Iraq

§1. Iraq Introduction

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.

§2. Iraq Geography

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 kmē
  land: 432,162 kmē
  water: 4,910 kmē

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

Coastline:
  58 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 kmē (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

§3. Iraq People

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  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.)

§4. Iraq Government

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

Capital:
  Baghdad

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

§5. Iraq Economy

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%

Unemployment rate:
  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)

Currency code:
  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

§6. Iraq Communications

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)

Internet users:
  NA

§7. Iraq Transportation

Railways:
  total: 2,032 km
  standard gauge: 2,032 km 1.435-m gauge
  note: rail link between Iraq and Syria restored in 2000 after 19 years

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.)

Heliports:
  4 (2000 est.)

§8. Iraq Military

Military branches:
  Army, Republican Guard, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Border Guard
  Force, Fedayeen Saddam

Military manpower - military age:
  18 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
  males age 15-49: 5,902,215 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
  males age 15-49: 3,301,880 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
  males: 274,035 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  NA%

§9. Iraq Transnational Issues

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
