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Compare Iraq (2008) - Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2002)

Compare Iraq (2008) z Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2002)

 Iraq (2008)Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2002)
 IraqCongo, Democratic Republic of the
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 10 provinces (provinces, singular - province) and one city* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Orientale, Sud-Kivu
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.)
0-14 years: 48.2% (male 13,369,493; female 13,256,174)


15-64 years: 49.3% (male 13,343,303; female 13,860,996)


65 years and over: 2.5% (male 581,568; female 813,944) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep, poultry coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products
Airports 110 (2007) 232 (2001)
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)
total: 24


over 3,047 m: 4


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 16


914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002)
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)
total: 205


1,524 to 2,437 m: 19


914 to 1,523 m: 95


under 914 m: 91 (2002)
Area total: 437,072 sq km


land: 432,162 sq km


water: 4,910 sq km
total: 2,345,410 sq km


land: 2,267,600 sq km


water: 77,810 sq km
Area - comparative slightly more than twice the size of Idaho slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US
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. Since 1997 the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC; formerly called Zaire) has been rent by ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow in 1994 of refugees from the fighting in Rwanda and Burundi. The government of former president MOBUTU Sese Seko was toppled by a rebellion led by Laurent KABILA in May 1997; his regime was subsequently challenged by a Rwanda- and Uganda-backed rebellion in August 1998. Troops from Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Chad, and Sudan intervened to support the Kinshasa regime. A cease-fire was signed on 10 July 1999 by the DROC, Zimbabwe, Angola, Uganda, Namibia, Rwanda, and Congolese armed rebel groups, but sporadic fighting continued. KABILA was assassinated on 16 January 2001 and his son Joseph KABILA was named head of state ten days later. In October 2002, the new president was successful in getting occupying Rwandan forces to withdraw from eastern Congo; two months later, an agreement was signed by all remaining warring parties to end the fighting and set up a government of national unity.
Birth rate 31.44 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 45.55 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $42.3 billion


expenditures: $48.4 billion (FY08 est.)
revenues: $269 million


expenditures: $244 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million
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
Kinshasa
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 tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season April to October, dry season December to February; south of Equator - wet season November to March, dry season April to October
Coastline 58 km 37 km
Constitution ratified on 15 October 2005 (subject to review by the Constitutional Review Committee and a possible public referendum ) 24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February 1978, amended April 1990; transitional constitution promulgated in April 1994; in November 1998, a draft constitution was approved by former President Laurent KABILA but it was not ratified by a national referendum; one outcome of the ongoing inter-Congolese dialogue is to be a new constitution
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: Democratic Republic of the Congo


conventional short form: none


local long form: Republique Democratique du Congo


local short form: none


former: Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville, Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire


abbreviation: DROC
Currency - Congolese franc (CDF)
Death rate 5.26 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 14.93 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $56.31 billion (31 December 2007 est.) $12.9 billion (2000 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
chief of mission: Ambassador Aubrey HOOKS


embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa


mailing address: Unit 31550, APO AE 09828


telephone: [243] (88) 43608


FAX: [243] (88) 43467
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
chief of mission: Ambassador Faida MITIFU


chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690, 7691


FAX: [1] (202) 234-2609
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 Democratic Republic of the Congo is in the grip of a civil war that has drawn in military forces from neighboring states, with Uganda and Rwanda supporting the rebel movements that occupy much of the eastern portion of the state; Tutsi, Hutu, and other conflicting ethnic groups, political rebels, and various government forces continue fighting in Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda; most of the Congo River boundary with the Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement has been reached on the division of the river or its islands, except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area)
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) $195.3 million (1995) (1995)
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. The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast potential wealth - has declined drastically since the mid-1980s. The war, which began in August 1998, has dramatically reduced national output and government revenue and has increased external debt. Foreign businesses have curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the outcome of the conflict, lack of infrastructure, and the difficult operating environment. The war has intensified the impact of such basic problems as an uncertain legal framework, corruption, raging inflation, and lack of openness in government economic policy and financial operations. A number of IMF and World Bank missions have met with the government to help it develop a coherent economic plan, and President KABILA has begun implementing reforms.
Electricity - consumption 35.84 billion kWh (2007 est.) 4.55 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2007) 404 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 2.315 billion kWh (2007 est.) 55 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 33.53 billion kWh (2007 est.) 5.268 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 2%


hydro: 98%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (1999)
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
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) 5,110 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 poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; deforestation; refugees responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion, and wildlife poaching; mining of minerals (coltan - a mineral used in creating capacitors, diamonds, and gold) causing environmental damage
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian, or other 5% over 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu; the four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) make up about 45% of the population
Exchange rates New Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 1,255 (2007), 1,466 (2006), 1,475 (2005), 1,890 (second half, 2003) Congolese francs per US dollar - 305 (January 2002), 21.82 (2000), 4.02 (1999), 1.61 (1998), 1.31 (1997)


note: on 30 June 1998 the Congolese franc was introduced, replacing the new zaire
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
chief of state: President Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - following the assassination of his father, Laurent Desire KABILA, on 16 January 2001, Joseph KABILA succeeded to the presidency; the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - following the assassination of his father, Laurent Desire KABILA, on 16 January 2001, Joseph KABILA succeeded to the presidency; the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: National Executive Council, appointed by the president


elections: before Laurent Desire KABILA seized power on 16 May 1997, the president was elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 29 July 1984 (next was scheduled to be held in May 1997); formerly, there was also a prime minister who was elected by the High Council of the Republic; note - elections were not held in 1991 as called for by the constitution


election results: results of the last election were: MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga reelected president in 1984 without opposition


note: Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga was president from 24 November 1965 until forced into exile on 16 May 1997 when his government was overthrown militarily by Laurent Desire KABILA; KABILA immediately assumed governing authority and pledged to hold elections by April 1999, but, in December 1998, announced that elections would be postponed until all foreign military forces attempting to topple the government had withdrawn from the country; KABILA was assassinated in January 2001 and was succeeded by his son Joseph KABILA
Exports 1.67 million bbl/day (2007 est.) $750 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities crude oil 84%, crude materials excluding fuels 8%, food and live animals 5% diamonds, copper, coffee, cobalt, crude oil
Exports - partners US 46.7%, Italy 10.7%, Spain 6.2%, Canada 6.2% (2006) Benelux 62%, US 18%, South Africa, Finland, Italy (1999)
Fiscal year calendar 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 light blue with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center and a columnar arrangement of six small yellow five-pointed stars along the hoist side
GDP - purchasing power parity - $32 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 5%


industry: 68%


services: 27% (2006 est.)
agriculture: 54%


industry: 9%


services: 37% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $590 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5% (2007 est.) -4% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates 33 00 N, 44 00 E 0 00 N, 25 00 E
Geography - note strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf straddles Equator; has very narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo River and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands
Heliports 17 (2007) 1 (2002)
Highways - total: 157,000 km (including 30 km of expressways)(1996)


paved: NA km


unpaved: NA km
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs - illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption; while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leaves the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center
Imports NA $1.024 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities food, medicine, manufactures foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels
Imports - partners Syria 26.5%, Turkey 20.5%, US 11.8%, Jordan 7.2% (2006) South Africa 28%, Benelux 14%, Nigeria 9%, Kenya 7%, China (1999)
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 30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
Industrial production growth rate 4% (2007 est.) NA%
Industries petroleum, chemicals, textiles, leather, construction materials, food processing, fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing mining (diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement
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.)
98.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 4.7% (2007 est.) 358% (2001 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) ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW (signatory), PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 1 (2001)
Irrigated land 35,250 sq km (2003) 110 sq km (1998 est.)
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 Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Labor force 7.4 million (2004 est.) 14.51 million (1993 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
agriculture 65%, industry 16%, services 19% (1991 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: 10,730 km


border countries: Angola 2,511 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of Angola's discontiguous Cabinda Province), Burundi 233 km, Central African Republic 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km, Sudan 628 km, Tanzania 459 km, Uganda 765 km, Zambia 1,930 km
Land use arable land: 13.12%


permanent crops: 0.61%


other: 86.27% (2005)
arable land: 2.96%


permanent crops: 0.52%


other: 96.52% (1998 est.)
Languages Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba
Legal system based on European civil and Islamic law under the framework outlined in the Iraqi Constitution; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; 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
a 300-member Transitional Constituent Assembly established in August 2000


elections: NA; members of the Transitional Constituent Assembly were appointed by former President Laurent Desire KABILA
Life expectancy at birth total population: 69.31 years


male: 68.04 years


female: 70.65 years (2007 est.)
total population: 49.13 years


male: 47.19 years


female: 51.13 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 74.1%


male: 84.1%


female: 64.2% (2000 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba


total population: 77.3%


male: 86.6%


female: 67.7% (1995 est.)
Location Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait Central Africa, northeast of Angola
Map references Middle East Africa
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


continental shelf: not specified
exclusive economic zone: boundaries with neighbors


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 67,796 GRT/101,317 DWT


by type: cargo 11, petroleum tanker 2 (2007)
none (2002 est.)
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) Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Security Battalion
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $250 million (FY97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 8.6% (2006) 4.6% (FY97)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 11,996,175 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 6,110,595 (2002 est.)
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 Independence Day, 30 June (1960)
Nationality noun: Iraqi(s)


adjective: Iraqi
noun: Congolese (singular and plural)


adjective: Congolese or Congo
Natural hazards dust storms, sandstorms, floods periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); in the east, in the Great Rift Valley, there are active volcanoes
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower, timber
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -2.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population


note: one million refugees fled into Zaire (now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo or DROC) in 1994 as a result of the ethnic fighting in Rwanda; fighting in the DROC between rebels and government forces in October 1996 caused 875,000 refugees to return to Rwanda in late 1996 and early 1997 and additional refugees have returned in subsequent years; fighting between the Congolese government and Uganda- and Rwanda-backed Congolese rebels spawned a regional war in DROC in August 1998, which left 1.8 million Congolese displaced in DROC and caused 300,000 Congolese refugees to flee to surrounding countries (2002 est.)
Pipelines gas 2,250 km; liquid petroleum gas 918 km; oil 5,509 km; refined products 1,637 km (2007) petroleum products 390 km
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
Democratic Social Christian Party or PDSC [Andre BO-BOLIKO]; Forces for Renovation for Union and Solidarity or FONUS [Joseph OLENGHANKOY]; National Congolese Lumumbist Movement or MNC [Francois LUMUMBA]; Popular Movement of the Revolution or MPR [three factions: MPR-Fait Prive (Catherine NZUZI wa Mbombo); MPR/Vunduawe (Felix VUNDUAWE); MPR/Mananga (MANANGA Dintoka Mpholo)]; Unified Lumumbast Party or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Etienne TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba]; Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans or UFERI [two factions: UFERI (Lokambo OMOKOKO); UFERI/OR (Adolph Kishwe MAYA)]
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 NA
Population 27,499,638 (July 2007 est.) 55,225,478


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 2.618% (2007 est.) 2.79% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors - Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka
Radio broadcast stations after 17 months of unregulated media growth, there are approximately 80 radio stations (types NA) on the air inside Iraq (2004) AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 2 (2001)
Radios - 18.03 million (1997)
Railways total: 2,272 km


standard gauge: 2,272 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)
total: 5,138 km


narrow gauge: 3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km 1.000-m gauge; 1,026 km 0.600-m gauge


note: severely reduced route-distance in use because of damage to facilities by civil strife (2000 est.)
Religions Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3% Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs 10%
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.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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)
general assessment: poor


domestic: barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations


international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 1.547 million (2005) 20,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular 10.9 million (2007) 15,000 (2000)
Television broadcast stations 21 (2004) 4 (2001)
Terrain mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east
Total fertility rate 4.07 children born/woman (2007 est.) 6.77 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 18% to 30% (2006 est.) NA%
Waterways 5,279 km


note: Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third River (565 km) are principal waterways (2006)
15,000 km (including the Congo and its tributaries, and unconnected lakes)
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