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
22 September 1960 (from France)
Religions
Muslim 97% (Shia 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%
Muslim 90%, Christian 1%, indigenous beliefs 9%
Languages
Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Turkoman (a Turkish dialect), Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic), Armenian
French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages
Exports
crude oil 84%, crude materials excluding fuels 8%, food and live animals 5%
cotton, gold, livestock
External Debt
$50,260,000,000 $
$2,725,000,000 US
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)
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar 438.77 (2008 est.), 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004) note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
8.600%
1.300%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
Western Africa, southwest of Algeria
Area
438,317 km sq
1,240,192 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
subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid, and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February)
