Iraq (2008) | Poland (2001) | |
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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 | 16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lodzkie, Lubelskie, Lubuskie, Malopolskie, Mazowieckie, Opolskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Pomorskie, Slaskie, Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie, Wielkopolskie, Zachodniopomorskie |
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:
18.39% (male 3,640,451; female 3,463,604) 15-64 years: 69.17% (male 13,288,471; female 13,434,753) 65 years and over: 12.44% (male 1,836,816; female 2,969,817) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep, poultry | potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork |
Airports | 110 (2007) | 122 (2000 est.) |
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:
83 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 29 1,524 to 2,437 m: 42 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
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:
39 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 21 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 437,072 sq km
land: 432,162 sq km water: 4,910 sq km |
total:
312,685 sq km land: 304,465 sq km water: 8,220 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than twice the size of Idaho | slightly smaller than New Mexico |
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. | Poland gained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite country following the war, but one that was comparatively tolerant and progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" that over time became a political force and by 1990 had swept parliamentary elections and the presidency. A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe, boosting hopes for acceptance to the EU. Poland joined the NATO alliance in 1999. |
Birth rate | 31.44 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 10.2 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $42.3 billion
expenditures: $48.4 billion (FY08 est.) |
revenues:
$49.6 billion expenditures: $52.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999) |
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 |
Warsaw |
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 with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers |
Coastline | 58 km | 491 km |
Constitution | ratified on 15 October 2005 (subject to review by the Constitutional Review Committee and a possible public referendum ) | 16 October 1997; adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997; passed by national referendum 23 May 1997 |
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 Poland conventional short form: Poland local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska local short form: Polska |
Currency | - | zloty (PLN) |
Death rate | 5.26 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 9.98 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $56.31 billion (31 December 2007 est.) | $57 billion (2000) |
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 Christopher R. HILL embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-054, Warsaw P1 mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch) telephone: [48] (22) 628-30-41 FAX: [48] (22) 628-82-98 consulate(s) general: Krakow |
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 Przemyslaw GRUDZINSKI chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802 FAX: [1] (202) 328-6271 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York |
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 | none |
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) | $NA |
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. | Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of liberalizing the economy and today stands out as one of the most successful and open transition economies. GDP growth has been strong and steady since 1992 - the best performance in the region. The privatization of small and medium state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms has allowed for the rapid development of a vibrant private sector. In contrast, Poland's large agricultural sector remains handicapped by structural problems, surplus labor, inefficient small farms, and lack of investment. Restructuring and privatization of "sensitive sectors" (e.g., coal, steel, railroads, and energy) has begun. Structural reforms in health care, education, the pension system, and state administration have resulted in larger than expected fiscal pressures. Further progress in public finance depends mainly on privatization of Poland's remaining state sector. The government's determination to enter the EU as soon as possible affects most aspects of its economic policies. Improving Poland's outsized current account deficit and reining in inflation are priorities. Warsaw leads the region in foreign investment and needs a continued large inflow. |
Electricity - consumption | 35.84 billion kWh (2007 est.) | 120.007 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2007) | 8.43 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 2.315 billion kWh (2007 est.) | 3.491 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 33.53 billion kWh (2007 est.) | 134.351 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
96.43% hydro: 3.16% nuclear: 0% other: 0.41% (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:
Raczki Elblaskie -2 m highest point: Rysy 2,499 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 | situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry and increased environmental concern by postcommunist governments; air pollution nonetheless remains serious because of sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, and the resulting acid rain has caused forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal of hazardous wastes |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification |
party to:
Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
Ethnic groups | Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian, or other 5% | Polish 97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%, Byelorussian 0.5% (1990 est.) |
Exchange rates | New Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 1,255 (2007), 1,466 (2006), 1,475 (2005), 1,890 (second half, 2003) | zlotych per US dollar - 4.3126 (December 2000), 4.3461 (2000), 3.9671 (1999), 3.4754 (1998), 3.2793 (1997), 2.6961 (1996) |
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 Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI (since 23 December 1995) head of government: Prime Minister Jerzy BUZEK - Solidarity Electoral Union - (since 31 October 1997), Deputy Prime Ministers Janusz STEINHOFF (since 12 June 2000), Longin KOMOLOWSKI (since 19 October 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and the Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and the Sejm approves the Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election held 8 October 2000 (next to be held NA October 2005); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm election results: Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI reelected president; percent of popular vote - Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI 53.9%, Andrzj OLECHOWSKI 17.3%, Marian KRZAKLEWSKI 15.6%, Lech WALESA 1% |
Exports | 1.67 million bbl/day (2007 est.) | $28.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
Exports - commodities | crude oil 84%, crude materials excluding fuels 8%, food and live animals 5% | machinery and transport equipment 30.2%, intermediate manufactured goods 25.5%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 20.9%, food and live animals 8.5% (1999) |
Exports - partners | US 46.7%, Italy 10.7%, Spain 6.2%, Canada 6.2% (2006) | Germany 36.1%, Italy 6.5%, Netherlands 5.3%, France 4.8%, UK 4.0%, Czech Republic 3.8% (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 | two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $327.5 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 5%
industry: 68% services: 27% (2006 est.) |
agriculture:
3.8% industry: 36.6% services: 59.6% (1999) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $8,500 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 5% (2007 est.) | 4.8% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 33 00 N, 44 00 E | 52 00 N, 20 00 E |
Geography - note | strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf | historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain |
Heliports | 17 (2007) | 3 (2000 est.) |
Highways | - | total:
381,046 km paved: 249,966 km (including 268 km of expressways) unpaved: 131,080 km (1998) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
3% highest 10%: 26.3% (1996) |
Illicit drugs | - | major illicit producer of amphetamine for the international market; minor transshipment point for Asian and Latin American illicit drugs to Western Europe |
Imports | NA | $42.7 billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
Imports - commodities | food, medicine, manufactures | machinery and transport equipment 38.2%, intermediate manufactured goods 20.8%, chemicals 14.3%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 9.5% (1999) |
Imports - partners | Syria 26.5%, Turkey 20.5%, US 11.8%, Jordan 7.2% (2006) | Germany 25.2%, Italy 9.4%, France 6.8%, Russia 5.8%, UK 4.6%, Netherlands 3.7% (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 | 11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed) |
Industrial production growth rate | 4% (2007 est.) | 4.3% (1999) |
Industries | petroleum, chemicals, textiles, leather, construction materials, food processing, fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing | machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles |
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.) |
9.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4.7% (2007 est.) | 10.2% (2000 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 (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 19 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 35,250 sq km (2003) | 1,000 sq km (1993 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 (judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an indefinite period); Constitutional Tribunal (judges are chosen by the Sejm for nine-year terms) |
Labor force | 7.4 million (2004 est.) | 17.2 million (1999 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
industry 22.1%, agriculture 27.5%, services 50.4% (1999) |
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:
2,888 km border countries: Belarus 605 km, Czech Republic 658 km, Germany 456 km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Slovakia 444 km, Ukraine 428 km |
Land use | arable land: 13.12%
permanent crops: 0.61% other: 86.27% (2005) |
arable land:
47% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 13% forests and woodland: 29% other: 10% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian | Polish |
Legal system | based on European civil and Islamic law under the framework outlined in the Iraqi Constitution; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts although under the new constitution, the Constitutional Tribunal ruling will become final as of October 1999; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg |
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 |
bicameral National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe consists of the Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a complex system of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) and the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: Sejm elections last held 21 September 1997 (next to be held by NA September 2001); Senate - last held 21 September 1997 (next to be held by NA September 2001) election results: Sejm - percent of vote by party - AWS 33.8%, SLD 27.1%, UW 13.4%, PSL 7.3%, ROP 5.6%, MNSO 0.4%, other 12.4%; seats by party - AWS 201, SLD 164, UW 60, PSL 27, ROP 6, MNSO 2; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - AWS 51, SLD 28, UW 8, ROP 5, PSL 3, independents 5; note - seats by party in the Sejm as of February 2001: AWS 175, SLD 161, UW 49, PSL 26, PP 6, KdP 7, ROP-PC 4, independents 31, one seat vacant note: two seats are assigned to ethnic minority parties |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 69.31 years
male: 68.04 years female: 70.65 years (2007 est.) |
total population:
73.42 years male: 69.26 years female: 77.82 years (2001 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 total population: 99% male: 99% female: 98% (1978 est.) |
Location | Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait | Central Europe, east of Germany |
Map references | Middle East | Europe |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: not specified |
exclusive economic zone:
defined by international treaties 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) |
total:
46 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 943,540 GRT/1,532,694 DWT ships by type: bulk 41, cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea passenger 1 (2000 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 and Air Defense Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $3.17 billion (FY00) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 8.6% (2006) | 1.95% (FY00) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
10,447,931 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
8,139,245 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 19 years of age |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males:
344,781 (2001 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 | Constitution Day, 3 May (1791) |
Nationality | noun: Iraqi(s)
adjective: Iraqi |
noun:
Pole(s) adjective: Polish |
Natural hazards | dust storms, sandstorms, floods | NA |
Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur | coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, arable land |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | -0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 2,250 km; liquid petroleum gas 918 km; oil 5,509 km; refined products 1,637 km (2007) | crude oil and petroleum products 2,280 km; natural gas 17,000 km (1996) |
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 |
Coalition for Poland or KdP [first name unknown GRABOWSKI]; Confederation for an Independent Poland-Patriotic Camp or KPN-OP (KPN-Fatherland or KPN-O is a small group within the KPN-OP) [Michal JANISZEWSKI]; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD (Social Democracy of Poland) [Leszek MILLER]; Freedom Union or UW [Bronislaw GEREMEK]; German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO [Henryk KROLL]; Movement for the Reconstruction of Poland or ROP-PC [Jan OLSZEWSKI]; Polish Accord or PP [Jan LOPUSZANSKI]; Polish Peasant Party or PSL [Jaroslaw KALINOWSKI]; Polish Socialist Party or PPS [Piotr IKONOWICZ]; Solidarity Electoral Action or AWS (includes RS-AWS and Solidarity) [Marian KRZAKLEWSKI]; Social Movement-Solidarity Electoral Action or RS-AWS [Jerzy BUZEK] |
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 | All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union); Roman Catholic Church; Solidarity (trade union) |
Population | 27,499,638 (July 2007 est.) | 38,633,912 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 18.4% (2000 est.) |
Population growth rate | 2.618% (2007 est.) | -0.03% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Gdansk, Gdynia, Gliwice, Kolobrzeg, Szczecin, Swinoujscie, Ustka, Warsaw, Wroclaw |
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 14, FM 777, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Radios | - | 20.2 million (1997) |
Railways | total: 2,272 km
standard gauge: 2,272 km 1.435-m gauge (2006) |
total:
23,420 km broad gauge: 646 km 1.524-m gauge standard gauge: 21,639 km 1.435-m gauge (11,626 km electrified; 8,978 km double track) narrow gauge: 1,135 km various gauges including 1.000-m, 0.785-m, 0.750-m, and 0.600-m (1998) |
Religions | Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3% | Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and other 5% |
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:
1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: the 2003 liberation of Iraq severely disrupted telecommunications throughout Iraq including international connections; widespread government efforts to rebuild domestic and international communications through fiber optic links are in progress; the mobile cellular market has expanded rapidly with an estimated 10.9 million current users
domestic: repairs to switches and lines destroyed during 2003 continue; additional switching capacity is improving access; cellular service is available and centered on 3 GSM networks which are being expanded beyond their regional roots, improving country-wide connectivity; wireless local loop licences have been issued with the hope of overcoming the lack of fixed-line infrastructure international: country code - 964; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Arabsat (inoperative); local microwave radio relay connects border regions to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey; planned international fiber-optic connections to Iran (terrestrial) with a link to the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine fiber-optic cable (2007) |
general assessment:
underdeveloped and outmoded system; government aimed to have 10 million telephones in service by 2000; the process of partial privatization of the state-owned telephone monopoly has begun; in 1998 there were over 2 million applicants on the waiting list for telephone service domestic: cable, open wire, and microwave radio relay; 3 cellular networks; local exchanges 56.6% digital international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat, NA Eutelsat, 2 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1.547 million (2005) | 8.07 million (1998) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 10.9 million (2007) | 1.78 million (1998) |
Television broadcast stations | 21 (2004) | 179 (plus 256 repeaters) (September 1995) |
Terrain | mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey | mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border |
Total fertility rate | 4.07 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.37 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 18% to 30% (2006 est.) | 12% (1999) |
Waterways | 5,279 km
note: Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third River (565 km) are principal waterways (2006) |
3,812 km (navigable rivers and canals) (1996) |