,110 (Turkey): 1.9 million (ongoing US-led war and Kurds' subsequent return) (2006)

Illicit drugs