IRAQ
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IRAQ
@Iraq:Geography
Location: Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and
Kuwait
Map references: Middle East
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IRAQ - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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BAGHDAD 4,648,000 33.20N, 44.26E 964-1 GMT+3
Basra 617,000 30.30N, 47.47E 964-40 GMT+3
Mosul 571,000 36.21N, 43.08E 964-60 GMT+3
Kirkuk 535,000 35.28N, 44.26E 964-50 GMT+3
Irbil 334,000 36.11N, 44.01E 964- GMT+3
As-Sulaymaniyah 279,000 35.33N, 45.26E 964- GMT+3
An-Najaf 243,000 31.59N, 44.20E 964-33 GMT+3
Al-Hillah 215,000 32.29N, 44.25E 964-30 GMT+3
Karbala 185,000 32.36N, 44.02E 964-32 GMT+3
An-Nasiriyah 139,000 31.02N, 46.16E 964-42 GMT+3
Ar-Ramadi 137,000 33.25N, 43.17E 964-24 GMT+3
Al-Amarah 132,000 31.50N, 47.09E 964-43 GMT+3
Ba'qubah 115,000 33.45N, 44.38E 964-25 GMT+3
Samarra 62,000 34.12N, 43.52E 964- GMT+3
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Area:
total area: 437,072 sq km
land area: 432,162 sq km
comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Idaho
Land boundaries: total 3,631 km, Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait
242 km, Saudi Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 331 km
Coastline: 58 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: not specified
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: 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; potential dispute over water development
plans by Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
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 which
melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central
and southern Iraq
Terrain: mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in
south; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
Land use:
arable land: 12%
permanent crops: 1%
meadows and pastures: 9%
forest and woodland: 3%
other: 75%
Irrigated land: 25,500 sq km (1989 est)
Environment:
current issues: government water control projects have drained most of
the inhabited marsh areas west of Al Qurnah 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 (salinization) and erosion;
desertification
natural hazards: duststorms, sandstorms, floods
international agreements: party to - Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban;
signed, but not ratified - Environmental Modification
@Iraq:People
Population: 20,643,769 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (female 4,850,028; male 5,009,513)
15-64 years: 49% (female 5,021,710; male 5,125,191)
65 years and over: 3% (female 338,790; male 298,537) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.72% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 43.6 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.82 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 62.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.52 years
male: 65.54 years
female: 67.56 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.56 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Iraqi(s)
adjective: Iraqi
Ethnic divisions: 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: age 15-45 can read and write (1985)
total population: 89%
male: 90%
female: 88%
Labor force: 4.4 million (1989)
by occupation: services 48%, agriculture 30%, industry 22%
note: severe labor shortage; expatriate labor force was about
1,600,000 (July 1990); since then, it has declined substantially
@Iraq:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Iraq
conventional short form: Iraq
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah
local short form: Al Iraq
Digraph: IZ
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:
chief of state: President SADDAM Husayn (since 16 July 1979); Vice
President Taha Muhyi al-Din MARUF (since 21 April 1974); Vice
President Taha Yasin RAMADAN (since 23 March 1991)
head of government: Prime Minister SADDAM Husayn (since NA May 1994);
Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Mikhail AZIZ (since NA 1979)
Revolutionary Command Council: Chairman SADDAM Husayn, Vice Chairman
Izzat IBRAHIM al-Duri
cabinet: Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Majlis al-Watani): elections last held on 1 April
1989 (next to be held NA); results - Sunni Arabs 53%, Shi'a Arabs 30%,
Kurds 15%, Christians 2% (est.); seats - (250 total) number of seats
by party NA
note: in northern Iraq, a "Kurdish Assembly" was elected in May 1992
and calls for Kurdish self-determination within a federated Iraq; the
assembly is not recognized by the Baghdad government
Judicial branch: Court of Cassation
Political parties and leaders: Ba'th Party
Other political or pressure groups: political parties and activity
severely restricted; opposition to regime from disaffected members of
the Ba'th Party, Army officers, and Shi'a religious and ethnic Kurdish
dissidents; the Green Party (government-controlled)
Member of: 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, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Iraq has an Interest Section in the Algerian Embassy
in Washington, DC
chancery: Iraqi Interests Section, 1801 P Street NW, Washington, DC
20036
telephone: [1] (202) 483-7500
FAX: [1] (202) 462-5066
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: (vacant); note - operations have been temporarily
suspended; a US Interests Section is located in Poland's embassy in
Baghdad
embassy: Masbah Quarter (opposite the Foreign Ministry Club), Baghdad
mailing address: P. O. Box 2447 Alwiyah, Baghdad
telephone: [964] (1) 719-6138, 719-6139, 718-1840, 719-3791
FAX: Telex 212287
Flag: 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 that has two stars but no script
and the flag of Yemen that has a plain white band; also similar to the
flag of Egypt that has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band
Economy
Overview: The Ba'thist regime engages in extensive central planning
and management of industrial production and foreign trade while
leaving some small-scale industry and services and most agriculture to
private enterprise. The economy has been 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
and to borrow heavily and later reschedule foreign debt payments.
After the end of hostilities in 1988, oil exports gradually increased
with the construction of new pipelines and restoration of damaged
facilities. Agricultural development remained hampered by labor
shortages, salinization, and dislocations caused by previous land
reform and collectivization programs. The industrial sector, although
accorded high priority by the government, also was under financial
constraints. Iraq's seizure of Kuwait in August 1990, subsequent
international economic embargoes, and military action by an
international coalition beginning in January 1991 drastically changed
the economic picture. Industrial and transportation facilities, which
suffered severe damage, have been partially restored. Oil exports
remain at less than 5% of the previous level. Shortages of spare parts
continue. Living standards deteriorated even further in 1993 and 1994;
consumer prices have more than doubled in both 1993 and 1994. The
UN-sponsored economic embargo has reduced exports and imports and has
contributed to the sharp rise in prices. The Iraqi government has been
unwilling to abide by UN resolutions so that the economic embargo can
be removed. 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. In brief, per capita output
in 1993-94 is far below the 1989-90 level, but no precise estimate is
available.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $NA
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports: $10.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities: crude oil and refined products, fertilizer, sulfur
partners: US, Brazil, Turkey, Japan, Netherlands, Spain (1990)
Imports: $6.6 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities: manufactures, food
partners: Germany, US, Turkey, France, UK (1990)
External debt: $50 billion (1989 est.), excluding debt of about $35
billion owed to Gulf Arab states
Industrial production: growth rate NA%; manufacturing accounts for 10%
of GNP (1989)
Electricity:
capacity: 7,170,000 kW
production: 25.7 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 1,247 kWh (1993)
Industries: petroleum production and refining, chemicals, textiles,
construction materials, food processing
Agriculture: accounted for 11% of GNP and 30% of labor force before
the Gulf war; principal products - wheat, barley, rice, vegetables,
dates, other fruit, cotton, wool; livestock - cattle, sheep; not
self-sufficient in food output
Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $3 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-89), $647 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $3.9 billion
Currency: 1 Iraqi dinar (ID) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates: Iraqi dinars (ID) per US$1 - 3.2 (fixed official rate
since 1982); black-market rate (March 1995) US$1 = 1200 Iraqi dinars;
semi-official rate US$1 = 650 Iraqi dinars
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Iraq:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 2,457 km
standard gauge: 2,457 km 1.435-m gauge
Highways:
total: 45,550 km
paved: 38,400 km
unpaved: 7,150 km (1989 est.)
Inland waterways: 1,015 km; Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by
maritime traffic for about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3
meters 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
Persian Gulf war
Pipelines: crude oil 4,350 km; petroleum products 725 km; natural gas
1,360 km
Ports: Umm Qasr, Khawr az Zubayr, and Al Basrah have limited
functionality
Merchant marine:
total: 36 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 795,346 GRT/1,431,154 DWT
ships by type: cargo 14, oil tanker 16, passenger 1, passenger-cargo
1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3
Airports:
total: 121
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 21
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 34
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 7
with paved runways under 914 m: 22
with unpaved runways over 3,047 m: 3
with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 5
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 16
@Iraq:Communications
Telephone system: 632,000 telephones; reconstitution of damaged
telecommunication facilities began after the Gulf war; most damaged
facilities have been rebuilt
local: NA
intercity: the network consists of coaxial cables and microwave radio
relay links
international: 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1
GORIZONT (Atlantic Ocean) in the Intersputnik system, and 1 ARABSAT
earth station; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Jordan,
Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey; Kuwait line is probably non-operational
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 16, FM 1, shortwave 0
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 13
televisions: NA
@Iraq:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Republican Guard and Special Republican Guard, Navy,
Air Force, Air Defense Force, Border Guard Force, Internal Security
Forces
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 4,626,610; males fit for
military service 2,597,687; males reach military age (18) annually
229,015 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GNP
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