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NAVIGATION
Republic of Iraq
Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq became an independent 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 during the past 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. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait |
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Geographic coordinates:
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33 00 N, 44 00 E |
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Map references:
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Middle East |
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Area:
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total: 437,072 sq km
water: 4,910 sq km land: 432,162 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more than twice the size of Idaho |
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Land boundaries:
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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 |
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Coastline:
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58 km |
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Maritime claims:
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continental shelf: not specified
territorial sea: 12 NM |
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Climate:
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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 |
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Terrain:
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mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Haji Ibrahim 3,600 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur |
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Land use:
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arable land: 11.89%
permanent crops: 0.78% other: 87.33% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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35,250 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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dust storms, sandstorms, floods |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification |
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Geography - note:
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strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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24,683,313 (2003 est.) |
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Age structure:
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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.) |
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Median Age:
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total: 19 years
male: 18.9 years female: 19.1 years (2002) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.78% (2003 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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33.66 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.84 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 55.16 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 48.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 61.09 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 67.81 years
male: 66.7 years female: 68.99 years (2003 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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4.52 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than 0.1% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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less than 1,000 |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun: Iraqi(s)
adjective: Iraqi |
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Ethnic groups:
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Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5% |
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Religions:
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Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3% |
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Languages:
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Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 40.4% male: 55.9% female: 24.4% (2003 est.) |