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 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Muslim 97% (Shia 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%
Languages
Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)
Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Turkoman (a Turkish dialect), Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic), Armenian
Exports
clothing, semi-finished goods and textiles, agricultural products, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, hydrocarbons, electrical equipment
crude oil 84%, crude materials excluding fuels 8%, food and live animals 5%
External Debt
$24,490,000,000 $
$50,260,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Tunisian dinars (TND) per US dollar - 1.211 (2008 est.), 1.2776 (2007), 1.331 (2006), 1.2974 (2005), 1.2455 (2004)
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
1.500%
8.600%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
0
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
Area
163,610 km sq
438,317 km sq
Coastline
1,148 km
58 km
Climate
temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south
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
