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Compare Iraq (2004) - Bulgaria (2002)

Compare Iraq (2004) z Bulgaria (2002)

 Iraq (2004)Bulgaria (2002)
 IraqBulgaria
Administrative divisions 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 28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol
Age structure 0-14 years: 40.3% (male 5,198,966; female 5,039,173)


15-64 years: 56.7% (male 7,280,167; female 7,094,688)


65 years and over: 3% (male 357,651; female 404,046) (2004 est.)
0-14 years: 14.6% (male 572,961; female 543,004)


15-64 years: 68.5% (male 2,569,199; female 2,648,461)


65 years and over: 16.9% (male 540,109; female 747,603) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets
Airports 111; note - unknown number were damaged during the March-April 2003 war (2003 est.) 215 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 79


over 3,047 m: 21


2,438 to 3,047 m: 36


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.)
total: 128


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 19


1,524 to 2,437 m: 15


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 92 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 32


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 12


under 914 m: 9 (2004 est.)
total: 87


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 10


under 914 m: 75 (2002)
Area total: 437,072 sq km


land: 432,162 sq km


water: 4,910 sq km
total: 110,910 sq km


land: 110,550 sq km


water: 360 sq km
Area - comparative slightly more than twice the size of Idaho slightly larger than Tennessee
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, 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 resulted in 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 transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government (IG) in June 2004 and the election of its president, Ghazi al-Ujayl al-YAWR, was held in January 2005. The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Bulgaria regained its independence in 1878, but having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, it fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. Today, reforms and democratization keep Bulgaria on a path toward eventual integration into NATO and the EU - with which it began accession negotiations in 2000.
Birth rate 33.09 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 8.05 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $12.8 billion NA


expenditures: $13.4 billion NA, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 budget)
revenues: $5.57 billion


expenditures: $5.68 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Capital Baghdad Sofia
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 temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
Coastline 58 km 354 km
Constitution interim constitution signed 8 March 2004; note - the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) was enacted 8 March 2004 to govern the country until an elected Iraqi Transitional Government can draft and ratify a new constitution in 2005 adopted 12 July 1991
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Iraq


conventional short form: Iraq


local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah


local short form: Al Iraq
conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria


conventional short form: Bulgaria
Currency New Iraqi dinar (NID) as of 22 January 2004 lev (BGL)
Death rate 5.66 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 14.42 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $93.95 billion (2003 est.) $10.3 billion (2001 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador John D. NEGROPONTE


embassy: Baghdad


mailing address: APO AE 09316


telephone: 00-1-240-553-0584 ext. 4354; note - Consular Section


FAX: NA
chief of mission: Ambassador James William PARDEW


embassy: 1 Suborna Street, Sofia 1000


mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5740


telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100


FAX: [359] (2) 981-89-77
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)


chancery: 1801 P Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036


telephone: [1] (202) 483-7500


FAX: [1] (202) 462-5066
chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Elena POPTODOROVA


chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 387-7969


FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973


consulate(s): New York
Disputes - international coalition forces assist Iraqis in monitoring boundary security, but resolution of disputes and creation of maritime boundaries with neighboring states will remain in hiatus until full sovereignty is restored in Iraq; Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraq because of a shift in the Danube course since the last correction of the boundary in 1920, a joint Bulgarian-Romanian team will recommend sovereignty changes to several islands and redefine the boundary
Economic aid - recipient more than $33 billion in foreign aid pledged for 2004-07 (2004) $300 million (2000 est.)
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 from that 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 beginning 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. The drop in GDP in 2001-02 was largely the result of the global economic slowdown and lower oil prices. 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, but with the loss of a comparatively small amount of capital plant. The rebuilding of oil, electricity, and other production is proceeding steadily at the start of 2004 with foreign support and despite the continuation of severe internal strife. A joint UN and World Bank report released in the fall of 2003 estimated that Iraq's key reconstruction needs through 2007 would cost $55 billion. In October 2003, international donors pledged assistance worth more than $33 billion toward this rebuilding effort. Bulgaria, a former communist country striving to enter the European Union, has experienced macroeconomic stability and positive growth rates since a major economic downturn in 1996 led to the fall of the then socialist government. A $300 million stand-by agreement negotiated with the IMF at the end of 2001 will help the government maintain economic stability as it seeks to overcome high rates of poverty and unemployment and, at the same time, cut the budget deficit and contain inflation.
Electricity - consumption 33.49 billion kWh (2001) 34.42 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 3.2 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 1.5 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 36.01 billion kWh (2001) 38.84 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 48%


hydro: 8%


nuclear: 44%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m


highest point: unamed peak 3,611 m; note - this peak is not Gundah Zhur 3,607 m or Kuh-e Hajji-Ebrahim 3,595 m
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m


highest point: Musala 2,925 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 air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes
Environment - international agreements party to: Law of the Sea


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Ethnic groups Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5% Bulgarian 83.6%, Turk 9.5%, Roma 4.6%, other 2.3% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (1998)
Exchange rates New Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 1,890 (second half, 2003) leva per US dollar - 2.2147 (January 2002), 2.1847 (2001), 2.1233 (2000), 1.8364 (1999), 1,760.36 (1998), 1,681.88 (1997)


note: on 5 July 1999, the lev was redenominated; the post-5 July 1999 lev is equal to 1,000 of the pre-5 July 1999 lev
Executive branch chief of state: Interim Iraqi Government (IG) President Ghazi al-Ujayl al-YAWR (since 1 June 2004); Deputy Presidents Ibrahim al-JAFARI and Rowsch SHAWAYS (since 1 June 2004); note - the President and Deputy Presidents comprise the Presidency Council


head of government: Interim Iraqi Government (IG) Prime Minister Ayad ALLAWI (since 28 June 2004)


cabinet: 31 ministers appointed by the Presidency Council, plus a Deputy Prime Minister, Barham SALIH


elections: scheduled to be held January 2005
chief of state: President Georgi PURVANOV (since 22 January 2002); Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002)


head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA (since 24 July 2001); Deputy Prime Ministers Nikolay VASILEV (since 24 July 2001), Kostadin PASKALEV (since 24 July 2001), and Lidiya SHULEVA (since 24 July 2001)


cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly


elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 11 November and 18 November 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister


election results: Georgi PURVANOV elected president; percent of vote - Georgi PURVANOV 54.13%, Petar STOYANOV 45.87%
Exports 1.7 million bbl/day (January 2004) $5.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities crude oil clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels
Exports - partners US 48.8%, Jordan 8.4%, Canada 8%, Italy 7.9%, Morocco 5.3% (2003) Italy 14%, Turkey 10%, Germany 9%, Greece 8%, Serbia and Montenegro 8% (2001)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
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, 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 three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; the national emblem formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe has been removed - it contained a rampant lion within a wreath of wheat ears below a red five-pointed star and above a ribbon bearing the dates 681 (first Bulgarian state established) and 1944 (liberation from Nazi control)
GDP purchasing power parity - $37.92 billion (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $50.6 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 6%


industry: 13%


services: 81% (1993 est.)
agriculture: 14%


industry: 29%


services: 58% (2001)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $6,600 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate -21.8% (2003 est.) 3.4% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 33 00 N, 44 00 E 43 00 N, 25 00 E
Geography - note strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia
Heliports 6 (2003 est.) 1 (2002)
Highways total: 45,550 km


paved: 38,399 km


unpaved: 7,151 km (2000 est.)
total: 37,288 km


paved: 33,786 km (including 324 km of expressways)


unpaved: 3,502 km (2001)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: 5%


highest 10%: 23% (1997)
Illicit drugs - major European transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and, to a lesser degree, South American cocaine for the European market; limited producer of precursor chemicals; some money laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions
Imports NA (2001) $6.9 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities food, medicine, manufactures fuels, minerals, and raw materials; machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; food, textiles
Imports - partners Turkey 18.1%, Jordan 13.4%, Vietnam 10.7%, US 6.9%, Germany 5%, UK 4.7% (2003) Russia 19.9%, Germany 15.3%, Italy 9.6%, France 6.0% (2001)
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 Interim Government 3 March 1878 (from Ottoman Empire)
Industrial production growth rate NA 2% (2002 est.)
Industries petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food processing electricity, gas and water; food, beverages and tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel
Infant mortality rate total: 52.71 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 58.58 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 46.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
14.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 29.3% (2003 est.) 5.9% (2002 est.)
International organization participation 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, WTO (observer), WToO ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 200 (2001)
Irrigated land 35,250 sq km (1998 est.) 8,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court appointed by the Prime Minister, confirmed by the Presidency Council Supreme Administrative Court; Supreme Court of Cassation; Constitutional Court (12 justices appointed or elected for nine-year terms); Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the chairmen of the two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22 other members; responsible for appointing the justices, prosecutors, and investigating magistrates in the justice system; members of the Supreme Judicial Council elected for five-year terms, 11 elected by the National Assembly and 11 by bodies of the judiciary)
Labor force 7.8 million (2004 est.) 3.83 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA agriculture 26%, industry 31%, services 43% (1998 est.)
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
total: 1,808 km


border countries: Greece 494 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and Montenegro 318 km, Turkey 240 km
Land use arable land: 13.15%


permanent crops: 0.78%


other: 86.07% (2001)
arable land: 39%


permanent crops: 1.8%


other: 59.2% (1998 est.)
Languages Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown
Legal system based on civil and Islamic law under the Iraqi Interim Government (IG) and Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch Iraqi Interim National Council formed in July 2004 unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 17 June 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005)


election results: percent of vote by party - NMS2 42.74%, UtdDF 18.18%, CFB 17.15%, MRF 7.45%; seats by party - NMS2 120, UtdDF 51, CFB 48, MRF 21; note - seating as of March 2003 - NMS2 110, UtdDF 50, CFB 48, MRF 20, independents 12
Life expectancy at birth total population: 68.26 years


male: 67.09 years


female: 69.48 years (2004 est.)
total population: 71.5 years


male: 67.98 years


female: 75.22 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 40.4%


male: 55.9%


female: 24.4% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 98%


male: 99%


female: 98% (1999)
Location Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey
Map references Middle East Europe
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


continental shelf: not specified
contiguous zone: 24 NM


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine total: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 83,221 GRT/125,255 DWT


by type: cargo 6, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 5, roll on/roll off 1


registered in other countries: 3 (2004 est.)
total: 77 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 881,758 GRT/1,312,833 DWT


ships by type: bulk 43, cargo 15, chemical tanker 4, container 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 3, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches note: in the summer of 2003 the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) began recruiting and training a New Iraqi Army (NIA) that would have a purely defensive mission and capability; in March 2004, the Iraqi Interim Government established a Ministry of Defense to create an Iraqi Armed Force; at that time the NIA was renamed the Iraqi Armed Force - Army (IAF-A); plans also were put into effect to reconstitute an Iraqi Army Air Corps (IAAC) and Coastal Defense Force (navy), but there are no plans to reconstitute an Iraqi Air Force; the Army's primary new focus will be domestic counterinsurgency, which is a change of direction from the CPA's intent to create an army not involved in domestic politics; in mid-2004 the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (ICDC) was designated the Iraqi National Guard (ING) and subordinated to the Defense Ministry and the Iraqi Armed Forces Pre-war Iraqi military equipment was largely destroyed by Coalition forces during combat operations in early 2003 or subsequently looted or scrapped (September 2004) Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (subordinate to Ministry of Defense), Internal Forces (subordinate to Ministry of Interior), Civil Defense Forces (subordinate to the president)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $1.3 billion (FY00) $356 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA 2.7% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 6,547,762 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 1,873,052 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 3,654,947 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 1,566,816 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 19 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 304,527 (2004 est.) males: 56,104 (2002 est.)
National holiday 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 Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)
Nationality noun: Iraqi(s)


adjective: Iraqi
noun: Bulgarian(s)


adjective: Bulgarian
Natural hazards dust storms, sandstorms, floods earthquakes, landslides
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) -4.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines gas 1,739 km; oil 5,418 km; refined products 1,343 km (2004) petroleum products 525 km; natural gas 1,500 km (1999)
Political parties and leaders note - the Iraqi political parties included below reflect only the major groups; new political parties continue to emerge, indicative of a rapidly changing political landscape; Al-Sadr Movement [Muqtada Al-SADR]; Da'wa Party [Ibrahim al-JA'FARI]; Iraqi Hizballah [Karim Mahud al-MUHAMMADAWI]; Iraqi National Accord or INA [Ayad ALLAWI]; Iraqi National Congress or INC [Ahmad CHALABI]; Jama'at al Fadilah or JAF [Ayatollah Muhammad ' Ali al-YAQUBI]; The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq or SCIRI [Abd al-Aziz al-HAKIM]; Constitutional Monarchy Movement or CMM [Sharif Ali Bin al-HUSAYN]; Independent Iraqi Alliance or IIA [Falah al-NAQIB]; Iraqi Independent Democrats or IID [Adnan PACHACHI, Mahdi al-HAFIZ]; Iraqi Islamic Party or IIP [Muhsin Abd al-HAMID, Hajim al-HASSANI]; Iraqi National Unity Movement or INUM [Ahmad al-KUBAYSI, chariman]; Muslim Ulama Council or MUC [Harith Sulayman al-DARI, secretary general]; Kurdistan Democratic Party or KDP [Masud BARZANI]; Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK [Jalal TALABANI] Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Coalition for Bulgaria or CfB (coalition of parties dominated by BSP) [Sergei STANISHEV]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or VMRO [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]; National Movement for Simeon II or NMS2 [Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA]; People's Union or PU (includes Bulgarian Agrarian National Union and Democratic Party) [Anastasiya MOZER]; St. George's Day [Lyuben DILOV, Jr.]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Ekaterina NADEZHDA]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Democratic Forces or UtdDF (a coalition between the UDF and PU, dominated by the former)
Political pressure groups and leaders an insurgency against the Iraqi Interim 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 agrarian movement; Bulgarian Democratic Center; Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Democratic Alliance for the Republic or DAR; New Union for Democracy or NUD; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas
Population 25,374,691 (July 2004 est.) 7,621,337 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line NA 35% (2000 est.)
Population growth rate 2.74% (2004 est.) -1.11% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Umm Qasr, Khawr az Zubayr, and Al Basrah have limited functionality Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin
Radio broadcast stations after 17 months of unregulated media growth, there are approximately 80 radio stations on the air inside Iraq (2004) AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001)
Radios - 4.51 million (1997)
Railways total: 1,963 km


standard gauge: 1,963 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)
total: 4,294 km


standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2002)
Religions Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3% Bulgarian Orthodox 83.8%, Muslim 12.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish 0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 2.3% (1998)
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: 0.89 male(s)/female


total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female


total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage formerly 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system 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 communications facilities


domestic: repairs to switches and lines destroyed in the recent fighting continue but sabotage remains a problem; cellular service is expected to be in place within two years


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; Kuwait line is probably nonoperational
general assessment: extensive but antiquated


domestic: more than two-thirds of the lines are residential; telephone service is available in most villages; a fairly modern digital cable trunk line now connects switching centers in most of the regions, the others are connected by digital microwave radio relay


international: direct dialing to 58 countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 2 Intelsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions)
Telephones - main lines in use 675,000; note - an unknown number of telephone lines were damaged or destroyed during the March-April 2003 war (2003) 3,186,731 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular 20,000 (2002) 1.054 million (2001)
Television broadcast stations 21 (2004) 39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001)
Terrain mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
Total fertility rate 4.4 children born/woman (2004 est.) 1.13 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate NA (2003 est.) 18% (2002 est.)
Waterways 5,275 km (not all navigable)


note: Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,895 km), and Third River (565 km) are principal waterways (2004)
470 km (1987)
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