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 strongmen ruled the country until 2003. The last 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. US forces remained in Iraq under a UNSC mandate until 31 December 2008 and under a bilateral Security Agreement thereafter helping to provide security and to support the freely elected government. In October 2005 Iraqis approved a constitution in a national referendum and pursuant to this document elected a 275-member Council of Representatives (CoR) in December 2005. After the election Ibrahim al-JAAFARI was selected as prime minister; he was replaced by Nuri al-MALIKI in May 2006. The CoR approved most cabinet ministers in May 2006 marking the transition to Iraq's first constitutional government in nearly a half century. On 31 January 2009 Iraq held elections for provincial councils in all provinces except for the three provinces comprising the Kurdistan Regional Government and at-Ta'mim (Kirkuk) province.

Geographic coordinates: 33 00 N 44 00 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 438,317 km²
Rank: 58
Land: 437,367 km²
Water: 950 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Idaho

Land boundaries
Total: 3,650 km
Border countries: (6) Iran 1458 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 neither Gundah Zhur 3,607 m nor 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)

Total renewable water resources: 96.4 km³ (1997)

Natural hazards: dust storms; sandstorms; floods

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

Population: 28,945,657 (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 40
Growth rate: 2.507% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 32
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) Turkoman (a Turkish dialect) Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic) Armenian

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 38.8%
15-64 years: 58.2% (male 8,529,956/female 8,310,164)
65 years and over: 3% (male 408,266/female 456,224) (2009 est.)

Median age
Total: 20.4 years
Male: 20.3 years
Female: 20.5 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.507% (2009 est.)
Rank: 32

Birth rate: 30.1 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 49

Death rate: 5.03 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 188

Net migration rate: NA (2009 est.)

Urbanization
Urban population: 67% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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: Biodiversity Law of the Sea Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 43.82 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 60
Male: 49.38 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 37.98 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.94 years
Rank: 144
Male: 68.6 years
Female: 71.34 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.86 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 48

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 154
People living with hivaids: fewer than 500 (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 148
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: intermediate
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible r

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 74.1%
Male: 84.1%
Female: 64.2% (2000 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 10 years
Male: 11 years
Female: 8 years (2005)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Iraq
Conventional short form: Iraq
Local long form: Jumhuriyat al-Iraq
Local short form: Al Iraq

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital
Name: Baghdad
Geographic coordinates: 33 20 N 44 23 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 18 governorates (muhafazat singular - muhafazah) and 1 region*; Al Anbar Al Basrah Al Muthanna Al Qadisiyah An Najaf Arbil As Sulaymaniyah At Ta'mim Babil Baghdad Dahuk Dhi Qar Diyala Karbala' Kurdistan Regional Government* Maysan Ninawa Salah ad Din Wasit

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-controlled Government

National holiday: Republic Day July 14 (1958); note - the Government of Iraq has yet to declare an official national holiday but still observes Republic Day

Constitution: ratified on 15 October 2005 (subject to review by the Constitutional Review Committee and a possible public referendum )

Legal system: based on European civil and Islamic law under the framework outlined in the Iraqi Constitution; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Jalal TALABANI ; 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); Rafi al-ISSAWI (since 19 July 2008)
Cabinet: 36 ministers appointed by the Presidency Council plus Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI and Deputy Prime Ministers Barham SALIH and Rafi al-ISSAWI
Elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of Representatives

Legislative branch: unicameral Council of Representatives (consisting of 275 members elected by a closed-list proportional representation system)
Elections: last held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of Representatives (next to be held on 18 January 2010); the Council of Representatives elected the Presidency Council and approved the prime minister and two deputy prime ministers
Election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by party - Unified Iraqi Alliance 41% Kurdistan Alliance 22% Tawafuq Coalition 15% Iraqi National List 8% Iraqi Front for National Dialogue 4% other 10%; number of seats by party (as of November 2007) - Unified Iraqi Alliance (including the Sadrist bloc with 30 and Fadilah with 15) 130 Kurdistan Alliance 53 Tawafuq Front 44 Iraqi National List 25 Fadilah 15 Iraqi Front for National Dialogue 11 other 12

Judicial branch: the Iraq Constitution calls for the federal judicial power to be comprised of the Higher Judicial Council Federal Supreme Court Federal Court of Cassation Public Prosecution Department Judiciary Oversight Commission and other federal courts that are regulated in accordance with the law

Political parties and leaders: Assyrian Democratic Movement [Yunadim KANNA]; Badr Organization [Hadi al-AMIRI]; Constitutional Monarchy Movement or CMM [Sharif Ali Bin al-HUSAYN]; Da'wa al-Islamiya Party [Nuri al-MALIKI]; General Conference of Iraqi People [Adnan al-DULAYMI]; Independent Iraqi Alliance or IIA [Falah al-NAQIB]; Iraqi Communist Party [Hamid MAJID]; Iraqi Front for National Dialogue [Salih al-MUTLAQ]; Iraqi Hizballah [Karim Mahmud al-MUHAMMADAWI]; Iraqi Independent Democrats or IID [Adnan PACHACHI Mahdi al-HAFIZ]; Iraqi Islamic Party or IIP [Tariq al-HASHIMI]; Iraqi National Accord or INA [Ayad ALLAWI]; Iraqi National Congress or INC [Ahmad CHALABI]; Iraqi National Council for Dialogue or INCD [Khalaf Ulayan al-Khalifawi al-DULAYMI]; Iraqi National Unity Movement or INUM [Ahmad al-KUBAYSI]; Islamic Action Organization or IAO [Ayatollah Muhammad al-MUDARRISI]; Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq or ISCI [Abd al-Aziz al-HAKIM]; Jama'at al Fadilah or JAF [Muhammad Ali al-YAQUBI]; Kurdistan Democratic Party or KDP [Masud BARZANI]; Kurdistan Islamic Union [Salah ad-Din Muhammad BAHA al-DIN]; Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK [Jalal TALABANI]; Sadrist Trend [Muqtada al-SADR] (not an organized political party but it fields independent candidates affiliated with Muqtada al-SADR); Sahawa al-Iraq [Ahmad al-RISHAWI]
Note: the Kurdistan Alliance Iraqi National List Tawafuq Front Iraqi Front for National Dialogue and Unified Iraqi Alliance were only electoral slates consisting of the representatives from the various Iraqi political parties

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Samir Shakir al-SUMAYDI
In the us chancery: 3,421 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington DC 20,007
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 742-1600
In the us fax: [1] (202) 333-1129
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher R. HILL
From the us embassy: Baghdad
From the us mailing address: APO AE 9,316
From the us telephone: 1-240-553-0589 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; the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning 'God is great') in green Arabic script is centered in the white band; 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; Council of Representatives approved this flag as a compromise temporary replacement for Ba'athist Saddam-era flag

Economy overview: Decreasing insurgent attacks and an improving security environment in many parts of the country are helping to spur economic activity. Iraq's economy is dominated by the oil sector which has traditionally provided over 90% of foreign exchange earnings. Oil exports are around levels seen before Operation Iraqi Freedom. Total government revenues have benefited from high oil prices in recent years; however revenues have declined significantly since the oil price drop in fall 2008. Iraq is making some progress in building the institutions needed to implement economic policy. In March 2009 Iraq concluded a Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) with the IMF that details economic reforms. The SBA allows an 80% reduction of the debt owed to Paris Club creditor nations. The International Compact with Iraq was established in May 2007 to integrate Iraq into the regional and global economy and the Iraqi government is seeking to pass laws to strengthen its economy. This legislation includes a hydrocarbon law to establish a modern legal framework to allow Iraq to develop its resources and a revenue sharing law to equitably divide oil revenues within the nation although both are still under contentious political negotiation. Some foreign entities have expressed interest in reinvigorating Iraq's industrial sector. The government of Iraq is pursuing a strategy to gain foreign participation in joint ventures with State-owned enterprises. Provincial Councils are also using their own budgets to promote and facilitate investment at the local level. The Central Bank has been successful in controlling inflation through appreciation of the dinar against the US dollar. However Iraq's challenge will be to use macroeconomic gains to improve the lives of ordinary Iraqis. Reducing corruption and implementing structural reforms such as bank restructuring and developing the private sector will be key to Iraq's economic success.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 70
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 24

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 162
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 5%
Industry: 68%
Services: 27% (2006 est.)

Agriculture products: wheat barley rice vege

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

Industrial production growth rate: 10.5% (2008 est.)
Rank: 11

Labor force: 7.74 million (2008 est.)
Rank: 56
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: 18% (2006 est.)
Rank: 161
Note: official data; unofficial estimates as high as 30%

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Revenues: $42.4 billion
Expenditures: $49.9 billion (FY08 est.)

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.7% (2007 est.)
Rank: 34

Central bank discount rate: 20% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 6

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 19.74% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 16

Stock of domestic credit:

Market value of publicly traded shares:

Current account balance: $4.909 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 25

Exports: $36.08 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 52
Commodities: crude oil 84% crude materials excluding fuels 8% food and live animals 5%
Partners: US 37.3% India 13.8% Italy 9.4% South Korea 6.8% (2008)

Imports: $25.67 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 59
Commodities: food medicine manufactures
Partners: Syria 26.4% Turkey 19.7% US 10.7% Jordan 6.5% China 6% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $30.66 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 27

Debt external: $100.9 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 44

Exchange rates: New Iraqi dinars (NID) per US dollar - 1176 (2008) 1255 (2007) 1466 (2006) 1475 (2005) 1890 (second half 2003)

Electricity
Production: 36.92 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 58
Consumption: 39.88 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 51
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 2.95 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 1.88 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 57
Consumption: 9.454 billion m³
Consumption rank: 48
Consumption note: 1.48 billion m³ were flared (2008 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2008)
Exports rank: 167
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 160
Proven reserves: 3.17 trillion m³ (1 January 2009 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 10

Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.082 million (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 76
Mobile cellular: 17.529 million (2008)
Mobile cellular rank: 40

Telephone system
General assessment: the 2003 liberation of Iraq severely disrupted telecommunications throughout Iraq including international connections; widespread government efforts to rebuild domestic and international communications through fiber optic links are in progress; the mobile cellular market has expanded rapidly and its subscribership base approached 18 million in 2008
Domestic: repairs to switches and lines destroyed during 2003 continue; additional switching capacity is improving access; cellular service is available and centered on 3 GSM networks which are being expanded beyond their regional roots improving country-wide connectivity; wireless local loop licenses have been issued with the hope of overcoming the lack of fixed-line infrastructure
International: country code - 964; satellite earth stations - 4 (2 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean 1 Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region and 1 Arabsat (inoperative)); local microwave radio relay connects border regions to Jordan Kuwait Syria and Turkey; planned international fiber-optic connections to Iran (terrestrial) with a link to the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine fiber-optic cable (2008)

Internet
Country code: .iq
Hosts: 11 (2009)
Hosts rank: 219
Users: 300,000 (2008)
Users rank: 126

Military expenditures: 8.6% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 4

Military service age and obligation: 18-49 years of age for voluntary military service (2008)

Airports: 104 (2009)
Rank: 57
With paved runways total: 75
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: 8 (2009)
With unpaved runways total: 29
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 3
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 4
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 13
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 6 (2009)

Heliports: 21 (2009)

Pipelines: gas 2,501 km; liquid petroleum gas 918 km; oil 5,418 km; refined products 1637 km (2008)

Railways
Total: 2,272 km
Rank: 68
Standard gauge: 2,272 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Total: 44,900 km
Rank: 81
Paved: 37,851 km
Unpaved: 7,049 km (2002)

Waterways: 5,279 km
Rank: 23
Note: Euphrates River (2,815 km) Tigris River (1899 km) and Third River (565 km) are principal waterways (2008)

Merchant marine
Total: 14
Rank: 107
By type: cargo 10 petroleum tanker 4 (2008)

Ports and terminals: Al Basrah Khawr az Zubayr Umm Qasr

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: 10,000-15,000 (Palestinian Territories); 11,773 (Iran); 16,832 (Turkey)
Idps: 2.4 million (ongoing US-led war and ethno-sectarian violence) (2007)