Iraq's Overview

 

 Country Name

• conventional long form: Republic of Iraq
• conventional short form: Iraq
• local long form: Jumhuriyat al-Iraq
• local short form: Al Iraq

Location
Iraq is in the Middle East, is 168,754 square miles (437,073 square kilometers), which is equal to twice the size of Idaho. Iraq is bordered by Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Syria, and the Persian Gulf. It's geographic coordinates are 33.00 N 44.00 E.

total: 438,317 sq km

country comparison to the world: 58

land: 437,367 sq km

water: 950 sq km

Population
The estimated Iraqi population for 2000 is 22,675,617 people.

 

Population Below Poverty Line

• 25% (2008 est.)

 

Population Growth Rate

• 2.399% (2011 est.)
• country comparison to the world: 31

Age Structure

0-14 years: 38% (male 5,882,682/female 5,678,741)

15-64 years: 58.9% (male 9,076,558/female 8,826,545)

65 years and over: 3.1% (male 435,908/female 499,138) (2011 est.)

Birth Rate

• 28.81 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
• country comparison to the world: 45

Death Rate
 

4.82 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 194 Major Cities Population Baghdad (capital) 5.751 million Mosul 1.447 million Erbil 1.009 million Basra 923,000 As Sulaymaniyah 836,000 (2009) HIV/AIDS - Adult Prevalence Rate less than 0.1% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 157

  

HIV/AIDS - People living with HIV/AIDS 

• fewer than 500 (2003 est.)
• country comparison to the world: 154

Language

Almost all Iraquis speak Arabic. Almost all of the Iraquis speak and understand their official language very well.Arabic,was introduced by the Arab conquerors and has 3 different forms: classical, modern standard, and spoken.The Classical arabic is the written language of the Qur'an. The Modern Standard Arabic is taught in schools for kids to read and write.
Other languages used are:

• Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions)
• Turkoman (a Turkish dialect)
• Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic)
• Armenian

Ethnic Groups

• Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian, or other 5%

Religions

• Muslim 97% (Shia 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%

Government Type

• parliamentary democracy

Legal System

based on European civil and Islamic law under the framework outlined in the Iraqi Constitution; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage/Voting Rights

• 18 years of age; universal

Climate

Iraq is mostly desert.It has mild cool winters but dry, hot and, cloudless summers.The northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders have cold winters with some heavy snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraq.

Natural Resources
Iraq has some important natural resources, which are:

• petroleum
• natural gas
• phosphates
• sulfur

It's Natural Dangers
Iraq's natural dangers are:

• dust storms
• sandstorms
• floods

Enviornment

Iraq's government water control projects have drained most of the inhabited marsh areas (of soft, wet, low-lying land, characterized by grassy vegetation) east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting the feeder streams and rivers. Once sizeable population of Marsh Arabs, who lived on these areas for thousands of years, has been displaced away from their homes. Leaving the destruction of the natural habitat that endangers the area's wildlife populations.

Industries

petroleum chemicals textiles leather construction materials food processing fertilizer metal fabrication/processing

Communications

Telephones- Main Lines in use

• 1.108 million (2009)
• country comparison to the world: 73

Telephones- Mobile Cellular

• 19.722 million (2009)
• country comparison to the world: 40

Tansportations

 Airports

• 104 (2010)

Heliports

• 21 (2010)

Railways

• total: 2,272 km
• country comparison to the world: 69
• standard gauge: 2,272 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)

Roadways

• total: 44,900 km
• country comparison to the world: 82
• paved: 37,851 km
• unpaved: 7,049 km (2002)

 Waterways

• 5,279 km
• country comparison to the world: 23

Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third River (565 km) are principal waterways (2010)

Military

Military Service Age and Obligation

• 18-40 years of age for voluntary military service (2010)

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

refugees (country of origin): 10,000-15,000 (Palestinian Territories); 11,773 (Iran); 16,832 (Turkey) IDPs: 2.4 million (ongoing US-led war and ethno-sectarian violence) (2007)

The World Fact Book- CIA

EveryCulture
Iraq

Flag

Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning "God is great") in green Arabic script is centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white); the Council of Representatives approved this flag in 2008 as a compromise temporary replacement for the Ba'athist Saddam-era flag.

National Anthem

name: "Mawtini" (My Homeland)  adopted on 2004.It follows the ousting of Saddam Hussein, Iraq adopted "Mawtini," a popular folk song throughout the Arab world, which also serves as an unofficial anthem of the Palestinian people.