295 lines
24 KiB
Plaintext
295 lines
24 KiB
Plaintext
IRAQ
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 434,920 km2; land area: 433,970 km2
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Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Idaho
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Land boundaries: 3,454 km total; Iran 1,458 km, Iraq - Saudi Arabia
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Neutral Zone 191 km, Jordan 134 km, Kuwait 240 km, Saudi Arabia 495 km,
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Syria 605 km, Turkey 331 km
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Coastline: 58 km
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Maritime claims:
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Continental shelf: not specific;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Disputes: Iran and Iraq restored diplomatic relations on 14
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October 1990 following the end of the war that began on 22 September
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1980; progress had been made on the major issues of
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contention--troop withdrawal, prisoner-of-war exchanges, demarcation of
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the border, freedom of navigation, and sovereignty over the Shatt al Arab
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waterway--but written agreements had yet to be drawn up when frictions
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reemerged in March 1991 in the wake of Shia and Kurdish revolts in
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Iraq that Baghdad accused Tehran of supporting; Kurdish question
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among Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the USSR; shares Neutral Zone with
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Saudi Arabia--in December 1981, Iraq and Saudi Arabia signed a boundary
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agreement that divides the zone between them, but the agreement must
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be ratified before it becomes effective; Iraqi forces invaded and
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occupied Kuwait from 2 August 1990 until 27 February 1991; in April 1991
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official Iraqi acceptance of UN Security Council Resolution 687, which
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demands that Iraq accept its internationally recognized border with
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Kuwait, ended earlier claims to Bubiyan and Warbah Islands or to
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all of Kuwait; periodic disputes with upstream riparian Syria over
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Euphrates water rights; potential dispute over water development plans by
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Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
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Climate: desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless
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summers
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Terrain: mostly broad plains; reedy marshes in southeast; mountains
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along borders with Iran and Turkey
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Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
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Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures
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9%; forest and woodland 3%; other 75%; includes irrigated 4%
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Environment: development of Tigris-Euphrates river systems
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contingent upon agreements with upstream riparians (Syria, Turkey); air
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and water pollution; soil degradation (salinization) and erosion;
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desertification
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PEOPLE
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Population: 19,524,718 (July 1991), growth rate 3.9% (1991)
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Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 66 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 68 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 7.2 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Iraqi(s); adjective--Iraqi
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Ethnic divisions: Arab 75-80%, Kurdish 15-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian
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or other 5%
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Religion: Muslim 97%, (Shia 60-65%, Sunni 32-37%), Christian
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or other 3%
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Language: Arabic (official), Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions),
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Assyrian, Armenian
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Literacy: 60% (male 70%, female 49%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1990 est.)
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Labor force: 4,400,000 (1989); services 48%, agriculture 30%,
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industry 22%, severe labor shortage; expatriate labor force about
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1,600,000 (July 1990)
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Organized labor: less than 10% of the labor force
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Republic of Iraq
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Type: republic
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Capital: Baghdad
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Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (muhafazat,
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singular--muhafazah); Al Anbar, Al Basrah, Al Muthanna,
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Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah, At
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Tamim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala,
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Karbala, Maysan, Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit
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Independence: 3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under
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British administration)
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Constitution: 22 September 1968, effective 16 July 1970 (interim
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Constitution); new constitution drafted in 1990 but not adopted
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Legal system: based on Islamic law in special religious courts,
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civil law system elsewhere; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 17 July (1968)
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Executive branch: president, vice president, chairman of the
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Revolutionary Command Council, vice chairman of the Revolutionary Command
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Council, prime minister, first deputy prime minister, Council of
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Ministers
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Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Majlis Watani)
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Judicial branch: Court of Cassation
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--President Saddam HUSAYN (since 16 July 1979);
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Vice President Taha Muhyi al-Din MARUF (since 21 April 1974);
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Vice President Taha Yasin RAMADAN (since 23 March 1991);
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Head of Government--Prime Minister Sadun HAMMADI (since 27 March
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1991); Deputy Prime Minister Tariq AZIZ (since NA 1979);
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Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Hamza al-ZUBAYDI (since 27 March 1991)
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Political parties: National Progressive Front is a coalition of the
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Arab Bath Socialist Party, Kurdistan Democratic Party, and Kurdistan
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Revolutionary Party
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Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
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Elections:
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National Assembly--last held on 1 April 1989 (next to be held NA);
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results--Sunni Arabs 53%, Shia Arabs 30%, Kurds 15%, Christians
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2% est.; seats--(250 total) number of seats by party NA
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Communists: about 1,500 hardcore members
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Other political or pressure groups: political parties and activity
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severely restricted; possibly some opposition to regime from disaffected
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members of the regime, Army officers, and religious and ethnic dissidents
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Member of: ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-19,
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G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
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INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC,
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PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation: no Iraqi representative in Washington;
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Chancery at 1801 P Street NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202)
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483-7500;
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US--no US representative in Baghdad since mid-January 1991;
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Embassy in Masbah Quarter (opposite the Foreign Ministry Club), Baghdad
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(mailing address is P. O. Box 2447 Alwiyah, Baghdad); telephone 964 (1)
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719-6138 or 719-6139, 718-1840, 719-3791
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Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black
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with three green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the
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white band; the phrase Allahu Akbar (God is Great) in green Arabic
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script--Allahu to the right of the middle star and Akbar to the left of
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the middle star--was added in January 1991 during the Persian Gulf
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crisis; similar to the flag of Syria that has two stars but no script
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and the flag of Yemen that has a plain white band; also similar to the
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flag of Egypt that has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band
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ECONOMY
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Overview: The Bathist regime engages in extensive central
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planning and management of industrial production and foreign trade while
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leaving some small-scale industry and services and most agriculture to
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private enterprise. The economy has been dominated by the oil sector,
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which has provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings. In the 1980s
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financial problems, caused by massive expenditures in the eight-year
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war with Iran and damage to oil export facilities by Iran, led the
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government to implement austerity measures and to borrow heavily and
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later reschedule foreign debt payments. After the end of hostilities in
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1988, oil exports gradually increased with the construction of new
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pipelines and restoration of damaged facilities. Agricultural development
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remained hampered by labor shortages, salinization, and dislocations
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caused by previous land reform and collectivization programs. The
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industrial sector, although accorded high priority by the government,
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also was under financial constraints. Iraq's seizure of Kuwait in August
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1990, subsequent international economic embargoes, and military actions
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by an international coalition beginning in January 1991 drastically
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changed the economic picture. Oil exports were cut to near zero,
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and industrial and transportation facilities severely damaged.
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GNP: $35 billion, per capita $1,940; real growth rate 5%
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(1989 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 30-40% (1989 est.)
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Unemployment rate: less than 5% (1989 est.)
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Budget: revenues $NA billion; expenditures $35 billion,
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including capital expenditures of NA (1989)
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Exports: $12.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
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commodities--crude oil and refined products, fertilizer, sulfur;
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partners--US, Brazil, Turkey, Japan, France, Italy, USSR (1989)
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Imports: $10.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
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commodities--manufactures, food;
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partners--US, FRG, Turkey, UK, Romania, Japan, France (1989)
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External debt: $40 billion (1989 est.), excluding debt to Arab
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Gulf states
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Industrial production: NA%; manufacturing accounts for 10% of GDP
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(1987)
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Electricity: 9,902,000 kW capacity; 20,000 million kWh produced,
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1,110 kWh per capita (1989)
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Industries: petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials,
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food processing
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Agriculture: accounts for 11% of GNP but 30% of labor
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force; principal products--wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, other
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fruit, cotton, wool; livestock--cattle, sheep; not self-sufficient in
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food output
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $3
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million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $627 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1980-90), more than $30
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billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $3.9 billion
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Currency: Iraqi dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Iraqi dinar (ID) = 1,000
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fils
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Exchange rates: Iraqi dinars (ID) per US$1--0.3109 (fixed rate
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since 1982)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: 2,962 km total; 2,457 km 1.435-meter standard gauge,
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505 km 1.000-meter gauge
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Highways: 25,479 km total; 8,290 km paved, 5,534 km improved earth,
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11,655 km unimproved earth
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Inland waterways: 1,015 km; Shatt al Arab usually navigable by
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maritime traffic for about 130 km, but closed since September 1980
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because of Iran-Iraq war; Tigris and Euphrates navigable by shallow-draft
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steamers (of little importance); Shatt al Basrah canal navigable in
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sections by shallow-draft vessels
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Ports: Umm Qasr, Khawr az Zubayr, Al Basrah
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Merchant marine: 43 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 944,253
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GRT/1,691,368 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 1 passenger-cargo, 17 cargo,
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1 refrigerated cargo, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 19 petroleum, oils, and
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lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker; note--since the 2 August 1990
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invasion of Kuwait by Iraqi forces, Iraq has sought to register at least
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part of its merchant fleet under convenience flags; none of the Iraqi
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flag merchant fleet was trading internationally as of 1 January 1991
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Pipelines: crude oil, 4,350 km; 725 km refined products; 1,360 km
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natural gas
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Civil air: 64 major transport aircraft (including 30 IL-76s
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used by the Iraq Air Force)
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Airports: 111 total, 102 usable; 73 with permanent-surface runways;
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9 with runways over 3,659 m; 52 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with
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runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: good network consists of coaxial cables, radio
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relay links, and radiocommunication stations; 632,000 telephones;
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stations--9 AM, 1 FM, 81 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean
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INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 GORIZONT Atlantic Ocean in the
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Intersputnik system; coaxial cable and radio relay to Kuwait, Jordan,
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Syria, and Turkey
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Army and Republican Guard, Navy, Air Force,
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Border Guard Force, Internal Security Forces
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 4,270,592; 2,380,439 fit for
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military service; 228,277 reach military age (18) annually
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Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
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