##ciekawa_strona##
Compare Saudi Arabia (2002) - Iraq (2003)
Compare Saudi Arabia (2002) z Iraq (2003)
| Saudi Arabia (2002) | Iraq (2003) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk | 18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Anbar, Al Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah, At Ta'mim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Karbala', Maysan, Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 42.4% (male 5,086,541; female 4,883,942)
15-64 years: 54.8% (male 7,493,304; female 5,396,985) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 362,780; female 289,778) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 40.7% (male 5,103,669; female 4,946,443)
15-64 years: 56.3% (male 7,033,268; female 6,855,644) 65 years and over: 3% (male 348,790; female 395,499) (2003 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk | wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep |
| Airports | 209 (2001) | 150 (2002); note - unknown number were damaged during the March-April 2003 war |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 71 70
over 3,047 m: 31 31 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 24 23 914 to 1,523 m: 2 3 under 914 m: 2 2 (2002) |
total: 77
over 3,047 m: 21 2,438 to 3,047 m: 36 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 9 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 138
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 79 914 to 1,523 m: 39 under 914 m: 13 (2002) |
total: 73
over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 24 914 to 1,523 m: 28 under 914 m: 11 (2002) |
| Area | total: 1,960,582 sq km
land: 1,960,582 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 437,072 sq km
land: 432,162 sq km water: 4,910 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US | slightly more than twice the size of Idaho |
| Background | In 1902 Abd al-Aziz Ibn SAUD captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. In the 1930s, the discovery of oil transformed the country. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all major governmental concerns. | 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 have ruled the country since then, the latest being 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. |
| Birth rate | 37.25 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 33.66 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $42 billion
expenditures: $54 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2002 est.) |
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
| Capital | Riyadh | Baghdad |
| Climate | harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes | mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraq |
| Coastline | 2,640 km | 58 km |
| Constitution | governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993 | in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| Country name | conventional long form: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
conventional short form: Saudi Arabia local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah |
conventional long form: Republic of Iraq
conventional short form: Iraq local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah local short form: Al Iraq |
| Currency | Saudi riyal (SAR) | Iraqi dinar (IQD) |
| Death rate | 5.86 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 5.84 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Debt - external | $23.8 billion (2001 est.) | $120 billion (2002 est.) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Robert W. JORDAN
embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh mailing address: American Embassy Riyadh, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693 telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800 FAX: [966] (1) 488-7360 consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah) |
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador BANDAR bin Sultan bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, and New York |
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| Disputes - international | demarcation of delimited boundary with Yemen involves nomadic tribal affiliations; because details of 1974 and 1977 treaties have not been made public, the exact location of the Saudi Arabia-UAE boundary is unknown and status is considered de facto | despite restored diplomatic relations in 1990, disputes with Iran over maritime and land boundaries, navigation channel, and other issues from eight-year war persist; land and Shatt al Arab boundary demarcation put an end to claims to Kuwait and to Bubiyan and Warbah islands, but no maritime boundary exists with Kuwait in the Persian Gulf; Iraq protests Turkey's hydrological projects to regulate the Tigris and Euphrates rivers upstream |
| Economic aid - donor | pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon; since 1993, Saudi Arabia has committed $208 million for assistance to the Palestinians; pledged $240 million to development in Afghanistan | - |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | $327.5 million (1995) |
| Economy - overview | This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia has the largest reserves of petroleum in the world (26% of the proved reserves), ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 25% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly 4 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service sectors. Riyadh expects to have a budget deficit in 2002, in part because of increased spending for education and other social programs. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is expected to continue calling for private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Shortages of water and rapid population growth will constrain government efforts to increase self-sufficiency in agricultural products. | 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 the 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. Oil exports have recently been more than three-quarters prewar level. However, 28% of Iraq's export revenues under the program have been deducted to meet UN Compensation Fund and UN administrative expenses. 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 prewar 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 and the loss of a comparatively small amount of capital plant. |
| Electricity - consumption | 114.86 billion kWh (2000) | 33.49 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | 123.5 billion kWh (2000) | 36.01 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel: 98.4%
hydro: 1.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m |
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 |
| Environment - current issues | desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills | government water control projects have drained most of the inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting the feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of Marsh Arabs, who inhabited these areas for thousands of years, has been displaced; furthermore, the destruction of the natural habitat poses serious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequate supplies of potable water; development of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers system contingent upon agreements with upstream riparian Turkey; air and water pollution; soil degradation (salination) and erosion; desertification |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification |
| Ethnic groups | Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10% | Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5% |
| Exchange rates | Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.7450 (fixed rate since June 1986) | Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 0.31 (2002), 0.31 (2001), 0.31 (2000), 0.31 (1999), 0.31 (1998), note: fixed official rate since 1982; market rate subject to wide fluctuations |
| Executive branch | chief of state: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the monarch, heir to the throne since 13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February 1996); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the monarch, heir to the throne since 13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February 1996); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch and includes many royal family members elections: none; the monarch is hereditary |
chief of state: in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| Exports | $66.9 billion f.o.b. (2001) | NA (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | petroleum and petroleum products 90% | crude oil |
| Exports - partners | US 17.4%, Japan 17.3%, South Korea 11.7%, Singapore 5.3%, India (2000) | US 40.9%, Canada 8.2%, France 8.2%, Jordan 7.5%, Netherlands 6.4%, Italy 5.4%, Morocco 4.7%, Spain 4.4% (2002) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Flag description | green with large white Arabic script (that may be translated as There is no God but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God) above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); green is the traditional color of Islam | 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 and the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt which has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $241 billion (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $58 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 7%
industry: 48% services: 45% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 6%
industry: 13% services: 81% (1993 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $10,600 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $2,400 (2002 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 1.6% (2001 est.) | -3% (2002 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 25 00 N, 45 00 E | 33 00 N, 44 00 E |
| Geography - note | extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal | strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf |
| Heliports | 5 (2002) | 5 (2002) |
| Highways | total: 146,524 km
paved: 44,104 km unpaved: 102,420 km (1997 est.) |
total: 45,550 km
paved: 38,399 km unpaved: 7,151 km (2000 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Illicit drugs | death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin, cocaine, and hashish | - |
| Imports | $29.7 billion f.o.b. (2001) | NA (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles | food, medicine, manufactures |
| Imports - partners | US 21.1%, Japan 9.4%, Germany 7.4%, UK 7.3% (2000) | Jordan 11%, France 8.8%, China 8.4%, Germany 7.6%, Russia 7.3%, Australia 7.2%, Vietnam 6.6%, Italy 6.4%, Japan 5.6% (2002) |
| Independence | 23 September 1932 (Unification of the Kingdom) | 3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 1% (1997 est.) | NA% |
| Industries | crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics | petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food processing |
| Infant mortality rate | 49.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | total: 55.16 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 61.09 deaths/1,000 live births female: 48.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.7% (2001) | 70% (2002 est.) |
| International organization participation | ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BIS, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) | ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, EAPC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 42 (2001) | 1 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | 16,200 sq km (1998 est.) | 35,250 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Council of Justice | in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| Labor force | 7 million
note: 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.) |
6.5 million (2002 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.) | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
| Land boundaries | total: 4,431 km
border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km |
total: 3,650 km
border countries: Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 240 km, Saudi Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 352 km |
| Land use | arable land: 1.72%
permanent crops: 0.06% other: 98.22% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 11.89%
permanent crops: 0.78% other: 87.33% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | Arabic | Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian |
| Legal system | based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| Legislative branch | a consultative council (90 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms) | in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 68.4 years
male: 66.7 years female: 70.2 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 67.81 years
male: 66.7 years female: 68.99 years (2003 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 78% male: 84.2% female: 69.5% (2002 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 40.4% male: 55.9% female: 24.4% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen | Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait |
| Map references | Middle East | Middle East |
| Maritime claims | contiguous zone: 18 NM
continental shelf: not specified territorial sea: 12 NM |
continental shelf: not specified
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | total: 71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,071,315 GRT/1,412,125 DWT
ships by type: cargo 11, chemical tanker 10, container 4, livestock carrier 3, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 20, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 11, short-sea passenger 8 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Egypt 3, Finland 1, Greece 3, Kuwait 1, Sudan 1, United Arab Emirates 1, United Kingdom 3 (2002 est.) |
total: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 119,433 GRT/170,221 DWT
ships by type: cargo 9, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 6, roll on/roll off 1 (2002 est.) |
| Military branches | Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary) | Army, Republican Guard, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Border Guard Force, Fedayeen Saddam; note - with the defeat of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003, the data listed in the following entries for Iraq is invalid, but is retained here for historical purposes and until replaced by valid information related to the future Iraqi Government (April 2003) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $18.3 billion (FY00) | $1.3 billion (FY00) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 13% (FY00) | NA% |
| Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 6,007,635 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 6,339,458 (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 3,359,849 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 3,541,467 (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | 17 years of age (2002 est.) | 18 years of age (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 233,402 (2002 est.) | males: 292,930 (2003 est.) |
| National holiday | Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932) | Revolution Day, 17 July (1968) |
| Nationality | noun: Saudi(s)
adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian |
noun: Iraqi(s)
adjective: Iraqi |
| Natural hazards | frequent sand and dust storms | dust storms, sandstorms, floods |
| Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper | petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur |
| Net migration rate | 1.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Pipelines | crude oil 6,400 km; petroleum products 150 km; natural gas 2,200 km (includes natural gas liquids 1,600 km) | gas 1,739 km; oil 5,418 km; refined products 1,343 km (2003) |
| Political parties and leaders | none allowed | in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | none | in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| Population | 23,513,330
note: includes 5,360,526 non-nationals (July 2002 est.) |
24,683,313 (July 2003 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
| Population growth rate | 3.27% (2002 est.) | 2.78% (2003 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Rabigh, Ra's al Khafji, Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Madinat Yanbu' al Sinaiyah | Umm Qasr, Khawr az Zubayr, and Al Basrah have limited functionality |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998) | AM 19 (5 are inactive), FM 51, shortwave 4 (1998) |
| Radios | 6.25 million (1997) | - |
| Railways | total: 1,392 km
standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (724 km are double-tracked) (2001) |
total: 1,963 km
standard gauge: 1,963 km 1.435-m gauge (2003) |
| Religions | Muslim 100% | Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3% |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.39 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.25 male(s)/female total population: 1.22 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
| Suffrage | none | formerly 18 years of age; universal; note - in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition |
| Telephone system | general assessment: modern system
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems international: microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region) |
general assessment: an unknown number of telecommunication facilities were damaged during the March-April 2003 war
domestic: the network consists of coaxial cables and microwave radio relay links international: 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 |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 3.1 million (1998) | 675,000 (1997); note - an unknown number of telephone lines were damaged or destroyed during the March-April war |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 1 million
note: in 1998, the government contracted for the installation of 575,000 additional Group Speciale Mobile (GSM) cellular telephone lines over 15 months to raise the total number of subscribers to more than one million; Riyadh planned to further expand the GSM system in 1999 by adding an additional one million lines (1998) |
NA; service available in northern Iraq (2001) |
| Television broadcast stations | 117 (1997) | 13 (1997); note - unknown number were destroyed during the March-April 2003 war |
| Terrain | mostly uninhabited, sandy desert | mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey |
| Total fertility rate | 6.21 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 4.52 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | NA% | NA% |
| Waterways | none | 1,015 km
note: Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 m and is in use; Tigris and Euphrates Rivers have navigable sections for shallow-draft boats; Shatt al Basrah canal was navigable by shallow-draft craft before closing in 1991 because of the Gulf war |
Sitemap:
Compare countries listing (map site) |
Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.