Iraq
Republic of Iraq conventional short form: Iraq local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah local short form: Al Iraq
republic
Iraq as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 114 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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 (1980-1988). 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.
Geography
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
17 fieldsLand boundaries
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
Climate
- 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
Terrain
- mostly broad plains;
- reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas;
- mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey
Land use
arable land: 12% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 9% forests and woodland: 0% other: 79% (1993 est.)
Environment - current issues
- 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
Environment - international agreements
party to: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
People
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2001 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 41.64% (male 4,934,340; female 4,781,206) 15-64 years: 55.28% (male 6,528,854; female 6,368,823) 65 years and over: 3.08% (male 335,953; female 382,809) (2001 est.)
Sex ratio
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 (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 66.95 years male: 65.92 years female: 68.03 years (2001 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 58% male: 70.7% female: 45% (1995 est.)
Government
Republic; President SADDAM Husayn (since 16 July 1979)
18 fieldsCountry name
conventional long form: Republic of Iraq conventional short form: Iraq local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah local short form: Al Iraq
Administrative divisions
- 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
22 September 1968, effective 16 July 1970 (provisional constitution); new constitution drafted in 1990 but not adopted
Legal system
based on Islamic law in special religious courts, civil law system elsewhere; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive branch
- 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) 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) cabinet: Council of Ministers;
- note - there is also a Revolutionary Command Council or RCC (Chairman SADDAM Husayn, Vice Chairman Izzat IBRAHIM al-Duri) which controls the ruling Ba'th Party, and is the most powerful political entity in the country 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%
Legislative branch
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
Political pressure groups and leaders
any formal political activity must be sanctioned by the government; opposition to regime from Kurdish groups and southern Shi'a dissidents
International organization participation
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, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- none;
- note - Iraq has an Interest Section in the Algerian Embassy headed by Akram AL DOURI;
- address: ;
- telephone: [1] (202) 483-7500;
- FAX: [1] (202) 462-5066
Diplomatic representation from the US
- 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
Flag description
- 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
Economy
Iraq's economy is dominated by the oil sector, which has traditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings.
32 fieldsElectricity
Economy - overview
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 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 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 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.
Exchange rates
- Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 0.3109 (fixed official rate since 1982);
- black market rate - Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 1,910 (December 1999), 1,815 (December 1998), 1,530 (December 1997), 910 (December 1996), 3,000 (December 1995);
- note - subject to wide fluctuations
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
- 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
Transportation
10 fieldsRailways
total: 2,032 km standard gauge: 2,032 km 1.435-m gauge note: rail link between Iraq and Syria restored in 2000 after 19 years
Waterways
- 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
Merchant marine
total: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 453,273 GRT/779,662 DWT ships by type: cargo 14, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 12, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 76 over 3,047 m: 20 2,438 to 3,047 m: 36 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 34 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 12 (2000 est.)
Military
Army, Republican Guard, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Border Guard Force, Fedayeen Saddam
7 fieldsMilitary branches
Army, Republican Guard, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Border Guard Force, Fedayeen Saddam
Transnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes - international
- 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
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Iraq.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/iraq/2001.