Iraq
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Iraq |
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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.
Location: Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait Geographic coordinates: 33 00 N, 44 00 E Map references: Middle East Area: Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Idaho Land boundaries: Coastline: 58 km Maritime claims: 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: Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur Land use: Irrigated land: 25,500 sq km (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:
Population: 22,675,617 (July 2000 est.) Age structure: Population growth rate: 2.86% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 35.04 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) Sex ratio: Infant mortality rate: 62.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth: Total fertility rate: 4.87 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality: 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:
Country name: Data code: IZ 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: Anniversary of the Revolution, 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: 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) 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, 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 Mr. Akram AL DOURI; address: Iraqi Interests Section, Algerian Embassy, 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800; FAX: [1] (202) 667-2174 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
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. The government's policies of supporting large military and internal security forces and of allocating resources to key supporters of the regime have exacerbated shortages. The implementation of the UN's oil-for-food program in December 1996 has helped improve economic conditions. 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 other humanitarian goods. In December 1999, the UN Security Council authorized Iraq to export under the oil-for-food program as much oil as required to meet humanitarian needs. Oil exports are now about 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 - $59.9 billion (1999 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 13% (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,700 (1999 est.) GDP - composition by sector: Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share: Inflation rate (consumer prices): 135% (1999 est.) Labor force: 4.4 million (1989) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: Industries: petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food processing Industrial production growth rate: NA% Electricity - production: 28.4 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - production by source: Electricity - consumption: 26.412 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998) Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep Exports: $12.7 billion (1999 est.) Exports - commodities: crude oil Exports - partners: Russia, France, China (1999) Imports: $8.9 billion (1999 est.) Imports - commodities: food, medicine, manufactures Imports - partners: Russia, France, Egypt, Vietnam (1999) Debt - external: $130 billion (1999 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $327.5 million (1995) Currency: 1 Iraqi dinar (ID) = 1,000 fils Exchange rates: Iraqi dinars (ID) per US$1 - 0.3109 (fixed official rate since 1982); black market rate - Iraqi dinars (ID) per US$1 - 1,900 (December 1999), 1,815 (December 1998), 1,530 (December 1997), 3,000 (December 1995); subject to wide fluctuations Fiscal year: calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use: 675,000 (1995) Telephones - mobile cellular: NA Telephone system: reconstitution of damaged telecommunication
facilities began after the Gulf war; most damaged facilities have been rebuilt 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 Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (1999)
Railways: Highways: Waterways: 1,015 km; 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 watercraft; 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: Airports: 113 (1999 est.) Airports - with paved runways: Airports - with unpaved runways: Heliports: 5 (1999 est.)
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: Military manpower - fit for military service: Military manpower - reaching military age annually: Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
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
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