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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 have
ruled the country since then, the latest being SADDAM Husayn.
Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and
costly eight-year war (1980-88). 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.
The Coalition plans to return sovereignty to the Iraqi people
by July 2004. |
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Location:
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Middle East,
bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait |
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Map references:
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Middle
East |
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Area:
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total:
437,072 sq km
water: 4,910 sq km
land: 432,162 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more
than twice the size of Idaho |
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Land boundaries:
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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 |
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Coastline:
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58 km |
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Climate:
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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 |
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Terrain:
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mostly broad
plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large
flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: unamed peak 3,611 m; note - this peak is
not Gundah Zhur 3,607 m or Kuh-e Hajji-Ebrahim 3,595 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum,
natural gas, phosphates, sulfur |
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Land use:
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arable land:
11.89%
permanent crops: 0.78%
other: 87.33% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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35,250 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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dust storms,
sandstorms, floods |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification |
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Geography - note:
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strategic
location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the
Persian Gulf |
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Population:
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25,374,691 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
40.3% (male 5,198,966; female 5,039,173)
15-64 years: 56.7% (male 7,280,167; female 7,094,688)
65 years and over: 3% (male 357,651; female 404,046)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
19.2 years
male: 19.1 years
female: 19.3 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.74% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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33.09
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.66 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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 (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
52.71 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 46.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 58.58 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 68.26 years
male: 67.09 years
female: 69.48 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than 0.1%
(2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Iraqi(s)
adjective: Iraqi |
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Ethnic groups:
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Arab 75%-80%,
Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5% |
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Religions:
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Muslim 97% (Shi'a
60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3% |
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Languages:
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Arabic, Kurdish
(official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 40.4%
male: 55.9%
female: 24.4% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Republic of Iraq
conventional short form: Iraq
local short form: Al Iraq
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah |
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Government type:
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in transition
following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led
coalition |
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Capital:
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Baghdad |
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Administrative divisions:
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18 governorates (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 |
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Independence:
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3 October 1932
(from League of Nations mandate under British administration) |
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National holiday:
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Revolution Day,
17 July (1968) |
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Constitution:
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in transition
following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led
coalition |
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Legal system:
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in transition
following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led
coalition |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM
Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
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Legislative branch:
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in transition
following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led
coalition |
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Judicial branch:
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in transition
following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led
coalition |
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Political parties and leaders:
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in transition
following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led
coalition |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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in transition
following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led
coalition |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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in transition
following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led
coalition |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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in transition
following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led
coalition |
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Economy - overview:
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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 from that war of at least $100 billion. After
hostilities ended 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 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. The drop
in GDP in 2001-02 was largely the result of the global
economic slowdown and lower oil prices. 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, but with the loss of a comparatively small amount
of capital plant. The rebuilding of oil, electricity, and
other production is proceeding steadily at the start of 2004
with foreign support and despite the continuation of severe
internal strife. A joint UN and World Bank report released in
the fall of 2003 estimated that Iraq's key reconstruction
needs through 2007 would cost $55 billion. In October 2003,
international donors pledged assistance worth more than $33
billion toward this rebuilding effort. |
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GDP:
|
purchasing power
parity - $38.79 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
|
-20% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $1,600 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
6%
industry: 13%
services: 81% (1993 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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27.5% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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7.8 million (2004
est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture NA%,
industry NA%, services NA% |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA% (2003 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$12.8 billion $NA
expenditures: $13.4 billion $NA, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2004 budget) |
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Industries:
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petroleum,
chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food processing |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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36.01 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
98.4%
hydro: 1.6%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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33.49 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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2.2 million
bbl/day; note - prewar production was 2.8 million bbl/day
(January 2004 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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460,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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2.76 billion cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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2.76 billion cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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wheat, barley,
rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep |
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Exports:
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$7.542 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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crude oil |
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Exports - partners:
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US 37.4%, Taiwan
7.7%, Canada 7.5%, France 7.5%, Jordan 6.9%, Netherlands 5.8%,
Italy 4.9%, Morocco 4.3%, Spain 4.1% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$6.521 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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food, medicine,
manufactures |
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Imports - partners:
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Jordan 10.4%,
France 8.%, China 7.9%, Vietnam 7.9%, Germany 7.2%, Russia
6.9%, Australia 6.8%, Italy 6.1%, Japan 5.3% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$120 billion
(2003 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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more than $33
billion in foreign aid pledged for 2004-07 (2004) |
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Currency:
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New Iraqi dinar (NID)
as of 22 January 2004 |
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Currency code:
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NID, IQD prior to
22 January 2004 |
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Exchange rates:
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New Iraqi dinars
per US dollar - 1,890 (second half, 2003) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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675,000; note -
an unknown number of telephone lines were damaged or destroyed
during the March-April 2003 war (2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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20,000 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: the 2003 war severely disrupted
telecommunications throughout Iraq including international
connections; USAID is overseeing the repair of switching
capability and the contruction of mobile and satellite
communications facilities
domestic: repairs to switches and lines destroyed in
the recent fighting continue but sabotage remains a problem;
cellular service is expected to be in place within two years
international: country code - 964; 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 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 19 (5 are
inactive), FM 51, shortwave 4 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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13 (1997); note -
unknown number were destroyed during the March-April 2003 war |
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Internet country code:
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.iq |
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Internet users:
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25,000 (2002) |
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Railways:
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total:
1,963 km
standard gauge: 1,963 km 1.435-m gauge (2003) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
45,550 km
paved: 38,399 km
unpaved: 7,151 km (2000 est.) |
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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 |
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Pipelines:
|
gas 1,739 km; oil
5,418 km; refined products 1,343 km (2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Umm Qasr, Khawr
az Zubayr, and Al Basrah have limited functionality |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total: 13
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 83,221 GRT/125,255 DWT
by type: cargo 6, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker
5, roll on/roll off 1
registered in other countries: 3 (2003 est.) |
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Airports:
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111; note -
unknown number were damaged during the March-April 2003 war
(2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 79
over 3,047 m: 21
2,438 to 3,047 m: 36
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 10 (2003 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 32
under 914 m: 9 (2003 est.)
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 |
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Heliports:
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6 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
|
note: the
US and UK Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) dissolved the
former Iraqi Armed Forces, together with the Ministry of
Defense and other security institutions, and is implementing
plans to create a new Iraqi Army with a purely defensive
mission and capability; recruiting and training began in July
2003, with strength projected to be 3 divisions comprising
approximately 36,000 personnel by July 2004; there are also
plans to reconstitute an Iraqi Army Aviation Corps and Navy in
the future but, as of early 2004, there are no plans to
reconstitute an Iraqi Air Force (January 2004) |
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Military manpower - military age:
|
18 years of age;
note - US-led coalition is planning to create a new Iraqi
military force of men aged 18 to 40 to defend Iraqi territory
from external threats (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - availability:
|
males age
15-49: 6,547,762 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 3,654,947 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
|
males:
304,527 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$1.3 billion
(FY00) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
NA% |
|
Disputes - international:
|
coalition forces
assist Iraqis in monitoring boundary security, but resolution
of disputes and creation of maritime boundaries with
neighboring states will remain in hiatus until full
sovereignty is restored in Iraq; Turkey has expressed concern
over the status of Kurds in Iraq |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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