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 through 2009 and under a bilateral security agreement thereafter helping to provide security and to train and mentor Iraqi security forces. 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. The COR approved most cabinet ministers in May 2006 marking the transition to Iraq's first constitutional government in nearly a half century. In January 2009 Iraq held elections for provincial councils in all governorates except for the three governorates comprising the Kurdistan Regional Government and Kirkuk Governorate. Iraq held a national legislative election in March 2010 - choosing 325 legislators in an expanded COR - and after nine months of deadlock the COR approved the new government in December 2010. Nearly nine years after the start of the Second Gulf War in Iraq US military operations there ended in mid-December 2011.

Geographic coordinates: 33 00 N 44 00 E

Area
Rank: 59
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Idaho

Coastline: 58 km

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

Natural resources: petroleum natural gas phosphates sulfur

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: 31,129,225 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 39
Growth rate: 2.345% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 35
Below poverty line: 25% (2008 est.)

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

Languages: Arabic (official) Kurdish (official) Turkmen (a Turkish dialect) and Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic) are official in areas where they constitute a majority of the population) Armenian

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

Population growth rate: 2.345% (2012 est.)
Rank: 35

Birth rate: 28.19 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 45

Death rate: 4.73 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 196

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 89

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

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 62

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 145

Total fertility rate: 3.58 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 46

Physicians density: 0.69 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density: 1.3 beds/1000 population (2009)

Sanitation facility access:
Unimproved:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 130
People living with hivaids: fewer than 500 (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 151
Deaths: NA

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 7.1% (2006)
Rank: 72

Education expenditures: NA

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Administrative divisions: 18 governorates (muhafazat singular - muhafazah (Arabic); parezgakan singular - parezga (Kurdish)) and 1 region*; Al Anbar; Al Basrah; Al Muthanna; Al Qadisiyah (Ad Diwaniyah); An Najaf; Arbil (Erbil) (Arabic) Hewler (Kurdish); As Sulaymaniyah (Arabic) Slemani (Kurdish); Babil; Baghdad; Dahuk (Arabic) Dihok (Kurdish); Dhi Qar; Diyala; Karbala'; Kirkuk; 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 Interim 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 15 October 2005 (subject to review by the Constitutional Review Committee and a possible public referendum)

Legal system: mixed legal system of civil and Islamic law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legislative branch: unicameral Council of Representatives (325 seats consisting of 317 members elected by an optional open-list and representing a specific governorate proportional representation system and 8 seats reserved for minorities; members serve four-year terms); note - Iraq's Constitution calls for the establishment of an upper house the Federation Council

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: Badr Organization [Hadi al-AMIRI]; Da'wa Party [Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI]; Da'wa Tanzim [Hashim al-MUSAWI branch]; Da-wa Tanzim [Abd al-Karim al-ANZI branch]; Fadilah Party [Hasan al-SHAMMARI and Ammar TUAMA]; Goran (Change) List [Nushirwan MUSTAFA]; Iraqi Covenant Gathering [Ahmad Abd al-Ghafur al-SAMARRAI]; Iraqi Constitutional Party [Jawad al-BULANI]; Iraqi Front for National Dialogue [Deputy Prime Minister Salih al-MUTLAQ]; Iraqi Islamic Party or IIP [Usama al-TIKRITI]; Iraqi Justice and Reform Movement [Shaykh Abdallah al-YAWR]; Iraqi National Congress or INC [Ahmad CHALABI]; Iraqi National Accord or INA [Ayad ALLAWI]; Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq or ISCI [Ammar al-HAKIM]; Kurdistan Democratic Party or KDP [Kurdistan Regional Government President Masud BARZANI]; Future National Gathering [Finance Minister Rafi al-ISSAWI]; National Iraqiyun Gathering [Usama al-NUJAYFI]; National Movement for Reform and Development [Jamal al-KARBULI]; National Reform Trend [former Prime Minister Ibrahim al-JAFARI]; Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK [President Jalal TALABANI]; Renewal List [Vice President Tariq al-HASHIMI]; Sadrist Trend [Muqtada al-SADR]; Sahawa al-Iraq [Ahmad al-RISHAWI]

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

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; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black) overcome through bloody struggle (red) to be replaced by a bright future (white); the Council of Representatives approved this flag in 2008 as a compromise temporary replacement for the Ba'athist Saddam-era flag

National symbols: golden eagle

Economy overview: An improving security environment and foreign investment are helping to spur economic activity particularly in the energy construction and retail sectors. Broader economic development long-term fiscal health and sustained improvements in the overall standard of living still depend on the central government passing major policy reforms. Iraq's largely state-run economy is dominated by the oil sector which provides more than 90% of government revenue and 80% of foreign exchange earnings. Iraq in 2012 boosted oil exports to a 30-year high of 2.6 million barrels per day a significant increase from Iraq's average of 2.2 million in 2011. Government revenues increased as global oil prices remained persisently high for much of 2012. Iraq's contracts with major oil companies have the potential to further expand oil exports and revenues but Iraq will need to make significant upgrades to its oil processing pipeline and export infrastructure to enable these deals to reach their economic potential. Iraq is making slow progress enacting laws and developing the institutions needed to implement economic policy and political reforms are still needed to assuage investors' concerns regarding the uncertain business climate which may have been harmed by the November 2012 standoff between Baghdad and Erbil. The government of Iraq is eager to attract additional foreign direct investment but it faces a number of obstacles including a tenuous political system and concerns about security and societal stability. Rampant corruption outdated infrastructure insufficient essential services skilled labor shortages and antiquated commercial laws stifle investment and continue to constrain growth of private nonoil sectors. In 2010 Baghdad signed agreements with both the IMF and World Bank for conditional aid programs designed to help strengthen Iraq's economic institutions. Iraq is considering a package of laws to establish a modern legal framework for the oil sector and a mechanism to equitably divide oil revenues within the nation although these reforms are still under contentious and sporadic negotiation. Political and economic tensions between Baghdad and local governments have led some provincial councils to use their budgets to independently promote and facilitate investment at the local level. The Central Bank has successfully held the exchange rate at about 1170 Iraqi dinar/US dollar since January 2009. Inflation has remained under control since 2006 as security improved. However Iraqi leaders remain hard pressed to translate macroeconomic gains into an improved standard of living for the Iraqi populace. Unemployment remains a problem throughout the country despite a bloated public sector. Encouraging private enterprise through deregulation would make it easier for Iraqi citizens and foreign investors to start new businesses. Rooting out corruption and implementing reforms - such as restructuring banks and developing the private sector - would be important steps in this direction.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 61

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 7

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 160

Agriculture products: wheat barley rice vegetables da

Industrial production growth rate: 4.8% (2010 est.)
Rank: 69

Labor force: 8.9 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 55

Unemployment rate: 15% (2010 est.)
Rank: 151

Population below poverty line: 25% (2008 est.)

Budget
Surplus or deficit: 4.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 16

Taxes and other revenues: 79.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 2

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5.6% (2011 est.)
Rank: 167

Central bank discount rate: 6% (December 2011)
Rank: 61

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 14.35% (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 54

Stock of narrow money: $53.52 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 43

Stock of broad money: $61.81 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 62

Stock of domestic credit: $1.727 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 141

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 93

Current account balance: $21.68 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 18

Exports: $79.68 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 44
Commodities: crude oil 84% crude materials excluding fuels food and live animals
Partners: India 22.5% US 22.3% China 13.4% South Korea 11.7% Japan 4.8% Netherlands 4.3% (2011)

Imports: $47.8 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 52
Commodities: food medicine manufactures
Partners: Turkey 25.3% Syria 18.3% China 11.7% US 7.4% South Korea 4.7% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $58.96 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 30

Debt external: $50.79 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 58

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 47.4 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 52
Consumption: 35.12 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 57
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 210
Imports: 12.28 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 17
Installed generating capacity: 10.11 million kW (2012 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 56
Generation sources fossil fuels: 69% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 110
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 114
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 31% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 74
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 141

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 3.3 million bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 8
Crude oil exports: 2.6 million bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 4
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 202
Crude oil proven reserves: 143.1 billion bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 6

Refined petroleum
Products production: 410,500 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 38
Products consumption: 818,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 25
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 187
Products imports: 144,100 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 40

Natural gas
Production: 1.303 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 63
Consumption: 1.3 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 86
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 91
Imports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 212
Proven reserves: 3.171 trillion m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 13

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 118.3 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 36

Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.794 million (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 62
Mobile cellular: 27 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 38

Broadcast media: the number of private radio and TV stations has increased rapidly since 2003; government-owned TV and radio stations are operated by the publicly-funded Iraqi Public Broadcasting Service; private broadcast media are mostly linked to political ethnic or religious groups; satellite TV is available to an estimated 70% of viewers and many of the broadcasters are based abroad; transmissions of multiple international radio broadcasters are accessible (2007)

Internet
Country code: .iq
Hosts: 26 (2012)
Hosts rank: 219
Users: 325,900 (2009)
Users rank: 126

Military expenditures: 8.6% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 5

Military service age and obligation: 18-40 years of age for voluntary military service (2010)

Airports: 104 (2012)
Rank: 54

Heliports: 20 (2012)

Pipelines: gas 2,447 km; liquid petroleum gas 918 km; oil 5,104 km; refined products 1637 km (2010)

Railways
Rank: 66

Roadways
Rank: 81

Waterways: 5,279 km (the Euphrates River (2,815 km) Tigris River (1899 km) and Third River (565 km) are the principal waterways) (2012)
Rank: 23

Merchant marine
Rank: 142

Ports and terminals: Al Basrah Khawr az Zubayr Umm Qasr

Disputes international: 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: 15,606 (Turkey); 10,798 (West Bank and Gaza Strip); 7,989 (Iran) (2011); 77,415 (Syria) (2013)