Georgia (2003) | Iraq (2006) | |
Administrative divisions | 9 regions, (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 9 cities* (k'alak'ebi, singular - k'alak'i), and 2 autonomous republics** (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika); Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri Respublika** (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika** (Bat'umi), Chiat'ura*, Gori*, Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, K'ut'aisi*, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, P'ot'i*, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Rust'avi*, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli, T'bilisi*, Tqibuli*, Tsqaltubo*, Zugdidi*
note: the administrative centers of the 2 autonomous republics are shown in parentheses |
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 |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 18.6% (male 466,743; female 449,440)
15-64 years: 68.4% (male 1,628,757; female 1,744,922) 65 years and over: 13% (male 252,031; female 392,520) (2003 est.) |
0-14 years: 39.7% (male 5,398,645/female 5,231,760)
15-64 years: 57.3% (male 7,776,257/female 7,576,726) 65 years and over: 3% (male 376,700/female 423,295) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | citrus, grapes, tea, hazlenuts, vegetables; livestock | wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep, poultry |
Airports | 40 (2002) | 110 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 22
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 4 (2002) |
total: 77
over 3,047 m: 20 2,438 to 3,047 m: 37 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 9 (2006) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 18
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 7 (2002) |
total: 33
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 10 (2006) |
Area | total: 69,700 sq km
land: 69,700 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 437,072 sq km
land: 432,162 sq km water: 4,910 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than South Carolina | slightly more than twice the size of Idaho |
Background | Georgia was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independent for three years (1918-1921) following the Russian revolution, it was forcibly incorporated into the USSR until the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Ethnic separation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, poor governance, and Russian military bases deny the government effective control over the entirety of the state's internationally recognized territory. Despite myriad problems, some progress on market reforms and democratization has been made. An attempt by the government to manipulate legislative elections in November 2003 touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of President Eduard SHEVARDNADZE. | 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, the latest 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, helping to restore degraded infrastructure and facilitating the establishment of a freely elected government, while simultaneously dealing with a robust insurgency. The Coalition Provisional Authority, which temporarily administered Iraq after the invasion, transferred full governmental authority on 28 June 2004, to the Iraqi Interim Government (IG), 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 in 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 full-term government. |
Birth rate | 11.79 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 31.98 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $499 million
expenditures: $554 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
revenues: $19.3 billion
expenditures: $24 billion; including capital expenditures of $5 billion (2005 budget) |
Capital | T'bilisi | name: Baghdad
geographic coordinates: 33 21 N, 44 25 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 | warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast | 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 | 310 km | 58 km |
Constitution | adopted 17 October 1995 | ratified on 15 October 2005 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Georgia local long form: none local short form: Sak'art'velo former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic |
conventional long form: Republic of Iraq
conventional short form: Iraq local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah local short form: Al Iraq |
Currency | lari (GEL) | - |
Death rate | 14.71 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 5.37 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | $1.7 billion (2001) | $92.33 billion (2005 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Richard M. MILES
embassy: #25 Atoneli Street, T'bilisi 380026 mailing address: 7060 Tbilisi Place, Washington, DC 20521-7060 telephone: [995] (32) 989-967/68 FAX: [995] (32) 933-759 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Zalmay KHALILZAD
embassy: Baghdad mailing address: APO AE 09316 telephone: 00-1-240-553-0584 ext. 5340 or 5635; note - Consular Section FAX: NA |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Levan MIKELADZE
chancery: Suite 300, 1615 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 387-2390 FAX: [1] (202) 393-6060 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Samir Shakir al-SUMAYDI
chancery: 1801 P Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 483-7500 FAX: [1] (202) 462-5066 |
Disputes - international | boundary with Russia has been largely delimited, but not demarcated with several small, strategic segments remaining in dispute and OSCE observers monitoring volatile areas such as the Pankisi Gorge in the Akhmeti region and the Argun Gorge in Abkhazia; Meshkheti Turks scattered throughout the former Soviet Union seek to return to Georgia; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy, closer ties with Armenia | coalition forces assist Iraqis in monitoring boundary security; 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 status of Kurds in Iraq |
Economic aid - recipient | ODA $150 million (2000 est.) | more than $33 billion in foreign aid pledged for 2004-07 (2004) |
Economy - overview | Georgia's main economic activities include the cultivation of agricultural products such as citrus fruits, tea, hazelnuts, and grapes; mining of manganese and copper; and output of a small industrial sector producing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, metals, machinery, and chemicals. The country imports the bulk of its energy needs, including natural gas and oil products. Its only sizable internal energy resource is hydropower. Despite the severe damage the economy has suffered due to civil strife, Georgia, with the help of the IMF and World Bank, has made substantial economic gains since 1995, achieving positive GDP growth and curtailing inflation. However, the Georgian Government suffers from limited resources due to a chronic failure to collect tax revenues. Georgia also suffers from energy shortages; it privatized the T'bilisi distribution network in 1998, but collection rates are low, making the venture unprofitable. The country is pinning its hopes for long-term growth on its role as a transit state for pipelines and trade. The start of construction on the Baku-T'bilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-T'bilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline will bring much-needed investment and job opportunities. | Iraq's economy is dominated by the oil sector, which has traditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings. 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 hurt the economy, implementation of the UN's oil-for-food program, which began in December 1996, helped improve conditions for the average Iraqi citizen. 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. Per capita food imports increased significantly, while medical supplies and health care services steadily improved. Per capita output and living standards were still well below the pre-1991 level, but any estimates have a wide range of error. The military victory of the US-led coalition in March-April 2003 resulted in the shutdown of much of the central economic administrative structure. Although a comparatively small amount of capital plant was damaged during the hostilities, looting, insurgent attacks, and sabotage have undermined efforts to rebuild the economy. Attacks on key economic facilities - especially oil pipelines and infrastructure - have prevented Iraq from reaching projected export volumes, but total government revenues have been higher than anticipated due to high oil prices. Despite political uncertainty, Iraq has established the institutions needed to implement economic policy, has successfully concluded a three-stage debt reduction agreement with the Paris Club, and is working toward a Standby Arrangement with the IMF. The Standby Arrangement would clear the way for continued debt relief from the Paris Club. |
Electricity - consumption | 7.611 billion kWh (2001) | 33.3 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | 850 million kWh (2001) | 2.02 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | 7.27 billion kWh (2001) | 31.7 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 19.7%
hydro: 80.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Mt'a Shkhara 5,201 m |
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 | air pollution, particularly in Rust'avi; heavy pollution of Mtkvari River and the Black Sea; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil pollution from toxic chemicals | 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: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification |
Ethnic groups | Georgian 70.1%, Armenian 8.1%, Russian 6.3%, Azeri 5.7%, Ossetian 3%, Abkhaz 1.8%, other 5% | Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5% |
Exchange rates | lari per US dollar - 2.2 (2002), 2.07 (2001), 1.98 (2000), 2.02 (1999), 1.39 (1998) | New Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 1,475 (2005), 1,890 (second half, 2003), 0.3109 (2001) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Nino BURJANADZE (acting president since 23 November 2003; formerly parliamentary speaker, she assumed the presidency upon the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Nino BURJANADZE (acting president since 23 November 2003; formerly parliamentary speaker, she assumed the presidency upon the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 9 April 2000 (next to be held 4 January 2004 to replace Eduard SHEVARDNADZE) election results: Eduard SHEVARDNADZE reelected president; percent of vote - Eduard SHEVARDNADZE 80%; note - following the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, Nino BURJANADZE became acting president |
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 Ministers Barham SALIH and Salam al-ZUBAI (since 20 May 2006) cabinet: 37 ministers appointed by the Presidency Council, plus Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI, and Deputy Prime Ministers Barham SALIH and Salam al-ZUBAI elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of Representatives |
Exports | NA (2001) | 1.42 million bbl/day (2005 est.) |
Exports - commodities | scrap metal, machinery, chemicals; fuel reexports; citrus fruits, tea, wine | crude oil (83.9%), crude materials excluding fuels (8.0%), food and live animals (5.0%) |
Exports - partners | Turkey 23%, Italy 12.1%, Russia 11.4%, Greece 8.5%, Netherlands 7.5%, Spain 5.9%, Turkmenistan 4.7%, Ukraine 4.3% (2002) | US 49.3%, Italy 10.3%, Spain 6.2%, Canada 5.6% (2005) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | maroon field with small rectangle in upper hoist side corner; rectangle divided horizontally with black on top, white below | 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, 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 |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $16.05 billion (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 20%
industry: 25% services: 55% (2002 est.) |
agriculture: 7.3%
industry: 66.6% services: 26.1% (2004 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2001 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 5.4% (2002 est.) | -3% (2005 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 42 00 N, 43 30 E | 33 00 N, 44 00 E |
Geography - note | strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them | strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf |
Heliports | - | 8 (2006) |
Highways | total: 20,362 km
paved: 19,038 km unpaved: 1,325 km (2000) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 27.9% (1996) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates via Central Asia to Western Europe and Russia | - |
Imports | NA (2001) | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | fuels, machinery and parts, transport equipment, grain and other foods, pharmaceuticals | food, medicine, manufactures |
Imports - partners | Turkey 15.6%, Azerbaijan 11.2%, US 9.9%, Russia 9.1%, Germany 7.2%, Italy 5.1%, Bulgaria 4.9%, Romania 4.3%, France 4.2%, Ukraine 4.1% (2002) | Turkey 23.2%, Syria 23%, US 11.6%, Jordan 5.1% (2005) |
Independence | 9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union) | 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 Interim Government |
Industrial production growth rate | 3% (2000) | NA% |
Industries | steel, aircraft, machine tools, electrical appliances, mining (manganese and copper), chemicals, wood products, wine | petroleum, chemicals, textiles, leather, construction materials, food processing, fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing |
Infant mortality rate | total: 51.24 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 56.83 deaths/1,000 live births female: 45.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
total: 48.64 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 54.39 deaths/1,000 live births female: 42.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 5.2% (2002 est.) | 33% (2005 est.) |
International organization participation | BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, GUUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO | ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 6 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 4,700 sq km (1998 est.) | 35,250 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court (judges elected by the Supreme Council on the president's recommendation); Constitutional Court | Supreme Court appointed by the Prime Minister, confirmed by the Presidency Council |
Labor force | 2.1 million (2001 est.) | 7.4 million (2004 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | industry 20%, agriculture 40%, services 40% (1999 est.) | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
Land boundaries | total: 1,461 km
border countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km, Turkey 252 km |
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: 11.21%
permanent crops: 4.09% other: 84.7% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 13.12%
permanent crops: 0.61% other: 86.27% (2005) |
Languages | Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, other 7%
note: Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia |
Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian |
Legal system | based on civil law system | based on European civil and Islamic law under the framework outlined in the Iraqi Constitution |
Legislative branch | unicameral Supreme Council (commonly referred to as Parliament) or Umaghiesi Sabcho (235 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 2 November 2003 but results were invalidated (next to be held spring 2004) election results: percent of vote by party (from earlier 1999 elections) - CUG 41.7%, AGUR 25.2%, IWSG 7.1%, all other parties received less than 7% each; seats by party - CUG 130, AGUR 64, IWSG 15, Labor 2, Abkhaz (government-in-exile) deputies 12, independents 12 |
unicameral Council of Representatives or Mejlis Watani (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 that will finalize a permanent constitution election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; number of seats by party - NA |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 64.76 years
male: 61.33 years female: 68.36 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 69.01 years
male: 67.76 years female: 70.31 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% male: 100% female: 98% (1999 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 40.4% male: 55.9% female: 24.4% (2003 est.) |
Location | Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia | Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait |
Map references | Asia | Middle East |
Maritime claims | NA | territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: not specified |
Merchant marine | total: 116 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 483,028 GRT/713,461 DWT
ships by type: bulk 16, cargo 72, chemical tanker 1, container 11, petroleum tanker 11, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belize 1, Bulgaria 1, Cyprus 1, Ecuador 1, Egypt 4, Gibraltar 1, Greece 5, Jordan 1, Latvia 1, Liberia 1, Malta 1, Panama 9, Romania 8, Russia 4, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Saudi Arabia 2, Syria 5, Turkey 2, Ukraine 7, UAE 11, UK 1, US 1 (2002 est.) |
total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 67,796 GRT/101,317 DWT
by type: cargo 11, petroleum tanker 2 (2006) |
Military - note | a CIS peacekeeping force of Russian troops is deployed in the Abkhazia region of Georgia together with a UN military observer group; a Russian peacekeeping battalion is deployed in South Ossetia | - |
Military branches | Ground Forces (includes National Guard), combined Air and Air Defense Forces, Naval Forces, Republic Security and Police Forces (internal and border troops) | Iraqi Armed Forces: Iraqi Regular 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 - dollar figure | $23 million (FY00) | $1.34 billion (2005 est.) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.59% (FY00) | NA |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 1,302,815 (2003 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,028,913 (2003 est.) | - |
Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age (2003 est.) | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 43,359 (2003 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 26 May (1918); note - 26 May 1918 is the date of independence from Soviet Russia, 9 April 1991 is the date of independence from the Soviet Union | Revolution Day, 17 July (1968); note - this holiday was celebrated under the SADDAM Husayn regime but the Iraqi Interim Government has yet to declare a new national holiday |
Nationality | noun: Georgian(s)
adjective: Georgian |
noun: Iraqi(s)
adjective: Iraqi |
Natural hazards | earthquakes | dust storms, sandstorms, floods |
Natural resources | forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth | petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur |
Net migration rate | -2.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 1,495 km; oil 1,029 km; refined products 232 km (2003) | gas 2,228 km; liquid petroleum gas 918 km; oil 5,506 km; refined products 1,637 km (2006) |
Political parties and leaders | Citizen's Union of Georgia or CUG [Avtandil JORBENADZE]; Georgian People's Front [Nodar NATADZE]; Georgian United Communist Party or UCPG [Panteleimon GIORGADZE]; Greens [Giorgi GACHECHILADZE]; Industry Will Save Georgia or IWSG [Georgi TOPADZE]; Labor Party [Shalva NATELASHVILI]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Irina SARISHVILI-CHANTURIA]; New National Movement [Mikheil SAAKASHVILI]; New Right [Levaii GACHECHILADZE]; Republican Party [David BERDZENISHVILI]; "Revival" Union Party or AGUR [Alsan ABASHIDZE]; Socialist Party or SPG [Irakli MINDELI]; Traditionalists [Akaki ASATIANI] | Al-Sadr Movement [Muqtada Al-SADR]; Assyrian Democratic Movement [Yunadim KANNA]; Conference of Iraqi People [Adnan al-DULAYMI]; Constitutional Monarchy Movement or CMM [Sharif Ali Bin al-HUSAYN]; Da'wa Party [Ibrahim al-JA'FARI]; Independent Iraqi Alliance or IIA [Falah al-NAQIB]; Iraqi Communist Party [Hamid al-MUSA]; Iraqi Hizballah [Karim Mahud al-MUHAMMADAWI]; Iraqi Independent Democrats or IID [Adnan PACHACHI, Mahdi al-HAFIZ]; Iraqi Islamic Party or IIP [Muhsin Abd al-HAMID, Hajim al-HASSANI]; 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, chairman]; Islamic Action Organization or IAO [Ayatollah Muhammad al-MUDARRISI]; Jama'at al Fadilah or JAF [Ayatollah Muhammad Ali al-YAQUBI]; Kurdistan Democratic Party or KDP [Masud BARZANI]; Muslim Ulama Council or MUC [Harith Sulayman al-DARI, secretary general]; National Iraqi Front [Salih al-MUTLAQ]; National Reconciliation and Liberation Party [Mishan al-JABBURI]; Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK [Jalal TALABANI]; Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq or SCIRI [Abd al-Aziz al-HAKIM]
note: the Kurdistan Alliance, Iraqi National List, Iraqi Consensus Front, Iraqi Front for National Dialogue, and United Iraqi Alliance were only electoral slates consisting of the representatives from the various Iraqi political parties |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Georgian independent deputies from Abkhaz government in exile; separatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia; supporters of the late ousted President Zviad GAMSAKHURDYA | an insurgency against the Iraqi Transitional Government and Coalition forces is primarily concentrated in Baghdad and in areas west and north of the capital; the diverse, multigroup insurgency is led principally by Sunni Arabs whose only common denominator is a shared desire to oust the Coalition and end US influence in Iraq |
Population | 4,934,413 (July 2003 est.) | 26,783,383 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 54% (2001 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | -0.52% (2003 est.) | 2.66% (2006 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Bat'umi, P'ot'i, Sokhumi | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 7, FM 12, shortwave 4 (1998) | after 17 months of unregulated media growth, there are approximately 80 radio stations on the air inside Iraq (2004) |
Railways | total: 1,612 km
broad gauge: 1,575 km 1.520-m gauge narrow gauge: 37 km 0.912-m gauge (2002) |
total: 2,200 km
standard gauge: 2,200 km 1.435-m gauge (2005) |
Religions | Georgian Orthodox 65%, Muslim 11%, Russian Orthodox 10%, Armenian Apostolic 8%, unknown 6% | 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: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
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: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | formerly 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: local - T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi have cellular telephone networks; urban telephone density is about 20 per 100 people; rural telephone density is about 4 per 100 people; intercity facilities include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi; nationwide pager service is available international: Georgia and Russia are working on a fiber-optic line between P'ot'i and Sochi (Russia); present international service is available by microwave, landline, and satellite through the Moscow switch; international electronic mail and telex service are available |
general assessment: the 2003 war severely disrupted telecommunications throughout Iraq including international connections; USAID is overseeing the repair of switching capability and the construction of mobile and satellite communication facilities
domestic: repairs to switches and lines destroyed during the 2003 war continue, but sabotage remains a problem; additional switching capacity is improving access; cellular service is available and centered on three regional GSM networks, improving country-wide connectivity 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); coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey; despite a new satellite gateway, international calls outside of Baghdad remain problematic |
Telephones - main lines in use | 620,000 (1997) | 1,034,200 (2004) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 185,500 (2000) | 574,000 (2004) |
Television broadcast stations | 12 (plus repeaters) (1998) | 21 (2004) |
Terrain | largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi (Kolkhida Lowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River Basin in the east; good soils in river valley flood plains, foothills of Kolkhida Lowland | mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey |
Total fertility rate | 1.51 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 4.18 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Transportation - note | transportation network is in poor condition resulting from ethnic conflict, criminal activities, and fuel shortages; network lacks maintenance and repair | - |
Unemployment rate | 17% (2001 est.) | 25% to 30% (2005 est.) |
Waterways | none | 5,279 km
note: Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third River (565 km) are principal waterways (2004) |