2005 Edition

Administrative divisions

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 40% (male 5,293,709/female 5,130,826) 15-64 years: 57% (male 7,530,619/female 7,338,109) 65 years and over: 3% (male 367,832/female 413,811) (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

111; note - unknown number were damaged during the March-April 2003 war (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

79 over 3,047 m: 21 2,438 to 3,047 m: 36 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

32 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 9 (2004 est.)

Area

land

432,162 sq km

total

437,072 sq km

water

4,910 sq km

Area - comparative

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 that will draft a permanent constitution and pave the way for new national elections at the end of 2005. Geography Iraq

Birth rate

32.5 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$28.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.6 billion (2004 budget)

revenues

$17.1 billion

Capital

Baghdad

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

Coastline

58 km

Constitution

interim constitution signed 8 March 2004; note - the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) was enacted 8 March 2004 to govern the country until an elected Iraqi Government can draft and ratify a new constitution in 2005

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Iraq

conventional short form

Iraq

local long form

Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah

local short form

Al Iraq

Currency (code)

New Iraqi dinar (NID) as of 22 January 2004

Currency code

NID, IQD prior to 22 January 2004

Current account balance

$-560 million (2003 est.)

Death rate

5.49 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$125 billion (2004 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires James F. JEFFREY

embassy

Baghdad

FAX

NA

mailing address

APO AE 09316

telephone

00-1-240-553-0584 ext. 4354; note - Consular Section

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1801 P Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Rend Rahim FRANCKE

FAX

[1] (202) 462-5066

telephone

[1] (202) 483-7500

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

Economic aid - recipient

more than $33 billion in foreign aid pledged for 2004-07 (2004)

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. 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. 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. Despite continuing political uncertainty, the Iraqi Interim Government (IG) has founded the institutions needed to implement economic policy, and has successfully concluded a debt reduction agreement with the Paris Club. The high percentage gain estimated for GDP in 2004 is the result of starting from a low base.

Electricity - consumption

33.7 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

1.1 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

32.6 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

98.4%

hydro

1.6%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

unnamed peak; 3,611 m; note - this peak is not Gundah Zhur 3,607 m or Kuh-e Hajji-Ebrahim 3,595 m

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

party to

Law of the Sea signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Ethnic groups

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

Exchange rates

New Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 1,890 (second half, 2003), 0.3109 (2002), 0.3109 (2001), 0.3109 (2000)

Executive branch

cabinet

32 ministers appointed by the Presidency Council, plus Prime Minister Ibrahim al-JAFARI, Deputy Prime Ministers Rowsch SHAWAYS, Ahmad CHALABI, and Abid al-Mutlaq al-JABBURI

chief of state

Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG) President Jalal TALABANI (since 6 April 2005); Deputy Presidents Adil Abd AL-MAHDI and Ghazi al-Ujayl al-YAWR (since 6 April 2005); note - the President and Deputy Presidents comprise the Presidency Council)

elections

held 30 January 2005 to elect a 275-member Transitional National Assembly that will draft a permanent constitution and pave the way for new national elections at the end of 2005

head of government

Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG) Prime Minister Ibrahim al-JAFARI (since April 2005); Deputy Prime Ministers Rowsch SHAWAYS, Ahmad CHALABI, and Abid al-Mutlaq al-JABBURI (since May 2005)

Exports

$10.1 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude oil (83.9%), crude materials excluding fuels (8.0%), food and live animals (5.0%)

Exports - partners

US 51.9%, Spain 7.3%, Japan 6.6%, Italy 5.7%, Canada 5.2% (2004)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Iraq

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, 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 Economy Iraq

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

13.6%

industry

58.6%

services

27.8% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

52.3% (2004 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$54.4 billion (2004 est.)

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 People Iraq

Government type

none; note - the Iraqi Interim Government (IG) was appointed on 1 June 2004

Heliports

6 (2004 est.) Military Iraq

Highways

paved

38,399 km

total

45,550 km

unpaved

7,151 km (1999)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

less than 500 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports

$9.9 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

food, medicine, manufactures

Imports - partners

Syria 22.9%, Turkey 19.5%, US 9.2%, Jordan 6.7%, Germany 4.9% (2004)

Independence

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 Interim Government

Industrial production growth rate

NA

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

44.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

male

56.06 deaths/1,000 live births

total

50.25 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

25.4% (2004 est.)

International organization participation

ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer), WToO

Internet country code

.iq

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Internet users

25,000 (2002) Transportation Iraq

Irrigated land

35,250 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court appointed by the Prime Minister, confirmed by the Presidency Council

Labor force

6.7 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA

Land boundaries

border countries

Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 240 km, Saudi Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 352 km

total

3,650 km

Land use

arable land

13.15%

other

86.07% (2001)

permanent crops

0.78%

Languages

Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian

Legal system

based on civil and Islamic law under the Iraqi Interim Government (IG) and Transitional Administrative Law (TAL)

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Mejlis Watani (consisting of 275 members elected by a closed-list, proportional-representation system for the period between the National Assembly election and the formation of a permanent Iraqi government pursuant to the establishment of a permanent constitution)

election results

National Assembly - percent of vote by party - United Iraqi Alliance 48.2%, Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan 25.7%, Iraqi List 13.8%, others 12.3%; number of seats by party - United Iraqi Alliance 140, Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan 75, Iraqi List 40, others 20

elections

held 30 January 2005 to elect a 275-member Transitional National Assembly that will draft a permanent constitution and pave the way for new national elections at the end of 2005

Life expectancy at birth

female

69.97 years (2005 est.)

male

67.49 years

total population

68.7 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

24.4% (2003 est.) Government Iraq

male

55.9%

total population

40.4%

Location

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

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 5,870,640 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 4,930,074 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males

298,518 (2005 est.)

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

continental shelf

not specified

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

19.51 years (2005 est.)

male

19.35 years

total

19.43 years

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 11, petroleum tanker 3 (2005)

total

14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 83,221 GRT/125,255 DWT

Military branches

Iraqi Armed Forces

Iraqi Regular 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)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$1.3 billion (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA Transnational Issues Iraq

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

Revolution Day, 17 July (1968); note - this holiday was celebrated under the SADDAM Husayn regime but the Iraqi Interim Government has yet to declare a new national holiday

Nationality

adjective

Iraqi

noun

Iraqi(s)

Natural gas - consumption

2.35 billion cu m (2002 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

2.35 billion cu m (2002 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

3.149 trillion cu m (2004)

Natural hazards

dust storms, sandstorms, floods

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

383,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

1.49 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - imports

NA

Oil - production

2.25 million bbl/day (2004 est.); note - prewar production (in 2002) was 2.03 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

112.5 billion bbl (2004 est.)

Pipelines

gas 1,739 km; oil 5,418 km; refined products 1,343 km (2004)

Political parties and leaders

Al-Sadr Movement [Muqtada Al-SADR]; Constitutional Monarchy Movement or CMM [Sharif Ali Bin al-HUSAYN]; Da'wa Party [Ibrahim al-JA'FARI]; Independent Iraqi Alliance or IIA [Falah al-NAQIB]; Iraqi Hizballah [Karim Mahud al-MUHAMMADAWI]; Iraqi Independent Democrats or IID [Adnan PACHACHI, Mahdi al-HAFIZ]; Iraqi Islamic Party or IIP [Muhsin Abd al-HAMID, Hajim al-HASSANI]; Iraqi National Accord or INA [Ayad ALLAWI]; Iraqi National Congress or INC [Ahmad CHALABI]; Iraqi National Unity Movement or INUM [Ahmad al-KUBAYSI, chairman]; Jama'at al Fadilah or JAF [Ayatollah Muhammad ' Ali al-YAQUBI]; Kurdistan Democratic Party or KDP [Masud BARZANI]; Muslim Ulama Council or MUC [Harith Sulayman al-DARI, secretary general]; Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK [Jalal TALABANI] note: the Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan, the Iraqi List, and the United Iraqi Alliance were only electoral slates consisting of the representatives from the various Iraqi political parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

an insurgency against the Iraqi Interim Government and Coalition forces is primarily concentrated in Baghdad and in areas west and north of the capital; the diverse, multigroup insurgency is led principally by Sunni Arabs whose only common denominator is a shared desire to oust the Coalition and end US influence in Iraq

Population

26,074,906 (July 2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Population growth rate

2.7% (2005 est.)

Ports and harbors

Al Basrah, Khawr az Zubayr, Umm Qasr

Radio broadcast stations

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

Radios

4.85 million (1997)

Railways

standard gauge

2,200 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)

total

2,200 km

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

1,340,280 (ongoing US-led war and Kurds' subsequent return) (2004) This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005 ======================================================================

refugees (country of origin)

150,000 (Palestinian Territories)

Religions

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

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: 0.89 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Suffrage

formerly 18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

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

general assessment

the 2003 war severely disrupted telecommunications throughout Iraq including international connections; USAID is overseeing the repair of switching capability and the construction of mobile and satellite communication facilities

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

Telephones - main lines in use

675,000; note - an unknown number of telephone lines were damaged or destroyed during the March-April 2003 war (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular

20,000 (2002)

Television broadcast stations

21 (2004)

Televisions

1.75 million (1997)

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

4.28 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

25% to 30% (2004 est.)

Waterways

5,275 km (not all navigable) note: Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,895 km), and Third River (565 km) are principal waterways (2004)