|
| Background: |
Formerly
part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq became an
independent kingdom in 1932. A
"republic" was proclaimed in
1958, but in actuality a series of
military strongmen have ruled the country
since then, the latest being SADDAM Husayn.
Territorial disputes with Iran led to an
inconclusive and costly eight-year war
(1980-1988). In August 1990 Iraq seized
Kuwait, but was expelled by US-led, UN
coalition forces during January-February
1991. The victors did not occupy Iraq,
however, thus allowing the regime to stay
in control. 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. UN
trade sanctions remain in effect due to
incomplete Iraqi compliance with relevant
UNSC resolutions. |
| Location: |
Middle
East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between
Iran and Kuwait |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
33
00 N, 44 00 E |
| Map
references: |
Middle
East |
| Area: |
total:
437,072 sq km
land: 432,162 sq km
water: 4,910 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly
more than twice the size of Idaho |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
3,631 km
border countries: Iran 1,458
km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 242 km, Saudi
Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 331 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
continental
shelf: not specified
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| 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
highest point: Haji Ibrahim
3,600 m |
| Natural
resources: |
petroleum,
natural gas, phosphates, sulfur |
| Land
use: |
arable
land: 12%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 9%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 79% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
25,500
sq km (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
dust
storms, sandstorms, floods |
| 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 Shi'a Muslims, who have
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
Tigris-Euphrates Rivers system contingent
upon agreements with upstream riparian
Turkey; air and water pollution; soil
degradation (salination) and erosion;
desertification |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party
to: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test
Ban
signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification |
| Geography
- note: |
strategic
location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at
the head of the Persian Gulf |
| Population: |
23,331,985
(July 2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14
years: 41.64% (male 4,934,340;
female 4,781,206)
15-64 years: 55.28% (male
6,528,854; female 6,368,823)
65 years and over: 3.08%
(male 335,953; female 382,809) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
2.84%
(2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
34.64
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
6.21
deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88
male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female
(2001 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
60.05
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 66.95 years
male: 65.92 years
female: 68.03 years (2001
est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
4.75
children born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
less
than 0.01% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Iraqi(s)
adjective: Iraqi |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Arab
75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman,
Assyrian or other 5% |
| Religions: |
Muslim
97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%),
Christian or other 3% |
| Languages: |
Arabic,
Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions),
Assyrian, Armenian |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58%
male: 70.7%
female: 45% (1995 est.) |
| 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: |
republic |
| Administrative
divisions: |
18
provinces (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 |
| Independence: |
3
October 1932 (from League of Nations
mandate under British administration) |
| National
holiday: |
Revolution
Day, 17 July (1968) |
| Constitution: |
22
September 1968, effective 16 July 1970
(provisional constitution); new
constitution drafted in 1990 but not
adopted |
| Legal
system: |
based
on Islamic law in special religious
courts, civil law system elsewhere; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: |
18
years of age; universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief
of state: President SADDAM
Husayn (since 16 July 1979); Vice
Presidents Taha Muhyi al-Din MARUF (since
21 April 1974) and Taha Yasin RAMADAN
(since 23 March 1991)
head of government: Prime
Minister SADDAM Husayn (since 29 May
1994); Deputy Prime Ministers Tariq
Mikhail AZIZ (since NA 1979), Hikmat
Mizban Ibrahim al-AZZAWI (since 30 July
1999), Ahmad Husayn al-KHUDAYIR (since NA
July 2001), and Abd al-Tawab Mullah al-HUWAYSH
(since NA July 2001)
cabinet: Council of
Ministers; note - there is also a
Revolutionary Command Council or RCC
(Chairman SADDAM Husayn, Vice Chairman
Izzat IBRAHIM al-Duri) which controls the
ruling Ba'th Party, and is the most
powerful political entity in the country
elections: president and vice
presidents elected by a two-thirds
majority of the Revolutionary Command
Council; election last held 17 October
1995 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: SADDAM
Husayn reelected president; percent of
vote - 99%; Taha Muhyi al-Din MARUF and
Taha Yasin RAMADAN elected vice
presidents; percent of vote - NA% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (250
seats; 30 appointed by the president to
represent the three northern provinces of
Dahuk, Arbil, and As Sulaymaniyah; 220
elected by popular vote; members serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 March
2000 (next to be held NA March 2004)
election results: percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA |
| Judicial
branch: |
Court
of Cassation |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Ba'th
Party [SADDAM Husayn, central party
leader] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
any
formal political activity must be
sanctioned by the government; opposition
to regime from Kurdish groups and southern
Shi'a dissidents |
| International
organization participation: |
ABEDA,
ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, EAPC,
ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,
ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
none;
note - Iraq has an Interest Section in the
Algerian Embassy headed by Akram AL DOURI;
address: Iraqi Interests Section, Algerian
Embassy, 1801 P Street NW, Washington, DC
20036; telephone: [1] (202) 483-7500; FAX:
[1] (202) 462-5066 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
none;
note - the US has an Interests Section in
the Polish Embassy in Baghdad; address: P.
O. Box 2051 Hay Babel, Baghdad; telephone:
[964] (1) 718-9267; FAX: [964] (1)
718-9297 |
| 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 and the flag of Yemen which has
a plain white band; also similar to the
flag of Egypt which has a symbolic eagle
centered in the white band |
| Economy
- overview: |
Iraq's
economy is dominated by the oil sector,
which has traditionally provided about 95%
of foreign exchange earnings. In the
1980s, financial problems caused by
massive expenditures in the eight-year war
with Iran and damage to oil export
facilities by Iran led the government to
implement austerity measures, borrow
heavily, and later reschedule foreign debt
payments; Iraq suffered economic losses of
at least $100 billion from the war. After
the end of hostilities in 1988, oil
exports gradually increased with the
construction of new pipelines and
restoration of damaged facilities. 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 have hurt
the economy, implementation of the UN's
oil-for-food program in December 1996 has
helped improve conditions for the average
Iraqi citizen. For the first six,
six-month phases of the program, 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. Oil exports are now more than
three-quarters their prewar level. Per
capita food imports have increased
significantly, while medical supplies and
health care services are steadily
improving. Per capita output and living
standards are still well below the prewar
level, but any estimates have a wide range
of error. |
| GDP: |
purchasing
power parity - $57 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
15%
(2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $2,500 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
6%
industry: 13%
services: 81% (1993 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest
10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
100%
(2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
4.4
million (1989) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture
NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$NA
expenditures: $NA, including
capital expenditures of $NA |
| Industries: |
petroleum,
chemicals, textiles, construction
materials, food processing |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
29.42
billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil
fuel: 97.96%
hydro: 2.04%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
27.361
billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0
kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
wheat,
barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton;
cattle, sheep |
| Exports: |
$21.8
billion (2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
crude
oil |
| Exports
- partners: |
Russia,
France, Switzerland, China (2000) |
| Imports: |
$13.8
billion (2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
food,
medicine, manufactures |
| Imports
- partners: |
Egypt,
Russia, France, Vietnam (2000) |
| Debt
- external: |
$139
billion (2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$327.5
million (1995) |
| Currency: |
Iraqi
dinar (IQD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Iraqi
dinars per US dollar - 0.3109 (fixed
official rate since 1982); black market
rate - Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 1,910
(December 1999), 1,815 (December 1998),
1,530 (December 1997), 910 (December
1996), 3,000 (December 1995); note -
subject to wide fluctuations |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar
year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
675,000
(1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
NA;
service available in northern Iraq (2001) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: reconstitution of
damaged telecommunication facilities began
after the Gulf war; most damaged
facilities have been rebuilt
domestic: the network
consists of coaxial cables and microwave
radio relay links
international: 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; Kuwait line is probably
nonoperational |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM
19 (5 are inactive), FM 51, shortwave 4
(1998) |
| Radios: |
4.85
million (1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
13
(1997) |
| Televisions: |
1.75
million (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.iq |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1
(2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
2,339 km
standard gauge: 2,339 km
1.435-m gauge (2001) |
| Highways: |
total:
45,550 km
paved: 38,400 km
unpaved: 7,150 km (1996 est.) |
| Waterways: |
1,015
km
note: Shatt al Arab is
usually navigable by maritime traffic for
about 130 km; channel has been dredged to
3 m and is in use; Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers have navigable sections for
shallow-draft boats; Shatt al Basrah canal
was navigable by shallow-draft craft
before closing in 1991 because of the Gulf
war |
| Pipelines: |
crude
oil 4,350 km; petroleum products 725 km;
natural gas 1,360 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Umm
Qasr, Khawr az Zubayr, and Al Basrah have
limited functionality |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
453,273 GRT/779,662 DWT
ships by type: cargo 14,
passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum
tanker 12, refrigerated cargo 1, roll
on/roll off 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports: |
110
(2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
76
over 3,047 m: 20
2,438 to 3,047 m: 36
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
34
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 12 (2000 est.) |
| Disputes
- international: |
Iran
and Iraq restored diplomatic relations in
1990 but are still trying to work out
written agreements settling outstanding
disputes from their eight-year war
concerning border demarcation,
prisoners-of-war, and freedom of
navigation and sovereignty over the Shatt
al Arab waterway; in November 1994, Iraq
formally accepted the UN-demarcated border
with Kuwait which had been spelled out in
Security Council Resolutions 687 (1991),
773 (1993), and 883 (1993); this formally
ends earlier claims to Kuwait and to
Bubiyan and Warbah islands although the
government continues periodic rhetorical
challenges; dispute over water development
plans by Turkey for the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers |
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