Axion 3D Atlas/ATLAS.iso/stats/113.txt

Text File | 1998-01-23 | 15KB | 348 lines

{bitmap= 26,50,"flags\iraq.bmp"}
{bigtext=150,120,"Iraq"}



{1}Geography{4}
{4}To see a map of Iraq, click {z,"37.410638,28.363781,50.027175,38.079753",here}{4}!

{2}Location:{4} Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait

{2}Area:{4}
{3}total area:{4} 437,072 sq km
{3}land area:{4} 432,162 sq km
{3}comparative area:{4} slightly more than twice the size of Idaho

{2}Land boundaries:{4}
{3}total:{4} 3,631 km
{3}border countries:{4} Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 242 km, Saudi Arabia 814 km, Syria 605
km, Turkey 331 km

{2}Coastline:{4} 58 km

{2}Maritime claims:{4}
{3}continental shelf:{4} not specified
{3}territorial sea:{4} 12 nm

{2}International disputes:{4} Iran and Iraq restored diplomatic relations in 1990 but are still trying to work
out written agreements settling outstanding disputes from their eight-year war concerning border
demarcation, prisoners-of-war, and freedom of navigation and sovereignty over the Shatt al Arab
waterway; in November 1994, Iraq formally accepted the UN-demarcated border with Kuwait
which had been spelled out in Security Council Resolutions 687 (1991), 773 (1993), and 883
(1993); this formally ends earlier claims to Kuwait and to Bubiyan and Warbah islands; dispute
over water development plans by Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

{2}Climate:{4} 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 which melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and
southern Iraq

{2}Terrain:{4} mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south; mountains along
borders with Iran and Turkey
{3}lowest point:{4} Persian Gulf 0 m
{3}highest point:{4} Gundah Zhur 3,608 m

{2}Natural resources:{4} petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur

{2}Land use:{4}
{3}arable land:{4} 12%
{3}permanent crops:{4} 1%
{3}meadows and pastures:{4} 9%
{3}forest and woodland:{4} 3%
{3}other:{4} 75%

{2}Irrigated land:{4} 25,500 sq km (1989 est.)

{2}Environment:{4}
{3}current issues:{4} 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 Shi'a Muslims, who have 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 Tigris-Euphrates Rivers
system contingent upon agreements with upstream riparian Turkey; air and water pollution; soil
degradation (salinization) and erosion; desertification

{2}natural hazards:{4} dust storms, sandstorms, floods

{2}international agreements:{4} party to - Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified -
Environmental Modification


{1}People{4}

{2}Population:{4} 21,422,292 (July 1996 est.)

{2}Age structure:{4}
{3}0-14 years:{4} 48% (male 5,179,240; female 5,014,141)
{3}15-64 years:{4} 49% (male 5,342,529; female 5,228,802)
{3}65 years and over:{4} 3% (male 307,097; female 350,483) (July 1996 est.)

{2}Population growth rate:{4} 3.69% (1996 est.)

{2}Birth rate:{4} 43.07 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Death rate:{4} 6.57 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Net migration rate:{4} 0.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Sex ratio:{4}
{3}at birth:{4} 1.05 male(s)/female
{3}under 15 years:{4} 1.03 male(s)/female
{3}15-64 years:{4} 1.02 male(s)/female
{3}65 years and over:{4} 0.88 male(s)/female
{3}all ages:{4} 1.02 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

{2}Infant mortality rate:{4} 60 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

{2}Life expectancy at birth:{4}
{3}total population:{4} 66.95 years
{3}male:{4} 65.92 years
{3}female:{4} 68.03 years (1996 est.)

{2}Total fertility rate:{4} 6.41 children born/woman (1996 est.)

{2}Nationality:{4}
{3}noun:{4} Iraqi(s)
{3}adjective:{4} Iraqi

{2}Ethnic divisions:{4} Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5%

{2}Religions:{4} Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%

{2}Languages:{4} Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian

{2}Literacy:{4} age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
{3}total population:{4} 58%
{3}male:{4} 70.7%
{3}female:{4} 45%


{1}Government{4}

{2}Name of country:{4}
{3}conventional long form:{4} Republic of Iraq
{3}conventional short form:{4} Iraq
{3}local long form:{4} Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah
{3}local short form:{4} Al Iraq

{2}Type of government:{4} republic

{2}Capital:{4} Baghdad

{2}Administrative divisions:{4} 18 provinces (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

{2}Independence:{4} 3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)

{2}National holiday:{4} Anniversary of the Revolution, 17 July (1968)

{2}Constitution:{4} 22 September 1968, effective 16 July 1970 (provisional Constitution); new
constitution drafted in 1990 but not adopted

{2}Legal system:{4} based on Islamic law in special religious courts, civil law system elsewhere; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

{2}Suffrage:{4} 18 years of age; universal

{2}Executive branch:{4}
{3}chief of state:{4} President SADDAM Husayn (since 16 July 1979); Vice President Taha Muhyi al-Din
MARUF (since 21 April 1974); Vice President Taha Yasin RAMADAN (since 23 March 1991) were
elected by a two-thirds majority of the Revolutionary Command Council
{3}head of government:{4} Prime Minister SADDAM Husayn (since NA May 1994); Deputy Prime
Minister Tariq Mikhail AZIZ (since NA 1979)
Revolutionary Command Council: Chairman SADDAM Husayn, Vice Chairman Izzat IBRAHIM al-
Duri
{3}cabinet:{4} Council of Ministers

{2}Legislative branch:{4} unicameral
National Assembly (Majlis al-Watani): elections last held 24 March 1996 (next to be held NA);
results - percent of vote NA; seats - (250 total, 30 appointed by SADDAM Husayn to represent
three northern provonces of Dahuk, Arbil, and As Sulaymaniyah)
{3}note:{4} in northern Iraq, a "Kurdish Assembly" was elected in May 1992 and calls for Kurdish self-
determination within a federated Iraq; the assembly is not recognized by the Baghdad government

{2}Judicial branch:{4} Court of Cassation

{2}Political parties and leaders:{4} Ba'th Party, SADDAM Husayn, central party leader

{2}Other political or pressure groups:{4} political parties and activity severely restricted; opposition to
regime from disaffected members of the Ba'th Party, Army officers, tribes, and Shi'a religious and
ethnic Kurdish dissidents; the Green Party (government-controlled)

{2}International organization participation:{4} ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA,
FAO, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

{2}Diplomatic representation in US:{4} none; note - Iraq has an Interest Section in the Algerian
Embassy; address: Iraqi Interests Section, Algerian Embassy, 1801 P Street NW, Washington,
DC 20036; telephone: [1] [phone]; FAX: [1] [phone]

{2}US diplomatic representation:{4} none; note - the US has an Interests Section in the Polish Embassy
in Baghdad, which is in the Masbah Quarter (opposite the Foreign Ministry Club); address: P. O.
Box 2447 Alwiyah, Baghdad; telephone: [964] (1) 719-6138, 719-6139, 718-1840, 719-3791; Telex
212287

{2}Flag:{4} 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 that has two
stars but no script and the flag of Yemen that has a plain white band; also similar to the flag of
Egypt that has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band


{1}Economy{4}

{2}Economic overview:{4} The Ba'thist regime engages in extensive central planning and management
of industrial production and foreign trade while leaving some small-scale industry and services and
most agriculture to private enterprise. The economy has been 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 and to borrow
heavily and later reschedule foreign debt payments; Iraq suffered economic losses of at least
$100 billion from the war. After the end of hostilities in 1988, oil exports gradually increased with
the construction of new pipelines and restoration of damaged facilities. Agricultural development
remained hampered by labor shortages, salinization, and dislocations caused by previous land
reform and collectivization programs. The industrial sector, although accorded high priority by the
government, also was under financial constraints. Iraq's seizure of Kuwait in August 1990,
subsequent international economic embargoes, and military action by an international coalition
beginning in January 1991 drastically changed the economic picture. Industrial and transportation
facilities, which suffered severe damage, have been partially restored. Oil exports remain at less
than 5% of the previous level. Shortages of spare parts continue. Living standards deteriorated
even further in 1994 and 1995; consumer prices have more than doubled in both 1994 and 1995.
The UN-sponsored economic embargo has reduced exports and imports and has contributed to
the sharp rise in prices. The Iraqi Government has been unwilling to abide by UN resolutions so
that the economic embargo can be removed. The government's policies of supporting large
military and internal security forces and of allocating resources to key supporters of the regime
have exacerbated shortages. In brief, per capita output for 1994-95 is well below the 1989-90
level, but any estimate has a wide range of error.

{2}GDP:{4} purchasing power parity - $41.1 billion (1995 est.)

{2}GDP real growth rate:{4} NA%

{2}GDP per capita:{4} $2,000 (1995 est.)

{2}GDP composition by sector:{4}
{3}agriculture:{4} NA%
{3}industry:{4} NA%
{3}services:{4} NA%

{2}Inflation rate (consumer prices):{4} NA%

{2}Labor force:{4} 4.4 million (1989)
{3}by occupation:{4} services 48%, agriculture 30%, industry 22%
{3}note:{4} severe labor shortage; expatriate labor force was about 1,600,000 (July 1990); since then, it
has declined substantially

{2}Unemployment rate:{4} NA%

{2}Budget:{4}
{3}revenues:{4} $NA
{3}expenditures:{4} $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

{2}Industries:{4} petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food processing

{2}Industrial production growth rate:{4} NA%

{2}Electricity:{4}
{3}capacity:{4} 7,170,000 kW
{3}production:{4} 25.7 billion kWh
{3}consumption per capita:{4} 1,247 kWh (1993)

{2}Agriculture:{4} wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, other fruit, cotton; cattle, sheep

{2}Exports:{4} $NA
{3}commodities:{4} crude oil and refined products, fertilizer, sulfur
{3}partners:{4} US, Brazil, Turkey, Japan, Netherlands, Spain (1990)

{2}Imports:{4} $NA
{3}commodities:{4} manufactures, food
{3}partners:{4} Germany, US, Turkey, France, UK (1990)

{2}External debt:{4} $50 billion (1989 est.), excluding debt of about $35 billion owed to Gulf Arab states

{2}Economic aid:{4}
{3}recipient:{4} ODA, $NA

{2}Currency:{4} 1 Iraqi dinar (ID) = 1,000 fils

{2}Exchange rates:{4} Iraqi dinars (ID) per US$1 - 3.2169 (fixed official rate since 1982); black-market
rate (December 1995) US$1 = 2,900 Iraqi dinars; semi-official rate US$1 = 1,000 Iraqi dinars

{2}Fiscal year:{4} calendar year


{1}Transportation{4}

{2}Railways:{4}
{3}total:{4} 2,032 km
standard gauge: 2,032 km 1.435-m gauge

{2}Highways:{4}
{3}total:{4} 45,554 km
{3}paved:{4} 38,402 km (including 976 km of expressways)
{3}unpaved:{4} 7,152 km (1989 est.)

{2}Waterways:{4} 1,015 km; Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km;
channel has been dredged to 3 meters and is in use; Tigris and Euphrates Rivers have navigable
sections for shallow-draft watercraft; Shatt al Basrah canal was navigable by shallow-draft craft
before closing in 1991 because of the Persian Gulf war

{2}Pipelines:{4} crude oil 4,350 km; petroleum products 725 km; natural gas 1,360 km

{2}Ports:{4} Umm Qasr, Khawr az Zubayr, and Al Basrah have limited functionality

{2}Merchant marine:{4}
{3}total:{4} 36 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 795,346 GRT/1,432,292 DWT
{3}ships by type:{4} cargo 14, oil tanker 16, passenger 1, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-
on/roll-off cargo 3 (1995 est.)

{2}Airports:{4}
{3}total:{4} 102
{3}with paved runways over 3,047 m:{4} 21
{3}with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:{4} 34
{3}with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:{4} 8
{3}with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m:{4} 6
{3}with paved runways under 914 m:{4} 16
{3}with unpaved runways over 3,047 m:{4} 2
{3}with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:{4} 3
{3}with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:{4} 3
{3}with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:{4} 9 (1995 est.)
Heliports: 5 (1995 est.)


{1}Communications{4}

{2}Telephones:{4} 632,000 (1987 est.)

{2}Telephone system:{4} reconstitution of damaged telecommunication facilities began after the Gulf
war; most damaged facilities have been rebuilt
{3}domestic:{4} the network consists of coaxial cables and microwave radio relay links
{3}international:{4} satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1
Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean Region) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to
Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey; Kuwait line is probably nonoperational

{2}Radio broadcast stations:{4} AM 16, FM 1, shortwave 0

{2}Radios:{4} 4.02 million (1991 est.)

{2}Television broadcast stations:{4} 13

{2}Televisions:{4} 1 million (1992 est.)


{1}Defense{4}

{2}Branches:{4} Army, Republican Guard and Special Republican Guard, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense
Force, Border Guard Force, Internal Security Forces

{2}Manpower availability:{4}
{3}males age 15-49:{4} 4,832,001
{3}males fit for military service:{4} 2,711,312
{3}males reach military age (18) annually:{4} 237,843 (1996 est.)

{2}Defense expenditures:{4} $NA, NA% of GDP