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Communications

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 16, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

3.7 million (1998 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]

13 (government controlled) (1997)

Televisions [time series]

1 million (1992 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture--products) [time series]

wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, 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 (Debt--external) [time series]

very heavy relative to GDP but the exact amount is unknown (1998)

Economic aid (Economic aid--recipient) [time series]

$327.5 million (1995)

Economic overview (Economy--overview) [time series]

Iraq's 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, 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 embargoes, and military action by an international coalition beginning in January 1991 drastically reduced economic activity and increased 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. The implementation of the UN's oil-for-food program in December 1996 has helped improve economic conditions. For the first three six-month phases of the program, Iraq was allowed to export $2 billion worth of oil in exchange for food, medicine, and other humanitarian goods. The UN allowed Iraq to export $5.2 billion of oil beginning with the fourth phase of the program in May 1998. At an average volume of 1.9 million barrels per day during the last half of 1998, oil exports are 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.

Electricity - consumption (Electricity--consumption) [time series]

27.6 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity - exports (Electricity--exports) [time series]

0 kWh (1996)

Electricity - imports (Electricity--imports) [time series]

0 kWh (1996)

Electricity - production (Electricity--production) [time series]

27.6 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity - production by source (Electricity--production by source) [time series]

fossil fuel: 97.83% hydro: 2.17% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (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--1,810 (December 1998), 1,530 (December 1997), 3,000 (December 1995); subject to wide fluctuations

Exports [time series]

$5 billion (1998 est.)

Exports - commodities (Exports--commodities) [time series]

crude oil

Exports - partners (Exports--partners) [time series]

Russia, France, China, Turkey (1998)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity--$52.3 billion (1998 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?$2,400 (1998 est.)

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

10% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports [time series]

$3 billion (1998 est.)

Imports - commodities (Imports--commodities) [time series]

food, medicine, manufactures

Imports - partners (Imports--partners) [time series]

Russia, France, Jordan, Australia, China (1998)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

NA%

Industries [time series]

petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

NA%

Labor force [time series]

4.4 million (1989)

Labor force - by occupation (Labor force--by occupation) [time series]

services 48%, agriculture 30%, industry 22% (1989)

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

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 (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 that 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 (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 (salination) 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 with large flooded areas; 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

Capital [time series]

Baghdad

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; address: P. O.

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

none; note--Iraq has an Interest Section in the Algerian Embassy headed by Dr. Khairi AL ZUBAYDI; address: Iraqi Interests Section, Algerian Embassy, 2118

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 29 May 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Mikhail AZIZ (since NA 1979); Deputy Prime Minister Taha Yasin RAMADAN (since NA May 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Hamza al-ZUBAYDI (since NA May 1994) 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 2002) election results: SADDAM Husayn reelected president; percent of vote--99%; Taha Muhyi al-Din MARUF and Taha Yasin RAMADAN elected vice presidents; percent of 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

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]

any formal political activity must be sanctioned by the government; opposition to regime from Kurdish groups and southern Shi'a dissidents

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Introduction

Background [time series]

Iraq lies in the lower part of the Tigris-Euphrates valley, the heart of one of the four great ancient civilizations. The area was overrun by Arab, Mongol, and Turkish conquerors and became a British mandate following World War I. Independence came in 1932. Iraq's pro-Western stance ended in 1958 with the overthrow of the monarchy. Its subsequent turbulent history has witnessed the dictatorship of SADDAM Husayn, civil war with the Kurds, a bloody conflict with neighboring Iran, and, in 1990, an invasion of Kuwait, swiftly turned back by a Western coalition led by the US. Noncooperation with UN Security Council resolution obligations and the UN's inspection of Iraq's nuclear, chemical, biological, and long-range missile weapons programs remain major problems.

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 (Military expenditures--dollar figure) [time series]

$NA

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

NA%

Military manpower - availability (Military manpower--availability) [time series]

males age 15-49: 5,459,998 (1999 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service (Military manpower--fit for military service) [time series]

males age 15-49: 3,058,098 (1999 est.)

Military manpower - military age (Military manpower--military age) [time series]

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually (Military manpower--reaching military age annually) [time series]

males: 259,915 (1999 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 44% (male 4,982,510; female 4,825,129) 15-64 years: 53% (male 6,030,417; female 5,889,543) 65 years and over: 3% (male 326,223; female 373,328) (1999 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

38.42 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.56 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

62.41 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 66.52 years male: 65.54 years female: 67.56 years (1999 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 (1999 est.)

Population [time series]

22,427,150 (July 1999 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

3.19% (1999 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 (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.12 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international (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 although the government continues periodic rhetorical challenges; dispute over water development plans by Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Transportation

Airports [time series]

109 (1998 est.)

Airports - with paved runways (Airports--with paved runways) [time series]

total: 77 over 3,047 m: 20 2,438 to 3,047 m: 36 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 7 (1998 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports--with unpaved runways) [time series]

total: 32 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 11 (1998 est.)

Heliports [time series]

4 (1998 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 47,400 km paved: 40,764 km unpaved: 6,636 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 456,845 GRT/780,318 DWT ships by type: cargo 14, oil tanker 11, passenger 1, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2 (1998 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