Iraq

§1. Iraq Introduction

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 led to 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, which
  temporarily administered Iraq after the invasion, transferred full
  governmental authority on 28 June 2004, to the Iraqi Interim Government
  (IG), 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. After an official certified ballot count is released, an
  Iraqi Government is expected to be formed by late spring or early summer
  2006.

§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 km²
  land: 432,162 km²
  water: 4,910 km²

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:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  continental shelf: not specified

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

Natural resources:
  petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur

Land use:
  arable land: 13.12%
  permanent crops: 0.61%
  other: 86.27% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  35,250 km² (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 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

Geography - note:
  strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian
  Gulf

§3. Iraq People

Population:
  26,783,383 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 39.7% (male 5,398,645/female 5,231,760)
  15-64 years: 57.3% (male 7,776,257/female 7,576,726)
  65 years and over: 3% (male 376,700/female 423,295) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 19.7 years
  male: 19.6 years
  female: 19.8 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  2.66% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  31.98 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  5.37 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.89 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 48.64 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 54.39 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 42.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 69.01 years
  male: 67.76 years
  female: 70.31 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  4.18 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  less than 500 (2003 est.)

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: 40.4%
  male: 55.9%
  female: 24.4% (2003 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:
  transitional democracy

Capital:
  Baghdad

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

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

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

Constitution:
  ratified on 15 October 2005

Legal system:
  based on European civil and Islamic law under the framework outlined in the
  Iraqi Constitution

Suffrage:
  formerly 18 years of age; universal

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

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Council of Representatives or Mejlis Watani (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 that will finalize a permanent constitution
  election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by party -
    NA; number of seats by party - NA

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court appointed by the Prime Minister, confirmed by the Presidency
  Council

Political parties and leaders:
  Al-Sadr Movement [Muqtada Al-SADR]; Assyrian Democratic Movement [Yunadim
  KANNA]; Conference of Iraqi People [Adnan al-DULAYMI]; 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
  Communist Party [Hamid al-MUSA]; 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 Council for Dialogue or
  INCD [Khalaf Ulayan al-Khalifawi al-DULAYMI]; Iraqi National Unity Movement
  or INUM [Ahmad al-KUBAYSI, chairman]; Islamic Action Organization or IAO
  [Ayatollah Muhammad al- MUDARRISI]; 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];
  National Iraqi Front [Salih al- MUTLAQ]; National Reconciliation and
  Liberation Party [Mishan al-JABBURI]; Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK
  [Jalal TALABANI]; Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq or
  SCIRI [Abd al-Aziz al-HAKIM]
  note: the Kurdistan Alliance, Iraqi National List, Iraqi Consensus Front,
    Iraqi Front for National Dialogue, and 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 Transitional 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

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, WToO,
  WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Said Shehab AHMED
  chancery: 1801 P Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 483-7500
  FAX: [1] (202) 462-5066

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Zalmay KHALILZAD; Deputy Chief of Mission
    David M. SATTERFIELD
  embassy: Baghdad
  mailing address: APO AE 09316
  telephone: 00-1-240-553-0584 ext. 5340 OR 5635; note - Consular Section
  FAX: NA

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

§5. Iraq Economy

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, which began 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. 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. Attacks on key economic facilities - especially oil pipelines and
  infrastructure - have prevented Iraq from reaching projected export
  volumes, but total government revenues have been higher than anticipated
  due to high oil prices. Despite political uncertainty, Iraq has established
  the institutions needed to implement economic policy, has successfully
  concluded a three-stage debt reduction agreement with the Paris Club, and
  is working toward a Standby Arrangement with the IMF. The Standby
  Arrangement would clear the way for continued debt relief from the Paris
  Club.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $94.1 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $46.5 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  -3% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $3,400 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 7.3%
  industry: 66.6%
  services: 26.1% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
  7.4 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Unemployment rate:
  25% to 30% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA%
  highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  40% (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $19.3 billion
  expenditures: $24 billion; including capital expenditures of $5 billion
    (2005 budget)

Agriculture - products:
  wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep, poultry

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  NA%

Electricity - production:
  31.7 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - consumption:
  33.3 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports:
  2.02 billion kWh (2005)

Oil - production:
  2.093 million bbl/day; note - prewar production (in 2002) was 2.03 million
  bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  351,500 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:
  1.42 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
  112.5 billion bbl (2005 est.)

Natural gas - production:
  1.5 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  1.5 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
  0 m³ (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
  0 m³ (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  3.115 trillion m³ (2005)

Current account balance:
  $-9.447 billion (2004 est.)

Exports:
  $17.78 billion f.o.b. (2004)

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)

Imports:
  $19.57 billion f.o.b. (2004)

Imports - commodities:
  food, medicine, manufactures

Imports - partners:
  Syria 22.9%, Turkey 19.5%, US 9.2%, Jordan 6.7%, Germany 4.9% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $8.4 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $82.1 billion (2005 est.)

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

Currency (code):
  New Iraqi dinar (NID) as of 22 January 2004

Exchange rates:
  New Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 1,475 (2005), 1,890 (second half, 2003),
  0.3109 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Iraq Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  1,034,200 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  574,000 (2004)

Telephone system:
  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
  domestic: repairs to switches and lines destroyed during the 2003 war
    continue, but sabotage remains a problem; additional switching capacity
    is improving access; cellular service is available and centered on three
    regional GSM networks, improving country-wide connectivity
  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; desite a new satellite
    gateway, international calls outside of Baghdad remain problematic

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

Television broadcast stations:
  21 (2004)

Internet country code:
  .iq

Internet hosts:
  4 (2005)

Internet users:
  36,000 (2005)

§7. Iraq Transportation

Airports:
  111 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 78
  over 3,047 m: 20
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 37
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 7
  under 914 m: 9 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 33
  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: 10 (2005)

Heliports:
  8 (2005)

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

Railways:
  total: 2,200 km
  standard gauge: 2,200 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 45,550 km
  paved: 38,399 km
  unpaved: 7,151 km (1999)

Waterways:
  5,279 km
  note: Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third River
    (565 km) are principal waterways (2004)

Merchant marine:
  total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 67,796 GRT/101,317 DWT
  by type: cargo 11, petroleum tanker 2 (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Al Basrah, Khawr az Zubayr, Umm Qasr

§8. Iraq Military

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 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)

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.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $1.34 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  NA

§9. Iraq Transnational Issues

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 22,711 (Palestinian Territories)
  IDPs: 1 million (ongoing US-led war and Kurds' subsequent return) (2005)


<Factbook 2006>
