Iraq

Country	Republic of Iraq
Capital	Baghdad
Independence	3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration); note - on 28 June 2004 the Coalition Provisional Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government
National Holiday	Republic Day, July 14 (1958); note - the Government of Iraq has yet to declare an official national holiday but still observes Republic Day
Population	31,858,481 (July 2013 est.)
Sex ratio	1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
Nationality	Iraqi
Religions	Muslim (official) 97% (Shia 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%
Languages	Arabic (official), Kurdish (official), Turkmen (a Turkish dialect) and Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic) are official in areas where they constitute a majority of the population), Armenian
Literacy	age 15 and over can read and write total population: 78.5% male: 86% female: 71.2% (2011 est.)
Industries	Petroleum, Chemicals, Textiles, Leather, Construction materials, Food processing, Fertilizer, Metal fabrication/processing
Location	Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
Geographic coordinates	33 00 N, 44 00 E
Map references	Middle East
Area	total: 438,317 sq km land: 437,367 sq km water: 950 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly more than twice the size of Idaho
Land boundaries	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
Coastline	58 km
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: not specified
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
Terrain	mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: unnamed peak; 3,611 m; note - this peak is neither Gundah Zhur 3,607 m nor Kuh-e Hajji-Ebrahim 3,595 m
Natural resources	petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
	Exports - commodities: crude oil 84%, crude materials excluding fuels, food and live animals
	Imports - commodities: food, medicine, manufactures
Land use	arable land: 13.12% permanent crops: 0.61% other: 86.27% (2005)
Irrigated land	35,250 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	96.4 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	total: 42.7 cu km/yr (3%/5%/92%) per capita: 1,482 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	dust storms; sandstorms; floods
Environment - current issues	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
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography - note	strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf