Iraq

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.

Iraq

Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait

33 00 N, 44 00 E

Middle East

total: 437,072 sq km

land: 432,162 sq km

water: 4,910 sq km

slightly more than twice the size of Idaho

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

58 km

territorial sea: 12 nm

continental shelf: not specified

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

mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey

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

petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur

arable land: 13.12%

permanent crops: 0.61%

other: 86.27% (2005)

35,250 sq km (2003)

96.4 cu km (1997)

total: 42.7 cu km/yr (3%/5%/92%)

per capita: 1,482 cu m/yr (2000)

dust storms, sandstorms, floods

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

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf

Iraq

28,221,181 (July 2008 est.)

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.)

total: 20.2 years

male: 20.1 years

female: 20.2 years (2008 est.)

2.562% (2008 est.)

30.77 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

5.14 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

NA

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.)

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.)

total population: 69.62 years

male: 68.32 years

female: 70.99 years (2008 est.)

3.97 children born/woman (2008 est.)

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

fewer than 500 (2003 est.)

NA

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)

noun: Iraqi(s)

adjective: Iraqi

Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian, or other 5%

Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%

Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Turkoman (a Turkish dialect), Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic), Armenian

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 74.1%

male: 84.1%

female: 64.2% (2000 est.)

total: 10 years

male: 11 years

female: 8 years (2005)

NA

Iraq

conventional long form: Republic of Iraq

conventional short form: Iraq

local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al-Iraqiyah

local short form: Al Iraq

parliamentary democracy

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

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

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

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

ratified on 15 October 2005 (subject to review by the Constitutional Review Committee and a possible public referendum )

based on European civil and Islamic law under the framework outlined in the Iraqi Constitution; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

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 Ministers Barham SALIH (since 20 May 2006)and Rafi al-ISSAWI (since 19 July 2008)

cabinet: 34 ministers appointed by the Presidency Council, plus Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI and Deputy Prime Ministers Barham SALIH and Rafi al-ISSAWI

elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of Representatives

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

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

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-RISHAWI]

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

other: Sunni militias; Shia militias, some associated with political parties

ABEDA, AFESD (suspended), 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)

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

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

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

Iraq

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.

$102.3 billion (2007 est.)

$55.44 billion (2007 est.)

5% (2007 est.)

$3,600 (2007 est.)

agriculture: 5%

industry: 68%

services: 27% (2006 est.)

7.4 million (2004 est.)

agriculture: NA%

industry: NA%

services: NA%

18% to 30% (2006 est.)

NA%

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

4.7% (2007 est.)

revenues: $42.3 billion

expenditures: $48.4 billion (FY08 est.)

wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep, poultry

petroleum, chemicals, textiles, leather, construction materials, food processing, fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing

7.9% (2007 est.)

33.53 billion kWh (2007 est.)

fossil fuel: 98.4%

hydro: 1.6%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (2001)

35.84 billion kWh (2007 est.)

0 kWh (2007)

2.315 billion kWh (2007 est.)

2.11 million bbl/day (2007 est.)

295,000 bbl/day (2007 est.)

1.67 million bbl/day (2007 est.)

NA bbl/day

115 billion bbl (1 January 2007 est.)

3.5 billion cu m (2007 est.)

980 million cu m

note: 1.48 billion cu m were flared (2005 est.)

0 cu m (2005 est.)

0 cu m (2005)

3.17 trillion cu m (1 January 2007 est.)

$7.802 billion (2007 est.)

$38.11 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

crude oil 84%, crude materials excluding fuels 8%, food and live animals 5%

US 40%, Italy 13.7%, Spain 5.6%, Canada 5.5%, France 4.7%, Netherlands 4.6% (2006)

$24.81 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

food, medicine, manufactures

Syria 29.9%, Turkey 19.3%, US 10.8%, Jordan 4.9%, China 4.6% (2006)

$21.65 billion (2005)

$25.66 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

$100.9 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

$NA

New Iraqi dinar (NID) as of 22 January 2004

NID, IQD prior to 22 January 2004

New Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 1,255 (2007), 1,466 (2006), 1,475 (2005), 1,890 (second half, 2003)

calendar year

Iraq

1.547 million (2005)

14.021 million (2007)

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)

after 17 months of unregulated media growth, there are approximately 80 radio stations (types NA) on the air inside Iraq (2004)

4.85 million (1997)

21 (2004)

1.75 million (1997)

.iq

3 (2007)

1 (2000)

36,000 (2004)

Iraq

110 (2007)

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)

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)

17 (2007)

gas 2,250 km; liquid petroleum gas 918 km; oil 5,509 km; refined products 1,637 km (2007)

total: 2,272 km

standard gauge: 2,272 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

total: 45,550 km

paved: 38,399 km

unpaved: 7,151 km (2000)

5,279 km

note: Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third River (565 km) are principal waterways (2006)

total: 14 ships (1000 GRT or over) 83,559 GRT/126,546 DWT

by type: cargo 10, petroleum tanker 4 (2008)

Al Basrah, Khawr az Zubayr, Umm Qasr

Iraq

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)

18-40 years of age for voluntary military service (2006)

males age 16-49: 7,086,200

females age 16-49: 6,808,954 (2008 est.)

males age 16-49: 6,019,795

females age 16-49: 5,878,905 (2008 est.)

males age 16-49: 302,926

females age 16-49: 294,747 (2008 est.)

8.6% (2006)

Iraq

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 (country of origin): 10,000-15,000 (Palestinian Territories); 11,773 (Iran); 16,832 (Turkey)

IDPs: 2.4 million (ongoing US-led war and ethno-sectarian violence) (2007)