Iraq (2008)

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Iraq 2008 year


Administrative divisions	18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah) and 1 region; Al Anbar, Al Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah, At Ta'mim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Karbala', Kurdistan Regional Government, Maysan, Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit
Age structure	0-14 years: 39.4% (male 5,509,736/female 5,338,722) 15-64 years: 57.6% (male 8,018,841/female 7,812,611) 65 years and over: 3% (male 386,321/female 433,407) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep, poultry
Airports	110 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 76 over 3,047 m: 19 2,438 to 3,047 m: 37 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 9 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 34 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 10 (2007)
Area	total: 437,072 sq km land: 432,162 sq km water: 4,910 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly more than twice the size of Idaho
Background	Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A "republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of military strongmen ruled the country until 2003, the last was 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 the Gulf War of January-February 1991. 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. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions over a period of 12 years led to the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. Coalition forces remain in Iraq under a UNSC mandate, helping to provide security and to support the freely elected government. The Coalition Provisional Authority, which temporarily administered Iraq after the invasion, transferred full governmental authority on 28 June 2004 to the Iraqi Interim Government, which governed under the Transitional Administrative Law for Iraq (TAL). Under the TAL, elections for a 275-member Transitional National Assembly (TNA) were held in Iraq on 30 January 2005. Following these elections, the Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG) assumed office. The TNA was charged with drafting Iraq's permanent constitution, which was approved in a 15 October 2005 constitutional referendum. An election under the constitution for a 275-member Council of Representatives (CoR) was held on 15 December 2005. The CoR approval in the selection of most of the cabinet ministers on 20 May 2006 marked the transition from the ITG to Iraq's first constitutional government in nearly a half-century.
Birth rate	31.44 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $42.3 billion expenditures: $48.4 billion (FY08 est.)
Capital	name: Baghdad geographic coordinates: 33 20 N, 44 23 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins 1 April; ends 1 October
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
Coastline	58 km
Constitution	ratified on 15 October 2005 (subject to review by the Constitutional Review Committee and a possible public referendum )
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of Iraq conventional short form: Iraq local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al-Iraqiyah local short form: Al Iraq
Death rate	5.26 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$56.31 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Ryan C. CROCKER embassy: Baghdad mailing address: APO AE 09316 telephone: 1-240-553-0589 ext. 5340 or 5635; note - Consular Section FAX: NA
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Samir Shakir al-SUMAYDI chancery: 3421 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 483-7500 (Consular section) FAX: [1] (202) 333-1129
Disputes - international	coalition forces assist Iraqis in monitoring internal and cross-border security; approximately two million Iraqis have fled the conflict in Iraq, with the majority taking refuge in Syria and Jordan, and lesser numbers to Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, and Turkey; Iraq's lack of a maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction disputes beyond the mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf; Turkey has expressed concern over the autonomous status of Kurds in Iraq
Economic aid - recipient	$21.65 billion $13.5 billion pledged in foreign aid for 2004-07 from outside of the US, over $33 billion pledged total (2005)
Economy - overview	Iraq's economy is dominated by the oil sector, which has traditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings. Although looting, insurgent attacks, and sabotage have undermined economy rebuilding efforts, economic activity is beginning to pick up in areas recently secured by the US military surge. Oil exports are around levels seen before Operation Iraqi Freedom, and total government revenues have benefited from high oil prices. Despite political uncertainty, Iraq is making some progress in building the institutions needed to implement economic policy and has negotiated a debt reduction agreement with the Paris Club and a new Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF. The International Compact with Iraq was established in May 2007 to integrate Iraq into the regional and global economy, and the Iraqi government is seeking to pass laws to strengthen its economy. This legislation includes a hydrocarbon law to establish a modern legal framework to allow Iraq to develop its resources and a revenue sharing law to equitably divide oil revenues within the nation, although both are still bogged down in discussions. The Central Bank has been successful in controlling inflation through appreciation of the dinar against the US dollar. Reducing corruption and implementing structural reforms, such as bank restructuring and developing the private sector, will be key to Iraq's economic success.
Electricity - consumption	35.84 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2007)
Electricity - imports	2.315 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production	33.53 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: unnamed peak; 3,611 m; note - this peak is not Gundah Zhur 3,607 m or Kuh-e Hajji-Ebrahim 3,595 m
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 Marsh Arabs, who 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 the Tigris and 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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups	Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian, or other 5%
Exchange rates	New Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 1,255 (2007), 1,466 (2006), 1,475 (2005), 1,890 (second half, 2003)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Jalal TALABANI (since 6 April 2005); Vice Presidents Adil ABD AL-MAHDI and Tariq al-HASHIMI (since 22 April 2006); note - the president and vice presidents comprise the Presidency Council) head of government: Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI (since 20 May 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Barham SALIH (since 20 May 2006); second deputy prime minister positon vacant cabinet: 34 ministers appointed by the Presidency Council, plus Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI, and Deputy Prime Minister Barham SALIH; second deputy prime minister position vacant elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of Representatives
Exports	0 kWh (2007)
Exports	$34.04 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports	0 cu m (2005 est.)
Exports	1.67 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities	crude oil 84%, crude materials excluding fuels 8%, food and live animals 5%
Exports - partners	US 46.7%, Italy 10.7%, Spain 6.2%, Canada 6.2% (2006)
Fiscal year	calendar year
Flag description	three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the phrase ALLAHU AKBAR (God is Great) in green Arabic script is centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Syria, which has two stars but no script, Yemen, which has a plain white band, and that of Egypt, which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band; design is based upon the Arab Liberation colors; Council of Representatives approved this flag as a compromise temporary replacement for Ba'athist Saddam-era flag
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 5% industry: 68% services: 27% (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	5% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates	33 00 N, 44 00 E
Geography - note	strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf
Heliports	17 (2007)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	2.315 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Imports	$23.09 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports	0 cu m (2005)
Imports	NA
Imports - commodities	food, medicine, manufactures
Imports - partners	Syria 26.5%, Turkey 20.5%, US 11.8%, Jordan 7.2% (2006)
Independence	3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration); note - on 28 June 2004 the Coalition Provisional Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi-controlled Government
Industrial production growth rate	4% (2007 est.)
Industries	petroleum, chemicals, textiles, leather, construction materials, food processing, fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing
Infant mortality rate	total: 47.04 deaths/1,000 live births male: 52.73 deaths/1,000 live births female: 41.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	4.7% (2007 est.)
International organization participation	ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Irrigated land	35,250 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	the Iraq Constitution calls for the federal judicial power to be comprised of the Higher Juridical Council, Federal Supreme Court, Federal Court of Cassation, Public Prosecution Department, Judiciary Oversight Commission and other federal courts that are regulated in accordance with the law
Labor force	7.4 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Land boundaries	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	arable land: 13.12% permanent crops: 0.61% other: 86.27% (2005)
Languages	Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian
Legal system	based on European civil and Islamic law under the framework outlined in the Iraqi Constitution; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	Council of Representatives (consisting of 275 members elected by a closed-list, proportional representation system) elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of Representatives; the Council of Representatives elected the Presidency Council and approved the prime minister and two deputy prime ministers election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by party - Unified Iraqi Alliance 41%, Kurdistan Alliance 22%, Tawafuq Coalition 15%, Iraqi National List 8%, Iraqi Front for National Dialogue 4%, other 10%; number of seats by party (as of November 2007) - Unified Iraqi Alliance (including the Sadrist bloc with 30 and Fadilah with 15) 130, Kurdistan Alliance 53, Tawafuq Front 44, Iraqi National List 25, Fadilah 15, Iraqi Front for National Dialogue 11, other 12
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 69.31 years male: 68.04 years female: 70.65 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 74.1% male: 84.1% female: 64.2% (2000 est.)
Location	Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
Map references	Middle East
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: not specified
Merchant marine	total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 67,796 GRT/101,317 DWT by type: cargo 11, petroleum tanker 2 (2007)
Military branches	Iraqi Armed Forces: Iraqi Army (includes Iraqi Special Operations Force, Iraqi Intervention Force), Iraqi Navy (former Iraqi Coastal Defense Force), Iraqi Air Force (former Iraqi Army Air Corps) (2005)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	8.6% (2006)
National holiday	Revolution Day, 17 July (1968); note - this holiday was celebrated under the SADDAM Husayn regime; the Government of Iraq has yet to declare a new national holiday
Nationality	noun: Iraqi(s) adjective: Iraqi
Natural hazards	dust storms, sandstorms, floods
Natural resources	petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines	gas 2,250 km; liquid petroleum gas 918 km; oil 5,509 km; refined products 1,637 km (2007)
Political parties and leaders	Assyrian Democratic Movement [Yunadim KANNA]; Badr Organization [Hadi al-AMIRI]; Constitutional Monarchy Movement or CMM [Sharif Ali Bin al-HUSAYN]; Da'wa al-Islamiya Party [Ibrahim al-JA'FARI]; General Conference of Iraqi People [Adnan al-DULAYMI]; Independent Iraqi Alliance or IIA [Falah al-NAQIB]; Iraqi Communist Party [Hamid MAJEED]; Iraqi Front for National Dialogue [Salih al-MUTLAQ]; Iraqi Hizballah [Karim Mahmud al-MUHAMMADAWI]; Iraqi Independent Democrats or IID [Adnan PACHACHI, Mahdi al-HAFIZ]; Iraqi Islamic Party or IIP [Tariq al-HASHIMI]; Iraqi National Accord or INA [Ayad ALLAWI]; Iraqi National Congress or INC [Ahmad CHALABI]; Iraqi National Council for Dialogue or INCD [Khalaf Ulayan al-Khalifawi al-DULAYMI]; Iraqi National Unity Movement or INUM [Ahmad al-KUBAYSI]; Islamic Action Organization or IAO [Ayatollah Muhammad al-MUDARRISI]; Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq or ISCI [Abd al-Aziz al-HAKIM]; Jama'at al Fadilah or JAF [Muhammad Ali al-YAQUBI]; Kurdistan Democratic Party or KDP [Masud BARZANI]; Kurdistan Islamic Union [Salah ad-Din Muhammad BAHA al-DIN]; National Reconciliation and Liberation Party [Mishan al-JABBURI]; Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK [Jalal TALABANI]; Sadrist Trend [Muqtada al-SADR] (not an organized political party, but it fields independent candidates affiliated with Muqtada al-SADR); Sahawa al-Iraq [Ahmed al-RISAWHI] note: the Kurdistan Alliance, Iraqi National List, Tawafuq Front, Iraqi Front for National Dialogue, and Unified Iraqi Alliance were only electoral slates consisting of the representatives from the various Iraqi political parties
Political pressure groups and leaders	an insurgency against the Government of Iraq and Coalition forces is primarily concentrated in Baghdad and in areas north, northeast, and west of the capital; the diverse, multigroup insurgency consists principally of Sunni Arabs with a shared desire to oust the Coalition, end US influence in Iraq, and reassert Sunni Arab dominance; a number of predominantly Shia militias, some associated with political parties, challenge governmental authority in Baghdad and southern Iraq
Population	27,499,638 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%
Population growth rate	2.618% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	after 17 months of unregulated media growth, there are approximately 80 radio stations (types NA) on the air inside Iraq (2004)
Railways	total: 2,272 km standard gauge: 2,272 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)
Religions	Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.032 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.026 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.891 male(s)/female total population: 1.024 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: the 2003 liberation of Iraq severely disrupted telecommunications throughout Iraq including international connections; widespread government efforts to rebuild domestic and international communications through fiber optic links are in progress; the mobile cellular market has expanded rapidly with an estimated 10.9 million current users domestic: repairs to switches and lines destroyed during 2003 continue; additional switching capacity is improving access; cellular service is available and centered on 3 GSM networks which are being expanded beyond their regional roots, improving country-wide connectivity; wireless local loop licences have been issued with the hope of overcoming the lack of fixed-line infrastructure international: country code - 964; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Arabsat (inoperative); local microwave radio relay connects border regions to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey; planned international fiber-optic connections to Iran (terrestrial) with a link to the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine fiber-optic cable (2007)
Telephones - main lines in use	1.547 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	10.9 million (2007)
Television broadcast stations	21 (2004)
Terrain	mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey
Total fertility rate	4.07 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	18% to 30% (2006 est.)
Waterways	5,279 km note: Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third River (565 km) are principal waterways (2006)

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