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Compare Somalia (2005) - Iraq (2003)

Compare Somalia (2005) z Iraq (2003)

 Somalia (2005)Iraq (2003)
 SomaliaIraq
Administrative divisions 18 regions (plural - NA, singular - gobolka); Awdal, Bakool, Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe, Jubbada Hoose, Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe, Shabeellaha Hoose, Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed 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: 44.5% (male 1,918,209/female 1,905,974)


15-64 years: 52.9% (male 2,278,406/female 2,263,602)


65 years and over: 2.6% (male 96,256/female 129,182) (2005 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 cattle, sheep, goats; bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans; fish wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep
Airports 60 (2004 est.) 150 (2002); note - unknown number were damaged during the March-April 2003 war
Airports - with paved runways total: 6


over 3,047 m: 4


2438 to 3047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
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: 54


2,438 to 3,047 m: 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 19


914 to 1,523 m: 29


under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
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: 637,657 sq km


land: 627,337 sq km


water: 10,320 sq km
total: 437,072 sq km


land: 432,162 sq km


water: 4,910 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Texas slightly more than twice the size of Idaho
Background The regime of Mohamed SIAD Barre was ousted in January 1991; turmoil, factional fighting, and anarchy have followed in the years since. In May of 1991, northern clans declared an independent Republic of Somaliland that now includes the administrative regions of Awdal, Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sanaag, and Sool. Although not recognized by any government, this entity has maintained a stable existence, aided by the overwhelming dominance of a ruling clan and economic infrastructure left behind by British, Russian, and American military assistance programs. The regions of Bari and Nugaal and northern Mudug comprise a neighboring self-declared autonomous state of Puntland, which has been self-governing since 1998, but does not aim at independence; it has also made strides towards reconstructing a legitimate, representative government, but has suffered some civil strife. Puntland disputes its border with Somaliland as it also claims portions of eastern Sool and Sanaag. Beginning in 1993, a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in the south) was able to alleviate famine conditions, but when the UN withdrew in 1995, having suffered significant casualties, order still had not been restored. The mandate of the Transitional National Government (TNG), created in August 2000 in Arta, Djibouti, expired in August 2003. New Somali President Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed has formed a new Transitional Federal Government (TFG) consisting of a 275-member parliament. It was established in October 2004 to replace the TNG but has not yet moved to Mogadishu. Discussions regarding the establishment of a new government in Mogadishu are ongoing in Kenya. Numerous warlords and factions are still fighting for control of the capital city as well as for other southern regions. Suspicion of Somali links with global terrorism further complicates the picture. 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 45.62 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 33.66 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: NA


expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital Mogadishu Baghdad
Climate principally desert; December to February - northeast monsoon, moderate temperatures in north and very hot in south; May to October - southwest monsoon, torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons 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 3,025 km 58 km
Constitution 25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979


note: the formation of transitional governing institutions, known as the Transitional Federal Government, is currently ongoing
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Somalia


former: Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic
conventional long form: Republic of Iraq


conventional short form: Iraq


local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah


local short form: Al Iraq
Currency - Iraqi dinar (IQD)
Death rate 16.97 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 5.84 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $3 billion (2001 est.) $120 billion (2002 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya at United Nations Avenue, Gigira, Nairobi; mailing address: Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831; telephone: [254] (20) 363-6000; FAX [254] (20) 363-6157 in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition
Diplomatic representation in the US Somalia does not have an embassy in the US (ceased operations on 8 May 1991); note - the TNG and other factions have representatives in Washington and at the United Nations in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition
Disputes - international "Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities to land-locked Ethiopia and establish commercial ties with regional states; "Puntland" and "Somaliland" "governments" seek support from neighboring states in their secessionist aspirations and in conflicts with each other; Ethiopia has only an administrative line with the Oromo region of southern Somalia and maintains alliances with local Somali clans opposed to the unrecognized Somali Interim Government, which plans eventual relocation from Kenya to Mogadishu; rival militia and clan fighting in southern Somalia periodically spills over into Kenya; most of the remaining 23,000 Somali refuges in Ethiopia are expected to be repatriated in 2005 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 - recipient $60 million (1999 est.) $327.5 million (1995)
Economy - overview Somalia's economic fortunes are driven by its deep political divisions. The northwestern area has declared its independence as the "Republic of Somaliland"; the northeastern region of Puntland is a semi-autonomous state; and the remaining southern portion is riddled with the struggles of rival factions. Economic life continues, in part because much activity is local and relatively easily protected. Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock normally accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings, but Saudi Arabia's recent ban on Somali livestock, because of Rift Valley Fever concerns, has severely hampered the sector. Nomads and semi-nomads, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood, make up a large portion of the population. Livestock, hides, fish, charcoal, and bananas are Somalia's principal exports, while sugar, sorghum, corn, qat, and machined goods are the principal imports. Somalia's small industrial sector, based on the processing of agricultural products, has largely been looted and sold as scrap metal. Despite the seeming anarchy, Somalia's service sector has managed to survive and grow. Telecommunication firms provide wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest international call rates on the continent. In the absence of a formal banking sector, money exchange services have sprouted throughout the country, handling between $500 million and $1 billion in remittances annually. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of goods from food to the newest electronic gadgets. Hotels continue to operate, and militias provide security. The ongoing civil disturbances and clan rivalries, however, have interfered with any broad-based economic development and international aid arrangements. In 2004 Somalia's overdue financial obligations to the IMF continued to grow. Statistics on Somalia's GDP, growth, per capita income, and inflation should be viewed skeptically. In late December 2004, a major tsunami took an estimated 150 lives and caused destruction of properity in coastal areas. 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 223.5 million kWh (2002) 33.49 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 240.3 million kWh (2002) 36.01 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 98.4%


hydro: 1.6%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Shimbiris 2,416 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 famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification 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: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection party to: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including Arabs 30,000) Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5%
Exchange rates Somali shillings per US dollar - 11,000 (November 2000), 2,620 (January 1999), 7,500 (November 1997 est.), 7,000 (January 1996 est.), 5,000 (1 January 1995)


note: the Republic of Somaliland, a self-declared independent country not recognized by any foreign government, issues its own currency, the Somaliland shilling
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: Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed (since 14 October 2004); note - a new Transitional Federal Government consisting of a 275-member parliament was established in October 2004 but remains resident in Nairobi, Kenya, and has not extablished effective governance inside Somalia


head of government: Prime Minister Ali Muhammad GHEDI (since 24 December 2004)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by the Transitional Federal Assembly


election results: Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed, the leader of the Puntland region of Somalia, was elected president by the Transitional Federal Assembly
chief of state: in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition
Exports NA NA (2001)
Exports - commodities livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal crude oil
Exports - partners UAE 39.3%, Thailand 24.3%, Yemen 12.2%, Oman 4.7% (2004) 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 NA calendar year
Flag description light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; blue field influenced by the flag of the UN 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 - $58 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 65%


industry: 10%


services: 25% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 6%


industry: 13%


services: 81% (1993 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $600 (2004 est.) purchasing power parity - $2,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2.8% (2004 est.) -3% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 10 00 N, 49 00 E 33 00 N, 44 00 E
Geography - note strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf
Government - note although an interim government was created in 2004 other governing bodies continue to exist and control various cities and regions of the country, including the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, and traditional clan and faction strongholds -
Heliports - 5 (2002)
Highways total: 22,100 km


paved: 2,608 km


unpaved: 19,492 km (1999 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%
Imports NA NA (2001)
Imports - commodities manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat food, medicine, manufactures
Imports - partners Djibouti 30.1%, Kenya 13.7%, India 8.6%, Brazil 8.5%, Oman 4.4%, UAE 4.2% (2004) 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 1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland, which became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960, to form the Somali Republic) 3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Industrial production growth rate NA NA%
Industries a few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food processing
Infant mortality rate total: 116.7 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 126.06 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 107.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 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) note - businesses print their own money, so inflation rates cannot be sensibly determined (2004 est.) 70% (2002 est.)
International organization participation ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO 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) - 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 2,000 sq km (1998 est.) 35,250 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch following the breakdown of the central government, most regions have reverted to local forms of conflict resolution, either secular, traditional clan-based arbitration, or Islamic (Shari'a) law with a provision for appeal of all sentences in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition
Labor force 3.7 million (very few are skilled laborers) 6.5 million (2002 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture (mostly pastoral nomadism) 71%, industry and services 29% agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Land boundaries total: 2,340 km


border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 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: 1.67%


permanent crops: 0.04%


other: 98.29% (2001)
arable land: 11.89%


permanent crops: 0.78%


other: 87.33% (1998 est.)
Languages Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian
Legal system no national system; Shari'a and secular courts are in some localities in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly


note: fledgling parliament; a 275-member Transitional Federal Assembly; the new parliament consists of 61 seats assigned to each of four large clan groups (Darod, Digil-Mirifle, Dir, and Hawiye) with the remaining 31 seats divided between minority clans
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition
Life expectancy at birth total population: 48.09 years


male: 46.36 years


female: 49.87 years (2005 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: 37.8%


male: 49.7%


female: 25.8% (2001 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 40.4%


male: 55.9%


female: 24.4% (2003 est.)
Location Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
Map references Africa Middle East
Maritime claims territorial sea: 200 nm continental shelf: not specified


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine - 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 A Somali National Army was attempted under the interim government; numerous factions and clans maintain independent militias, and the Somaliland and Puntland regional governments maintain their own security and police forces 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 $18.9 million (2003) $1.3 billion (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.9% (2003) NA%
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 6,339,458 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 3,541,467 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 292,930 (2003 est.)
National holiday Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland Revolution Day, 17 July (1968)
Nationality noun: Somali(s)


adjective: Somali
noun: Iraqi(s)


adjective: Iraqi
Natural hazards recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season dust storms, sandstorms, floods
Natural resources uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
Net migration rate 5.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines - gas 1,739 km; oil 5,418 km; refined products 1,343 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders none in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition
Political pressure groups and leaders numerous clan and subclan factions are currently vying for power in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition
Population 8,591,629


note: this estimate was derived from an official census taken in 1975 by the Somali Government; population counting in Somalia is complicated by the large number of nomads and by refugee movements in response to famine and clan warfare (July 2005 est.)
24,683,313 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA NA
Population growth rate 3.38% (2005 est.) 2.78% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Boosaaso, Berbera, Chisimayu (Kismaayo), Merca, Mogadishu Umm Qasr, Khawr az Zubayr, and Al Basrah have limited functionality
Radio broadcast stations AM 0, FM 11, shortwave 1 in Mogadishu; 1 FM in Puntland, 1 FM in Somaliland (2001) AM 19 (5 are inactive), FM 51, shortwave 4 (1998)
Railways - total: 1,963 km


standard gauge: 1,963 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)
Religions Sunni Muslim Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female


total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 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 18 years of age; universal 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: the public telecommunications system was almost completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions; private wireless companies offer service in most major cities and charge the lowest international rates on the continent


domestic: local cellular telephone systems have been established in Mogadishu and in several other population centers


international: country code - 252; international connections are available from Mogadishu by satellite
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 100,000 (2002 est.) 675,000 (1997); note - an unknown number of telephone lines were damaged or destroyed during the March-April war
Telephones - mobile cellular 35,000 (2002) NA; service available in northern Iraq (2001)
Television broadcast stations 4


note: two in Mogadishu; two in Hargeisa (2001)
13 (1997); note - unknown number were destroyed during the March-April 2003 war
Terrain mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey
Total fertility rate 6.84 children born/woman (2005 est.) 4.52 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate NA NA%
Waterways - 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
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