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
Land: 437,367 km²
Water: 950 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Idaho

Land boundaries
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
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 highest point: Cheekha Dar (Kurdish for 'Black Tent'); 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
Permanent crops: 0.48%
Other: 90.33% (2011)

Irrigated land: 35,250 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 89.86 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: dust storms; sandstorms; floods

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

Population: 31,858,481 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 40
Growth rate: 2.29% (2013 est.)
Growth rate rank: 39
Below poverty line: 25% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Adjective: Iraqi

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%

Age structure
15-24 years: 19.6% (male 3,175,754/female 3,082,880)
25-54 years: 35.8% (male 5,823,608/female 5,585,217)
55-64 years: 4.2% (male 637,889/female 698,691)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 467,858/female 537,963) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 70.6 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.6 %
Potential support ratio: 17.8 (2013)

Median age
Male: 21.2 years
Female: 21.4 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.29% (2013 est.)
Rank: 39

Birth rate: 27.51 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 46

Death rate: 4.65 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 198

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 90

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 3.05% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: BAGHDAD (capital) 5.751 million; Mosul 1.447 million; Erbil 1.009 million; Basra 923,000; As Sulaymaniyah 836,000 (2009)

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 signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 62
Male: 42.98 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 34.55 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 147
Male: 69.67 years
Female: 72.67 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/woman (2013 est.)
Rank: 46

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 51.2% (2011)

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 0.61 physicians/1000 population (2010)

Hospital bed density: 1.3 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 159
People living with hivaids: fewer than 500 (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 151
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 27% (2008)
Rank: 42

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 7.1% (2006)
Rank: 75

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Total population: 78.5%
Male: 86%
Female: 71.2% (2011 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 11 years
Female: 9 years (2004)

Country name
Conventional short form: Iraq
Local long form: Jumhuriyat al-Iraq/Komar-i Eraq
Local short form: Al Iraq/Eraq

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 33 20 N 44 24 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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: several previous; latest adopted by referendum 15 October 2005 (2013)

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

Executive branch
Head of government: Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI (since 20 May 2006)
Cabinet: The Council of Ministers consists of the prime minister and cabinet ministers the prime minister proposes; approved by an absolute majority vote by the Council of Representatives
Elections: president elected by Council of Representatives (parliament) to serve a four-year term (eligible for a second term); presidential election in parliament last held on 11 November 2010 (next to be held in 2014)
Election results: President Jalal TALABANI reelected on 11 November 2010; Council of Representatives vote count on second ballot - 195 votes; Nuri al-MALIKI reelected prime minister

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
Elections: last held on 7 March 2010 for an enlarged 325-seat parliament (next to be held in 2014)
Election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by coalition - Iraqi National Movement 25.9% State of Law coalition 25.8% Iraqi National Alliance 19.4% Kurdistan Alliance 15.3% Goran (Change) List 4.4% Tawafuq Front 2.7% Iraqi Unity Alliance 2.9% Kurdistan Islamic Union 2.3% Kurdistan Islamic Group 1.4%; seats by coalition - NA

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: Federal Supreme Court and Court of Cassation judges appointed by the Higher Juridical Council a 26-member independent committee of judicial officials; FSC members appointed for life ; Court of Cassation judges appointed for 1-year probationary period and upon satisfactory performance may be confirmed for permanent tenure until retirement at age 63
Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal (governorate level); courts of first instance; personal status labor criminal juvenile and religious courts

Political parties and leaders:

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)

Diplomatic representation
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
In the us consulate general: Chicago Houston Los Angeles New York San Francisco
From the us embassy: Al-Kindi Street International Zone Baghdad
From the us mailing address: APO AE 9,316
From the us telephone: 0760-030-3,000
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; 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

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Ibrahim TOUQAN/Mohammad FLAYFEL

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 persistently 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. The Iraqi Kurdistan Region's (IKR) autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) passed its own oil law in 2007 and has directly signed about 50 contracts to develop IKR energy reserves. The federal government has disputed the legal authority of the KRG to conclude most of these contracts some of which are also in areas with unresolved administrative boundaries in dispute between the federal and regional government. 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 and the removal of the Central Bank Governor in October 2012. 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. 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. Under the Iraqi Constitution some competencies relevant to the overall investment climate are either shared by the federal government and the regions or are devolved entirely to the regions. Investment in the IKR operates within the framework of the Kurdistan Region Investment Law (Law 4 of 2006) and the Kurdistan Board of Investment which is designed to provide incentives to help economic development in areas under the authority of the KRG. 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: 53

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 15

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 140

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 64.9%
Services: 31.7% (2012 est.)

Agriculture products: wheat barley rice vegetables da

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

Industrial production growth rate: 10.6% (2012 est.)
Rank: 13

Labor force: 8.9 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 54
By occupation industry: 18.7%
By occupation services: 59.8% (2008 est.)

Unemployment rate: 15% (2010 est.)
Rank: 149

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 25.7% (2007 est.)

Budget
Expenditures: $88.33 billion (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit: 7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 9

Taxes and other revenues: 49.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 14

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5.6% (2011 est.)
Rank: 161

Central bank discount rate: 6% (December 2011)
Rank: 59

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 6% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 142

Stock of narrow money: $53.4 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 45

Stock of broad money: $61.81 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 61

Stock of domestic credit: $-962,200 (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 181

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 93

Current account balance: $26.13 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 16

Exports: $79.68 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 41
Commodities: crude oil 84% crude materials excluding fuels food and live animals
Partners: US 21.1% India 20.2% China 13.6% South Korea 11% Canada 4.7% Italy 4.4% Spain 4.2% (2012)

Imports: $40.63 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 55
Commodities: food medicine manufactures
Partners: Turkey 27.5% Syria 16.2% China 12.5% US 5.2% South Korea 4.7% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $61.04 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 30

Debt external: $61 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: 58
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 211
Imports: 12.28 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 15
Installed generating capacity: 10.11 million kW (2012 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 55
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: 112
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 31% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 75
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 185

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 2.987 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: 3
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 202
Crude oil proven reserves: 141.4 billion bbl (1 January 2013 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 5

Refined petroleum
Products production: 492,800 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 32
Products consumption: 818,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 22
Products exports: 3,832 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 94
Products imports: 172,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 32

Natural gas
Production: 880 million m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 66
Consumption: 1.3 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 86
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 122
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 209
Proven reserves: 3.158 trillion m³ (1 January 2013 es)
Proven reserves rank: 12

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 139.4 million Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 35

Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.87 million (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 62
Mobile cellular: 26.76 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 40

Telephone system
Domestic: repairs to switches and lines destroyed during 2003 continue; additional switching capacity is improving access; 3 GSM operators since 2007 have expanded beyond their regional roots and offer near country-wide access to second-generation services; third-generation mobile services are not available nationwide; wireless local loop is available in some metropolitan areas and additional 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; international terrestrial fiber-optic connections have been established with Saudi Arabia Turkey Kuwait Jordan and Iran; links to the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) and the Gulf Bridge International (GBI) submarine fiber-optic cables have been established (2011)

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: 218
Users: 325,900 (2009)
Users rank: 126

Military expenditures: 8.6% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 6

Military service age and obligation: 18-40 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2013)

Airports: 102 (2013)
Rank: 55
With paved runways over 3047 m: 20
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 34
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7
With paved runways under 914 m: 7 (2013)
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 3
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 13
With unpaved runways: 6 (2013)

Heliports: 16 (2013)

Pipelines: gas 2,455 km; liquid petroleum gas 913 km; oil 5,432 km; refined products 1637 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 66
Standard gauge: 2,370 km 1.435-m gauge (2012)

Roadways
Rank: 71
Paved: 59,623 km (includes Kurdistan Region) (2012)

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
By type: petroleum tanker 2
Registered in other countries: 2 (Marshall Islands 2) (2010)

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
IDPs: 1.1 million (since 2006 from ethno-sectarian violence) (2013)
Stateless persons: 120,000 (2012); note - in the 1970s and 1980s under SADDAM Husayn's administration thousands of Iraq's Faili Kurds followers of Shia Islam were stripped of their Iraqi citizenship had their property seized by the government and many were deported; some Faili Kurds had their citizenship reinstated under the 2006 Iraqi Nationality Law but others lack the documentation to prove their Iraqi origins; some Palestinian refugees who were also persecuted under the SADDAM Husayn regime still remain stateless in Iraq