|
|
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 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. Coalition forces remain in Iraq under a UNSC mandate,
helping to provide security and to support the freely elected government.
The Coalition Provisional Authority, which temporarily administered Iraq
after the invasion, transferred full governmental authority on 28 June
2004 to the Iraqi Interim Government, 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 on 15 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 first constitutional
government in nearly a half-century. |
|
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: 3,650 km
border countries: 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
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 sq km (2003) |
|
Total renewable water resources: |
96.4 cu km (1997) |
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Freshwater withdrawal
(domestic/industrial/agricultural): |
total: 42.7 cu km/yr
(3%/5%/92%)
per capita: 1,482 cu m/yr (2000) |
|
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 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 |
|
Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification |
|
Geography - note: |
strategic location on Shatt al
Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf |
|
Population: |
28,221,181 (July 2008 est.)
|
|
Age structure: |
0-14 years: 39.2% (male
5,613,420/female 5,438,770)
15-64 years: 57.9% (male
8,270,573/female 8,057,423)
65 years and over: 3% (male
396,751/female 444,244) (2008 est.) |
|
Median age: |
total: 20.2 years
male: 20.1 years
female: 20.2 years (2008 est.)
|
|
Population growth rate: |
2.562% (2008 est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
30.77 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
|
Death rate: |
5.14 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
|
Net migration rate: |
NA |
|
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: 0.89
male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2008
est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate: |
total: 45.43
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 51.06 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 39.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 69.62
years
male: 68.32 years
female: 70.99 years (2008
est.) |
|
Total fertility rate: |
3.97 children born/woman (2008
est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
less than 500 (2003 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - 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
risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close
contact with birds (2008) |
|
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), Turkoman (a Turkish dialect), Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic),
Armenian |
|
Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 74.1%
male: 84.1%
female: 64.2% (2000 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: |
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)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins 1 April; ends 1
October |
|
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: |
Revolution Day, 17 July (1968);
note - this holiday was celebrated under the SADDAM Husayn regime; the
Government of Iraq has yet to declare a new national holiday |
|
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 (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 Minister Barham SALIH (since 20 May 2006); second deputy prime
minister positon vacant
cabinet: 34 ministers appointed by the
Presidency Council, plus Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI, and Deputy Prime
Minister Barham SALIH; second deputy prime minister position vacant
elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council
of Representatives |
|
Legislative branch: |
Council of Representatives
(consisting of 275 members elected by a closed-list, proportional
representation system)
elections: held 15 December 2005 to
elect a 275-member Council of Representatives; 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 Juridical
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 [Ibrahim al-JA'FARI]; General Conference of Iraqi People [Adnan
al-DULAYMI]; Independent Iraqi Alliance or IIA [Falah al-NAQIB]; Iraqi
Communist Party [Hamid MAJEED]; 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]; National Reconciliation and Liberation Party [Mishan al-JABBURI];
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
[Ahmed al-RISAWHI]
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 |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders: |
an insurgency against the
Government of Iraq and Coalition forces is primarily concentrated in
Baghdad and in areas north, northeast, and west of the capital; the
diverse, multigroup insurgency consists principally of Sunni Arabs with a
shared desire to oust the Coalition, end US influence in Iraq, and
reassert Sunni Arab dominance; a number of predominantly Shia militias,
some associated with political parties, challenge governmental authority
in Baghdad and southern Iraq |
|
International organization participation: |
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, 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
chancery: 3421 Massachusetts
Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 483-7500
(Consular section)
FAX: [1] (202) 333-1129 |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ryan C. CROCKER
embassy: Baghdad
mailing
address: APO AE 09316
telephone: 1-240-553-0589 ext. 5340
or 5635; note - Consular Section
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: |
Iraq's economy is dominated by
the oil sector, which has traditionally provided about 95% of foreign
exchange earnings. Although looting, insurgent attacks, and sabotage have
undermined economy rebuilding efforts, economic activity is beginning to
pick up in areas recently secured by the US military surge. Oil exports
are around levels seen before Operation Iraqi Freedom, and total
government revenues have benefited from high oil prices. Despite political
uncertainty, Iraq is making some progress in building the institutions
needed to implement economic policy and has negotiated a debt reduction
agreement with the Paris Club and a new Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF.
Iraq has received pledges for $13.5 billion in foreign aid for 2004-07
from outside of the US, more than $33 billion in total pledges. 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 bogged down in
discussions. The Central Bank has been successful in controlling inflation
through appreciation of the dinar against the US dollar. Reducing
corruption and implementing structural reforms, such as bank restructuring
and developing the private sector, will be key to Iraq's economic success.
|
|
GDP (purchasing power parity): |
$100 billion (2007 est.) |
|
GDP (official exchange rate): |
$55.44 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
5% (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$3,600 (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 5%
industry: 68%
services: 27% (2006 est.) |
|
Labor force: |
7.4 million (2004 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
|
Unemployment rate: |
18% to 30% (2006 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line: |
NA% |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
4.7% (2007 est.) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $42.3 billion
expenditures: $48.4 billion (FY08 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: |
4% (2007 est.) |
|
Electricity - production: |
33.53 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
|
Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 98.4%
hydro: 1.6%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
|
|
Electricity - consumption: |
35.84 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
|
Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2007) |
|
Electricity - imports: |
2.315 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
|
Oil - production: |
2.11 million bbl/day (2007
est.) |
|
Oil - consumption: |
295,000 bbl/day (2007 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports: |
1.67 million bbl/day (2007
est.) |
|
Oil - imports: |
NA bbl/day |
|
Oil - proved reserves: |
115 billion bbl (1 January 2007
est.) |
|
Natural gas - production: |
3.5 billion cu m (2007 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - consumption: |
980 million cu m
note: 1.48 billion cu m were flared (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports: |
0 cu m (2005) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves: |
3.17 trillion cu m (1 January
2007 est.) |
|
Current account balance: |
$7.802 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Exports: |
$34.04 billion f.o.b. (2007
est.) |
|
Exports - commodities: |
crude oil 84%, crude materials
excluding fuels 8%, food and live animals 5% |
|
Exports - partners: |
US 46.7%, Italy 10.7%, Spain
6.2%, Iraq 6.2% (2006) |
|
Imports: |
$23.09 billion f.o.b. (2007
est.) |
|
Imports - commodities: |
food, medicine, manufactures
|
|
Imports - partners: |
Syria 26.5%, Turkey 20.5%, US
11.8%, Jordan 7.2% (2006) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
$21.65 billion (2005) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$21.26 billion (31 December
2007 est.) |
|
Debt - external: |
$56.31 billion (31 December
2007 est.) |
|
Market value of publicly traded shares: |
|
|
Currency (code): |
New Iraqi dinar (NID) as of 22
January 2004 |
|
Currency code: |
NID, IQD prior to 22 January
2004 |
|
Exchange rates: |
New Iraqi dinars per US dollar
- 1,255 (2007), 1,466 (2006), 1,475 (2005), 1,890 (second half, 2003)
|
|
Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use: |
1.547 million (2005) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular: |
10.9 million (2007) |
|
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
with an estimated 10.9 million current users
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 licences 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 (2007) |
|
Radio broadcast stations: |
after 17 months of unregulated
media growth, there are approximately 80 radio stations (types NA) on the
air inside Iraq (2004) |
|
Radios: |
4.85 million (1997) |
|
Television broadcast stations: |
21 (2004) |
|
Televisions: |
1.75 million (1997) |
|
Internet country code: |
.iq |
|
Internet hosts: |
3 (2007) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
|
Internet users: |
36,000 (2004) |
|
Airports: |
110 (2007) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 76
over
3,047 m: 19
2,438 to 3,047 m: 37
1,524 to 2,437
m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 9 (2007)
|
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 34
over
3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m:
4
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 10 (2007) |
|
Heliports: |
17 (2007) |
|
Pipelines: |
gas 2,250 km; liquid petroleum
gas 918 km; oil 5,509 km; refined products 1,637 km (2007) |
|
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: |
5,279 km
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 (2007) |
|
Ports and terminals: |
Al Basrah, Khawr az Zubayr, Umm
Qasr |
|
Military branches: |
Iraqi Armed Forces: Iraqi Army
(includes Iraqi Special Operations Force, Iraqi Intervention Force), Iraqi
Navy (former Iraqi Coastal Defense Force), Iraqi Air Force (former Iraqi
Army Air Corps) (2005) |
|
Military service age and obligation: |
18-40 years of age for
voluntary military service (2006) |
|
Manpower available for military service: |
males age 16-49:
7,086,200
females age 16-49: 6,808,954 (2008 est.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service: |
males age 16-49:
6,019,795
females age 16-49: 5,878,905 (2008 est.) |
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually: |
males age 16-49: 302,926
females age 16-49: 294,747 (2008 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
8.6% (2006) |
| Transnational Issues |
Iraq |
|
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)
IDPs: 1.9 million (ongoing US-led war and Kurds'
subsequent return) (2007) |
|
