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
Sunni Muslim
Muslim 97% (Shia 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%
Languages
Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials
Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Turkoman (a Turkish dialect), Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic), Armenian
Exports
fish
crude oil 84%, crude materials excluding fuels 8%, food and live animals 5%
External Debt
$943,000,000 $
$50,790,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
rufiyaa (MVR) per US dollar - NA (2007), 12.8 (2006), 12.8 (2005), 12.8 (2004), 12.8 (2003)
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
5.500%
8.600%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
Area
298 km sq
438,317 km sq
Coastline
644 km
58 km
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
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
