GENERAL
FACTS & LINKS |
|
| Country
name
Iraq
conventional long form
Republic of Iraq
conventional
short form
Iraq
local long form
Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah
local short form
Al Iraq |
| Area
-
total: 437,072 sq km
land: 432,162 sq km
water: 4,910 sq km |
| Geographic
Location - Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait |
| Map
references - Middle
East |
| Capital - Baghdad |
| Border Countries - Iran
1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait
242 km, Saudi Arabia 814 km,
Syria 605 km, Turkey
331 km |
| Major Cities - Baghdad |
| Independence -
3 October 1932 (from League
of Nations mandate under British administration) |
| National
holiday - Revolution Day, 17 July (1968) |
| ISD
CODE
Iraq 964 |
| Languages Spoken
- Arabic (official) and Kurdish |
| Weather
Forecast - • Baghdad • Mosul • Saddam Irq-Afb / Civ • Shaibah / Basrah |
| Major Airports - Baghdad
|
| Ports
- Umm Qasr, Khawr az Zubayr, and Al
Basrah have limited functionality |
| Population
-24,001,816 (July 2002 est.) |
| Religion
- Muslim 97% (Shi'a
60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or
other 3% |
| Nationality - Iraqi(s) |
| Currency - Iraqi dinar |
|
Currency Code - IQD |
| National
Bird - "Kew" (Chukar) |
| Lakes
- Hammer |
| Rivers
- Euphrates, Tigris |
| Terrain
- Mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large
flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey |
| Climate
- 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 |
| Geography
- Strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian
Gulf |
| 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 |
| Natural hazards - Dust storms,
sandstorms, floods |
| Natural
Resources - petroleum,
natural gas, phosphates, sulphur |
