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Communications

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 16, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

4.02 million (1991 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

reconstitution of damaged telecommunication facilities began after the Gulf war; most damaged facilities have been rebuilt domestic: the network consists of coaxial cables and microwave radio relay links international : 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 - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

632,000 (1987 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

Televisions [time series]

1 million (1992 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, other fruit, cotton; cattle, sheep

Budget [time series]

revenues : $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Iraqi dinar (ID) = 1,000 fils

Debt - external [time series]

very heavy relative to GDP but amount unknown (1996)

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

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; 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. 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 are at 25% of the prewar level following the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 986 in December 1996. Shortages of spare parts continue. 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 could 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 accord with a UN resolution Iraq agreed to an oil-for-food deal in 1996, under which it would export $2 billion worth of oil in exchange for badly needed food and medicine. The first oil was pumped in December 1996, and the first supplies of food and medicine should arrive in March 1997. Per capita output for 1995-96 and living standards are well below the 1989-90 level, but any estimates have a wide range of error.

Electricity - capacity [time series]

6.83 million kW (1996)

Electricity - consumption per capita [time series]

1,362 kWh (1996 est.)

Electricity - production [time series]

31.8 billion kWh (1996)

Exchange rates [time series]

Iraqi dinars (ID) per US$1 - 0.3109 (fixed official rate since 1982); black market rate - Iraqi dinars (ID) per US$1 - 1,200 (May 1997), 3,000 (December 1995); subject to wide fluctuations

Exports [time series]

$NA commodities: crude oil partners: Jordan, Turkey (1996)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $42 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $2,000 (1996 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

0% (1996 est.)

Imports [time series]

$NA commodities: manufactures, food partners: France, Turkey, Jordan, Vietnam, Australia (1996)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

NA%

Industries [time series]

petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate - consumer price index) [time series]

NA%

Labor force [time series]

total: 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

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 437,072 sq km land: 432,162 sq km water : 4,910 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly more than twice the size of Idaho

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

58 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Gundah Zhur 3,608 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

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 (salinization) and erosion; desertification

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban signed, but not ratified : Environmental Modification

Geographic coordinates [time series]

33 00 N, 44 00 E

Irrigated land [time series]

25,500 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 3,631 km border countries : Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 242 km, Saudi Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 331 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 12% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 9% forests and woodland : 0% other: 79% (1993 est.)

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Middle East

Maritime claims [time series]

continental shelf: not specified territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards [time series]

dust storms, sandstorms, floods

Natural resources [time series]

petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur

Terrain [time series]

mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Constitution [time series]

22 September 1968, effective 16 July 1970 (provisional Constitution); new constitution drafted in 1990 but not adopted

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Iraq conventional short form: Iraq local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah local short form: Al Iraq

Data code [time series]

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

none; note - the US has an Interests Section in the Polish Embassy in Baghdad, which is in the Masbah Quarter (opposite the Foreign Ministry Club); address: P. O. Box 2447 Alwiyah, Baghdad; telephone: [964] (1) 719-6138, 719-6139, 718-1840, 719-3791; FAX: [964] (1) 718-9297

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

none; note - Iraq has an Interest Section in the Algerian Embassy headed by Dr. Khairi O. T. AL ZUBAIDI; address: Iraqi Interests Section, Algerian Embassy, 1801 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: [1] (202) 483-7500; FAX: [1] (202) 462-5066

Executive branch [time series]

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); Deputy Prime Minister Taha Yasin RAMADAN (since NA); Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Hamza al-ZUBAYDI (since NA) cabinet: Council of Ministers note: there is also a Revolutionary Command Council; Chairman SADDAM Husayn, Vice Chairman Izzat IBRAHIM al-Duri elections: president and vice presidents elected by a two-thirds majority of the Revolutionary Command Council; election last held 17 October 1995 (next to be held NA) election results: SADDAM Husayn reelected president; percent of Revolutionary Command Council vote - 99%; Taha Muhyi al-Din MARUF and Taha Yasin RAMADAN elected vice presidents; percent of Revolutionary Command Council vote - NA

Flag (Flag description) [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; 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

Government type [time series]

republic

Independence [time series]

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

International organization participation [time series]

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

Judicial branch [time series]

Court of Cassation

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 or Majlis al-Watani (250 seats; 30 appointed by SADDAM Husayn to represent the three northern provinces of Dahuk, Arbil, and As Sulaymaniyah; 220 elected by popular vote; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 24 March 1996 (next to be held NA 2000) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA

Capital (National capital) [time series]

Baghdad

National holiday [time series]

Anniversary of the Revolution, 17 July (1968)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Ba'th Party, SADDAM Husayn, central party leader

Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

political parties and activity severely restricted; opposition to regime from disaffected members of the Ba'th Party, Army officers, tribes, and Shi'a religious and ethnic Kurdish dissidents; the Green Party (government-controlled)

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Army, Republican Guard and Special Republican Guard, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Border Guard Force, Internal Security Forces

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$NA

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

NA%

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 5,039,332 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males : 2,825,888 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - military age [time series]

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually [time series]

males: 246,404 (1997 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 47% (male 5,353,088; female 5,181,960) 15-64 years: 50% (male 5,565,926; female 5,442,949) 65 years and over: 3% (male 314,705; female 360,661) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

42.52 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.33 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

57.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 67.38 years male: 66.31 years female: 68.5 years (1997 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 58% male: 70.7% female : 45% (1995 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Iraqi(s) adjective: Iraqi

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population [time series]

22,219,289 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

3.62% (1997 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population : 1.02 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.26 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

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; dispute over water development plans by Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers IRELAND

Transportation

Airports [time series]

101 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 85 over 3,047 m: 21 2,438 to 3,047 m: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 16 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total : 16 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m : 8 (1996 est.)

Heliports [time series]

4 (1996 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 46,500 km paved: 39,990 km unpaved: 6,510 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 35 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 791,485 GRT/1,428,307 DWT ships by type: cargo 14, oil tanker 16, passenger 1, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2 (1996 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

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

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Umm Qasr, Khawr az Zubayr, and Al Basrah have limited functionality

Railways [time series]

total: 2,032 km standard gauge: 2,032 km 1.435-m gauge

Waterways [time series]

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