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Communications

Internet users (Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) [time series]

1 (2000)

Internet country code [time series]

.iq

Internet users [time series]

12,500 (2001)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 19 (5 are inactive), FM 51, shortwave 4 (1998)

Radios [time series]

4.85 million (1997)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: 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 - main lines in use) [time series]

675,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

NA; service available in northern Iraq (2001)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

13 (1997)

Televisions [time series]

1.75 million (1997)

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]

Iraqi dinar (IQD)

Exchange rates (Currency code) [time series]

IQD

Debt - external [time series]

$62.2 billion (2001 est.)

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

$327.5 million (1995) (1995)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

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 from the war of at least $100 billion. After hostilities ended 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. Although government policies supporting large military and internal security forces and allocating resources to key supporters of the regime have hurt the economy, implementation of the UN's oil-for-food program in December 1996 has helped improve conditions for the average Iraqi citizen. 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 some infrastructure spare parts. In December 1999 the UN Security Council authorized Iraq to export under the program as much oil as required to meet humanitarian needs. Oil exports are now more than three-quarters prewar level. However, 28% of Iraq's export revenues under the program are deducted to meet UN Compensation Fund and UN administrative expenses. The drop in GDP in 2001 was largely the result of the global economic slowdown and lower oil prices. 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 [time series]

25.389 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - production [time series]

27.3 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 98% hydro: 2% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%

Exchange rates [time series]

Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 0.3109 (fixed official rate since 1982); black market rate - Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 2,000 (December 2001), 1,910 (December 1999), 1,815 (December 1998), 1,530 (December 1997), 910 (December 1996); note - subject to wide fluctuations

Exports [time series]

$15.8 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

crude oil

Exports - partners [time series]

US 46.2%, Italy 12.2%, France 9.6%, Spain 8.6% (2000)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $59 billion (2001 est.)

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

agriculture: 6% industry: 13% services: 81% (1993 est.)

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

purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2001 est.)

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

-5.7% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$11 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

food, medicine, manufactures

Imports - partners [time series]

France 22.5%, Australia 22%, China 5.8%, Russia 5.8% (2000)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

NA%

Industries [time series]

petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

60% (2001 est.)

Labor force [time series]

4.4 million (1989) (1989)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 437,072 sq km water: 4,910 sq km land: 432,162 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 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: Haji Ibrahim 3,600 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 (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

Geography - note [time series]

strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf

Irrigated land [time series]

35,250 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 3,650 km border countries: Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 240 km, Saudi Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 352 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 11.89% permanent crops: 0.78% other: 87.33% (1998 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 governorates (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 short form: Al Iraq local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

none; note - Iraq has an Interest Section in the Algerian Embassy headed by Akram AL DOURI; 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 Presidents Taha Muhyi al-Din MARUF (since 21 April 1974) and Taha Yasin RAMADAN (since 23 March 1991) elections: president and vice presidents elected by a two-thirds majority of the Revolutionary Command Council; regular election last held 17 October 1995 (next scheduled for 2002); note - in place of the 2002 election, a presidential referendum was held on 15 October 2002 in which the presidency of SADDAM Husayn was extended for a fifth consecutive seven-year term 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%; note - in a presidential referendum held 15 October 2002, SADDAM Husayn's term was extended for another seven years cabinet: Council of Ministers; note - there is also a Revolutionary Command Council or RCC with eight members as of 2001 (Chairman SADDAM Husayn, Vice Chairman Izzat IBRAHIM al-Duri) which controls the ruling Ba'th Party; the RCC is the highest executive and legislative body and the most powerful political entity in the country; new RCC members must come from the Regional Command Leadership of the Ba'th Party head of government: Prime Minister SADDAM Husayn (since 29 May 1994); Deputy Prime Ministers Tariq Mikhail AZIZ (since NA 1979), Hikmat Mizban Ibrahim al-AZZAWI (since 30 July 1999), Ahmad Husayn al-KHUDAYIR (since NA July 2001), and Abd al-Tawab Mullah al-HUWAYSH (since NA July 2001)

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 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

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, EAPC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, 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 the president 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 27 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA

National holiday [time series]

Revolution Day, 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]

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 (1980-88). 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.

Military

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

Army, Republican Guard, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Border Guard Force, Fedayeen Saddam

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$1.3 billion (FY00)

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

NA%

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 6,135,847 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males age 15-49: 3,430,819 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - military age [time series]

18 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually [time series]

males: 274,035 (2002 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 41.1% (male 5,003,755; female 4,849,238) 15-64 years: 55.9% (male 6,794,265; female 6,624,662) 65 years and over: 3% (male 341,520; female 388,376) (2002 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

34.2 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.02 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

less than 0.01% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

Infant mortality rate [time series]

57.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 67.38 years female: 68.5 years (2002 est.) male: 66.31 years

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 (2002 est.)

Population [time series]

24,001,816 (July 2002 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.82% (2002 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: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.63 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

despite restored diplomatic relations in 1990, lacks maritime boundary with Iran and disputes land boundary, navigation channels, and other issues from eight-year war; 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]

108 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 77 over 3,047 m: 21 2,438 to 3,047 m: 36 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 9 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 73 under 914 m: 11 (2002) over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 28 1,524 to 2,437 m: 24

Heliports [time series]

5 (2002)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 45,550 km paved: 38,400 km unpaved: 7,150 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 25 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 186,709 GRT/278,575 DWT ships by type: cargo 14, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 8, roll on/roll off 1 (2002 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: 2,339 km standard gauge: 2,339 km 1.435-m gauge (2001)

Waterways [time series]

1,015 km note: 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 boats; Shatt al Basrah canal was navigable by shallow-draft craft before closing in 1991 because of the Gulf war