Iraq

republic

Iraq as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 72 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalBaghdad

Area434,920 km2

Populationas each edition published it

18.78 million July 1990 · 42.92m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.73% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 19 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 64.96 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

7.3 children per woman 1990 · 3.03 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

67 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 18.3 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $1,940 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 10% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Land useshare of 434,920 km2

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

Total area

434,920km2

land area: 433,970 km2Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Idaho

Coastline

58km

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

3,454km 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

Disputes

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

Climate

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

Terrain

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

Natural resources

crude oil, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur

Environment

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

People

14 fields

Population

18,781,770

(July 1990), growth rate 3.9% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

46Death

7Net migration

Labor force

3,400,000

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

Ethnic divisions

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

Religion

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

Language

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

Government

Republic

18 fields

National Assembly, elected 1 April 1989percent of vote

Shia Arabs 30%Kurds 15%Sunni Arabs 53%Christians est. 2%

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

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

Constitution

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

Legal system

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

National holiday

Anniversary of the Revolution, 17 July (1968)

Executive branch

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

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (Majlis al Umma)

Judicial branch

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)

Political parties

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

Suffrage

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

Other political or pressure groups

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

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

Diplomatic representation

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

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;
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

Economy

16 fields

External debt

$40billion

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

Overview

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.

GNP

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

30-40% (1989 est.)

Unemployment rate

less than 5% (1989 est.)

Budget

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

Exports

$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)

Imports

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

Industrial production

NA%

Electricity

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

Industries

petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food processing

Agriculture

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

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

Currency

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

Exchange rates

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

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 44 ships by typeone square, one ship

passenger 1passenger-cargo 1cargo 18refrigerated cargo 1roll-on/roll-off cargo 3petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 19chemical tanker 144 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 947,721 GRT/1,703,988 DWT

Airports, 111 total, 101 usable

permanent-surface runways

72runways over 3,659 m

8runways 2,440-3,659 m

53runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

25,479Railroads

2,962

Highways: ; 8,290 km paved, 5,534 km improved earth, 11,655 km unimproved earth · Railroads: ; 2,457 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 505 km 1.000-meter gauge

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

Ports

Umm Qasr, Khawr az Zubayr

Pipelines

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

Civil air

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

Telecommunications

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