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-controlled Government
Religions
Muslim 97% (Shia 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%
Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10%
Languages
Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Turkoman (a Turkish dialect), Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic), Armenian
Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)
Exports
crude oil 84%, crude materials excluding fuels 8%, food and live animals 5%
External Debt
$50,790,000,000 $
Exchange Rate
New Iraqi dinars (NID) per US dollar - 1,176 (2008), 1,255 (2007), 1,466 (2006), 1,475 (2005), 1,890 (second half, 2003)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
8.600%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Area
438,317 km sq
27,830 km sq
Coastline
58 km
0 km
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
equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade but is generally moderate as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual rainfall is about 150 cm; two wet seasons (February to May and September to November), and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January)
