Iraq-
-
Capital: Baghdad
Type of Government: -
Administrative Divisions: -
Age Structure: -
Agriculture: -
Airports: -
With Paved Runways:
With Unpaved Runways:
Area: total: 437,072 sq km.
slightly more than twice the size of Idaho
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, the latest 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 resulted in the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. Coalition forces remain in Iraq, helping to restore degraded infrastructure and facilitating the establishment of a freely elected government, while simultaneously dealing with a robust insurgency. The Coalition Provisional Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government (IG) in June 2004. Iraqis voted on 30 January 2005 to elect a 275-member Transitional National Assembly and voted on 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of Representatives that will finalize a permanent constitution.-
Birth rate: -
Budget:
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
Communications: -
Constitution: -
Currency: -
Current account balance: -
Death rate: -
Debt - external: -
Dependency status: -
Dependent areas: -
Diplomatic representation from the US: -
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Disputes - international: coalition forces assist Iraqis in monitoring boundary security; 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 status of Kurds in Iraq-
Distribution of family income: -
Economic aid - donor: -
Economic aid - recipient:
Economy - overview: Iraq's economy is dominated by the oil sector, which has traditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings. 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 hurt the economy, implementation of the UN's oil-for-food program beginning in December 1996 helped improve conditions for the average Iraqi citizen. 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. Per capita food imports increased significantly, while medical supplies and health care services steadily improved. Per capita output and living standards were still well below the pre-1991 level, but any estimates have a wide range of error. The military victory of the US-led coalition in March-April 2003 resulted in the shutdown of much of the central economic administrative structure. Although a comparatively small amount of capital plant was damaged during the hostilities, looting, insurgent attacks, and sabotage have undermined efforts to rebuild the economy. Attacks on key economic facilities - especially oil pipelines and infrastructure - have prevented Iraq from reaching projected export volumes, but total government revenues have been higher than anticipated due to high oil prices. Despite political uncertainty, Iraq has established the institutions needed to implement economic policy, has successfully concluded a three-stage debt reduction agreement with the Paris Club, and is working toward a Standby Arrangement with the IMF. The Standby Arrangement would clear the way for continued debt relief from the Paris Club.-
Electricity - consumption:
Electricity - exports:
Electricity - imports:
Electricity - production:
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
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: -
Ethnic groups: -
Exchange rates: -
Executive branch: -
Exports: -
Exports - partners: -
Fiscal year: -
Flag description: -
GDP (official exchange rate): -
GDP (purchasing power parity): -
GDP - composition by sector: -
GDP - per capita: -
GDP - real growth rate:
Geographic coordinates: 33 00 N, 44 00 E
Geography - note: strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf-
Government - note: -
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: -
HIV/AIDS - deaths: -
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Heliports: 8 (2005 est.)-
Household income or consumption by percentage share: -
Illicit drugs: -
Imports: -
Imports - partners: -
Independence: -
Industrial production growth rate: -
Industries: -
Infant mortality rate: -
Inflation rate (consumer prices): -
International organization participation: -
Internet country code: -
Internet hosts: -
Internet users: -
Investment (gross fixed): -
Irrigated land: -
Judicial branch: -
Labor force: -
Labor force - by occupation:
Land boundaries: -
Land use: -
Languages: -
Legal system: -
Legislative branch:
Life expectancy at birth: -
Literacy:
Location: Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait-
Major infectious diseases: -
Manpower available for military service: -
Manpower fit for military service:
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males: 298,518 (2005 est.)
Map references: Middle East-
Maritime claims: -
Median age:
Merchant marine: total: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 83,221 GRT/125,255 DWT-
Military - note: -
Military branches: -
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age; the Iraqi Interim Government is creating a new professional Iraqi military force of men aged 18 to 40 to defend Iraq from external threats and the current insurgency (2004)-
National holiday: -
Nationality:
Natural gas - consumption: 2.35 billion cu m (2002 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Natural gas - production: 2.35 billion cu m (2002 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 3.149 trillion cu m (2005)
Natural hazards: dust storms, sandstorms, floods
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur-
Net migration rate: -
Oil - consumption: -
Oil - exports: -
Oil - imports: -
Oil - production:
Oil - proved reserves: 112.5 billion bbl (2005 est.)-
People - note: -
Political parties and leaders: -
Political pressure groups and leaders: -
Population: -
Population below poverty line: -
Population growth rate:
Ports and terminals: Al Basrah, Khawr az Zubayr, Umm Qasr-
Public debt: -
Radio broadcast stations:
Railways: total: 2,200 km-
Refugees and internally displaced persons: -
Religions: -
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: -
Roadways: -
Sex ratio:
Suffrage: -
Telephone system: -
Telephones - main lines in use: -
Telephones - mobile cellular: -
Television broadcast stations:
Terrain: mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey-
Total fertility rate: -
Transportation - note: -
Unemployment rate:
Waterways: 5,275 km (not all navigable)