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Communications

Airports [time series]

111 total, 101 usable; 72 with permanent-surface runways; 8 with runways over 3,659 m; 53 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 14 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

64 major transport aircraft (including 30 IL-76s used by the Iraq Air Force)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

25,479 km total; 8,290 km paved, 5,534 km improved earth, 11,655 km unimproved earth

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

1,015 km; Shatt al Arab usually navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km, but closed since September 1980 because of Iran-Iraq war; Tigris and Euphrates navigable by shallow-draft steamers (of little importance); Shatt al Basrah canal navigable in sections by shallow-draft vessels

Merchant marine [time series]

44 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 947,721 GRT/1,703,988 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 1 passenger-cargo, 18 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 19 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil, 4,350 km; 725 km refined products; 1,360 km natural gas

Ports [time series]

Umm Qasr, Khawr az Zubayr

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

2,962 km total; 2,457 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 505 km 1.000-meter gauge

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

good network consists of coaxial cables, radio relay links, and radiocommunication stations; 632,000 telephones; stations--9 AM, 1 FM, 81 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 GORIZONT Atlantic Ocean in the Intersputnik system; coaxial cable and radio relay to Kuwait, Jordan, Syria, and Turkey

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard Force, mobile police force, Republican Guard

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

Military manpower [time series]

males 15-49, 4,097,190; 2,284,417 fit for military service; 219,701 reach military age (18) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for less than 10% of GNP but 33% of labor force; principal products--wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, other fruit, cotton, wool; livestock--cattle, sheep; not self-sufficient in food output

Aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $3 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $607 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1980-89), $37.2 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $3.9 billion

Budget [time series]

revenues $NA billion; expenditures $35 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1989)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Iraqi dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Iraqi dinar (ID) = 1,000 fils

Electricity [time series]

9,902,000 kW capacity; 20,000 million kWh produced, 1,110 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Iraqi dinars (ID) per US$1--0.3109 (fixed rate since 1982)

Exports [time series]

$12.5 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--crude oil and refined products, machinery, chemicals, dates; partners--US, Brazil, USSR, Italy, Turkey, France, Japan, Yugoslavia (1988)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$40 billion (1988 est.), excluding debt to Persian Gulf Arab states

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

GNP [time series]

$35 billion, per capita $1,940; real growth rate 5% (1989 est.)

Imports [time series]

$10.2 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--manufactures, food; partners--Turkey, US, FRG, UK, France, Japan, Romania, Yugoslavia, Brazil (1988)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

NA%

Industries [time series]

petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

30-40% (1989 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The Bathist 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 is dominated by the oil sector, which provides about 95% of foreign exchange earnings. Since the early 1980s financial problems, caused by war expenditures and damage to oil export facilities by Iran, have led the government to implement austerity measures and to reschedule foreign debt payments. Oil exports have gradually increased with the construction of new pipelines. Agricultural development remains 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, is under financial constraints. New investment funds are generally allocated only to projects that result in import substitution or foreign exchange earnings.

Unemployment rate [time series]

less than 5% (1989 est.)

Geography

Climate [time series]

desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers

Coastline [time series]

58 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly more than twice the size of Idaho

Continental shelf [time series]

not specific;

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

Iraq began formal UN peace negotiations with Iran in August 1988 to end the war that began on 22 September 1980--sovereignty over the Shatt al Arab waterway, troop withdrawal, freedom of navigation, and prisoner of war exchange are the major issues for negotiation; Kurdish question among Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the USSR; shares Neutral Zone with Saudi Arabia--in July 1975, Iraq and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to divide the zone between them, but the agreement must be ratified before it becomes effective; disputes Kuwaiti ownership of Warbah and Bubiyan islands; periodic disputes with upstream riparian Syria over Euphrates water rights; potential dispute over water development plans by Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

development of Tigris-Euphrates river systems contingent upon agreements with upstream riparians (Syria, Turkey); air and water pollution; soil degradation (salinization) and erosion; desertification

Land boundaries [time series]

3,454 km total; Iran 1,458 km, Iraq - Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone 191 km, Jordan 134 km, Kuwait 240 km, Saudi Arabia 495 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 331 km

Land use [time series]

12% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 9% meadows and pastures; 3% forest and woodland; 75% other; includes 4% irrigated

Natural resources [time series]

crude oil, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur

Terrain [time series]

mostly broad plains; reedy marshes in southeast; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

12 nm

Area (Total area) [time series]

434,920 km2; land area: 433,970 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

18 provinces (muhafazat, singular--muhafazah); Al Anbar, Al Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, As Sulaymaniyah, At Tamim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Arbil, Karbala, Maysan, Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit

Capital [time series]

Baghdad

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

about 1,500 hardcore members

Constitution [time series]

22 September 1968, effective 16 July 1970 (interim Constitution); new constitution now in final stages of drafting

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Dr. Mohamed Sadiq AL-MASHAT; Chancery at 1801 P Street NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 483-7500; US--Ambassador April C. GLASPIE; Embassy in Masbah Quarter (opposite the Foreign Ministry Club), Baghdad (mailing address is P. O. Box 2447 Alwiyah, Baghdad); telephone [964] (1) 719-6138 or 719-6139, 718-1840, 719-3791

Executive branch [time series]

president, vice president, chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council, vice chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council, prime minister, first deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers

Flag [time series]

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; similar to the flags of the YAR which has one star and Syria which has two stars (in a horizontal line centered in the white band)--all green and five-pointed; also similar to the flag of Egypt which has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band

Independence [time series]

3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)

Judicial branch [time series]

Court of Cassation Chief of State and Head of Government--President Saddam HUSAYN (since 16 July 1979); Vice President Taha Muhyi al-Din MARUF (since 21 April 1974)

Legal system [time series]

based on Islamic law in special religious courts, civil law system elsewhere; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Assembly (Majlis al Umma)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Iraq

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACC, Arab League, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO

National holiday [time series]

Anniversary of the Revolution, 17 July (1968)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

political parties and activity severely restricted; possibly some opposition to regime from disaffected members of the regime, Army officers, and religious and ethnic dissidents

Political parties [time series]

National Progressive Front is a coalition of the Arab Bath Socialist Party, Kurdistan Democratic Party, and Kurdistan Revolutionary Party

Suffrage [time series]

universal adult at age 18 National Assembly--last held on 1 April 1989 (next to be held NA); results--Shia Arabs 30%, Kurds 15%, Sunni Arabs 53%, Christians 2% est.; seats--(250 total) number of seats by party NA

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

46 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

67 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

3,400,000 (1984); 39% services, 33% agriculture, 28% industry, severe labor shortage (1987); expatriate labor force about 1,000,000 (1989)

Languages (Language) [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

66 years male, 68 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

55-65% (1989 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Iraqi(s); adjective--Iraqi

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

less than 10% of the labor force

Population [time series]

18,781,770 (July 1990), growth rate 3.9% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

7.3 children born/woman (1990)