1.
[syn: Iraq, Republic of Iraq, Al-Iraq, Irak]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Iraq
n 1: a republic in the Middle East in western Asia; the ancient
civilization of Mesopotamia was in the area now known as
Iraq [syn: Iraq, Republic of Iraq, Al-Iraq, Irak]
CIA World Factbook 2002:
Iraq
Introduction Iraq
-----------------
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 (1980-88). 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.
Geography Iraq
--------------
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
water: 4,910 sq km
land: 432,162 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: 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: 11.89%
permanent crops: 0.78%
other: 87.33% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 35,250 sq km (1998 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 party to: Law of the Sea, Nuclear
agreements: 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
People Iraq
-----------
Population: 24,001,816 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 41.1% (male 5,003,755;
female 4,849,238)
15-64 years: 55.9% (male 6,794,265;
female 6,624,662)
65 years and over: 3% (male 341,520;
female 388,376) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.82% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 34.2 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 6.02 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002
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 (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 57.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 67.38 years
female: 68.5 years (2002 est.)
male: 66.31 years
Total fertility rate: 4.63 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.01% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
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.)
Government Iraq
---------------
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of
Iraq
conventional short form: Iraq
local short form: Al Iraq
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al
Iraqiyah
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)
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%
cabinet: Council of Ministers; note
- there is also a Revolutionary
Command Council or RCC with eight
members as of 2001 (Chairman SADDAM
Husayn, Vice Chairman Izzat IBRAHIM
al-Duri) which controls the ruling
Ba'th Party; the RCC is the highest
executive and legislative body and
the most powerful political entity
in the country; new RCC members must
come from the Regional Command
Leadership of the Ba'th Party
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)
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 any formal political activity must
leaders: be sanctioned by the government;
opposition to regime from Kurdish
groups and southern Shi'a dissidents
International organization ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU,
participation: CCC, EAPC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, ISO, 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 none; note - the US has an Interests
US: 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 Iraq
------------
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 from
the 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 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 prewar level.
However, 28% of Iraq's export
revenues under the program are
deducted to meet UN Compensation
Fund and UN administrative expenses.
The drop in GDP in 2001 was largely
the result of the global economic
slowdown and lower oil prices. 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 - $59
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: -5.7% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,500
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 6%
industry: 13%
services: 81% (1993 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 60% (2001 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: 27.3 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 98.17%
hydro: 1.83%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 25.389 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, rice, vegetables,
dates, cotton; cattle, sheep
Exports: $15.8 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: crude oil
Exports - partners: US 46.2%, Italy 12.2%, France 9.6%,
Spain 8.6% (2000)
Imports: $11 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: food, medicine, manufactures
Imports - partners: France 22.5%, Australia 22%, China
5.8%, Russia 5.8% (2000)
Debt - external: $62.2 billion (2001 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 - 2,000 (December 2001),
1,910 (December 1999), 1,815
(December 1998), 1,530 (December
1997), 910 (December 1996); note -
subject to wide fluctuations
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Iraq
-------------------
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: 12,500 (2001)
Transportation Iraq
-------------------
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: 25 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 186,709 GRT/278,575 DWT
ships by type: cargo 14, passenger
1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum
tanker 8, roll on/roll off 1 (2002
est.)
Airports: 108 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 73
over 3,047 m: 20
2,438 to 3,047 m: 34
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 7 (2001)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 35
under 914 m: 12 (2001)
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
Heliports: 4 (2001)
Military Iraq
-------------
Military branches: Army, Republican Guard, Navy, Air
Force, Air Defense Force, Border
Guard Force, Fedayeen Saddam
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 6,135,847 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 3,430,819 (2002
service: est.)
Military manpower - reaching military males: 274,035 (2002 est.)
age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $1.3 billion (FY00)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of NA%
GDP:
Transnational Issues Iraq
-------------------------
Disputes - international: despite restored diplomatic
relations in 1990, lacks maritime
boundary with Iran and disputes land
boundary, navigation channels, and
other issues from eight-year war; 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