Iran's economy is a mixture of central planning, state ownership of
oil and other large enterprises, village agriculture, and small-scale
private trading and service ventures. Over the past several years, the
government has introduced several measures to liberalize the economy
and reduce government intervention, but most of these changes have
moved slowly because of political opposition. Iran has faced
increasingly severe financial difficulties in 1992-93 due to an import
surge since 1989 and general financial mismanagement. At yearend 1993
the Iranian Government estimated that it owed foreign creditors about
$30 billion; an estimated $8 billion of this debt was in arrears.
Earnings from oil exports--which provide over 90% of Iran's export
revenues--are providing less relief to Iran than usual because of
declining oil prices. Estimated overall growth was a robust 6.3% in
1992 and a moderate 3% in 1993.
National product:
GNP - purchasing power equivalent - $303 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
3% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
$4,780 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
30% (September 1992-September 1993)
Unemployment rate:
30% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$NA
expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
$15.5 billion (f.o.b., FY92 est.)
commodities:
petroleum 90%, carpets, fruits, nuts, hides
partners:
Japan, Italy, France, Netherlands, Belgium/Luxembourg, Spain, and
Germany
Imports:
$23.7 billion (c.i.f., FY92 est.)
commodities:
machinery, military supplies, metal works, foodstuffs,
pharmaceuticals, technical services, refined oil products
partners:
Germany, Japan, Italy, UK, France
External debt:
$30 billion (December 1993)
Industrial production:
growth rate 3% (1993 est.); accounts for almost 30% of GDP, including
petroleum
Electricity:
capacity:
15,649,000 kW
production:
43.6 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
710 kWh (1992)
Industries:
petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other building
materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable
oil production), metal fabricating
Agriculture:
accounts for about 20% of GDP; principal products - wheat, rice, other
grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton, dairy products, wool,
caviar; not self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of opium poppy for the domestic and international
drug trade; net opiate importer but also a key transshipment point for
Southwest Asian heroin to Europe
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $1 billion; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
$1.675 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $976 million
note:
aid fell sharply following the 1979 revolution
Currency:
1 Iranian rial (IR) = 10 tomans
Exchange rates:
Iranian rials (IR) per US$1 - 1,748.86 (January 1994), 1,267.77
(1993), 65.552 (1992), 67.505 (1991); note - in March 1993 the Iranian
government announced a new single-parity exchange rate system with a
new official rate of 1,538 rials per dollar; there is also a black
market rate of 2200 rials per US$1 (December 1993)
Fiscal year:
21 March - 20 March
@Iran, Communications
Railroads:
4,852 km total; 4,760 km 1.432-meter gauge, 92 km 1.676-meter gauge;
480 km under construction from Bafq to Bandar-e 'Abbas, rail
construction from Bafq to Sirjan has been completed and is
operational; section from Sirjan to Bandar-e 'Abbas still under
construction
Highways:
total:
140,200 km
paved:
42,694 km
unpaved:
gravel, crushed stone 46,866 km; improved earth 49,440 km; unimproved
earth 1,200 km
Inland waterways:
904 km; the Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for
about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 meters and is in use
Pipelines:
crude oil 5,900 km; petroleum products 3,900 km; natural gas 4,550 km
Ports:
Abadan (largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war), Bandar
Beheshti, Bandar-e 'Abbas, Bandar-e Bushehr, Bandar-e Khomeyni,
Bandar-e Torkeman (Caspian Sea port), Khorramshahr (repaired after
being largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war) has been in
limited operation since November 1992
Merchant marine:
139 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,480,000 GRT/8,332,667 DWT,
bulk 48, cargo 41, chemical tanker 4, combination bulk 2, liquefied
gas 1, oil tanker 31, refrigerated cargo 3, roll-on/roll-off cargo 8,
short-sea passenger 1
Airports:
total:
219
usable:
193
with permanent-surface runways:
80
with runways over 3,659 m:
17
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
18
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
70
Telecommunications:
microwave radio relay extends throughout country; system centered in
Tehran; 2,143,000 telephones (35 telephones per 1,000 persons);
broadcast stations - 77 AM, 3 FM, 28 TV; satellite earth stations - 2
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; HF radio and
microwave radio relay to Turkey, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan,
and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber optic cable to UAE
@Iran, Defense Forces
Branches:
Islamic Republic of Iran Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense
Force, Revolutionary Guards (including Basij militia and own ground,
air, and naval forces), Law Enforcement Forces
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 14,382,216; fit for military service 8,555,760; reach
military age (21) annually 600,630 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
according to official Iranian data, Iran spent 1,785 billion rials,
including $808 million in hard currency in 1992 and budgeted 2,507
billion rials, including $850 million in hard currency for 1993 (est.)
note:
conversion of rial expenditures into US dollars using the prevailing
exchange rate could produce misleading results
@Iraq, Geography
Location:
Middle East, between Iran and Saudi Arabia
Map references:
Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
437,072 sq km
land area:
432,162 sq km
comparative area:
slightly more than twice the size of Idaho
Land boundaries:
total 3,631 km, Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 242 km, Saudi
Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 331 km
Coastline:
58 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
not specified
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
Iran and Iraq restored diplomatic relations in 1990 but are still
trying to work out written agreements settling outstanding disputes
from their eight-year war concerning border demarcation,
prisoners-of-war, and freedom of navigation and sovereignty over the
Shatt al Arab waterway; in April 1991 official Iraqi acceptance of UN
Security Council Resolution 687, which demands that Iraq accept the
inviolability of the boundary set forth in its 1963 agreement with
Kuwait, ending earlier claims to Bubiyan and Warbah islands or to all
of Kuwait; the 20 May 1993 final report of the UN Iraq/Kuwait Boundary
Demarcation Commission was welcomed by the Security Council in
Resolution 833 of 27 May 1993, which also reaffirmed that the
decisions of the commission on the boundary were final, bringing to a
completion the official demarcation of the Iraq-Kuwait boundary; Iraqi
officials still refuse to unconditionally recognize Kuwaiti
sovereignty or the inviolability of the UN demarcated border; periodic
disputes with upstream riparian Syria over Euphrates water rights;
potential dispute over water development plans by Turkey for the
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Climate:
mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers;
northernmost regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold
winters with occasionally heavy snows
Terrain:
mostly broad plains; reedy marshes in southeast; mountains along
borders with Iran and Turkey
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
Land use:
arable land:
12%
permanent crops:
1%
meadows and pastures:
9%
forest and woodland:
3%
other:
75%
Irrigated land:
25,500 sq km (1989 est)
Environment:
current issues:
government water control projects drain inhabited marsh areas, drying
up or diverting the streams and rivers that support a sizable
population of Shi'a Muslims who have inhabited these areas for
thousands of years; the destruction of the natural habitat also poses
serious threats to the wildlife populations; damage to water treatment
and sewage facilities during Gulf war; inadequate supplies of potable
water; development of Tigris-Euphrates Rivers system contingent upon
agreements with upstream riparians (Syria, Turkey); air and water
pollution; soil degradation (salinization) and erosion;
desertification
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
party to - Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified
- Environmental Modification
@Iraq, People
Population:
19,889,666 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.73% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
44.11 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
7.26 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
67.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
65.74 years
male:
64.87 years
female:
66.66 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.71 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Iraqi(s)
adjective:
Iraqi
Ethnic divisions:
Arab 75-80%, Kurdish 15-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5%
Religions:
Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60-65%, Sunni 32-37%), Christian or other 3%
Languages:
Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
60%
male:
70%
female:
49%
Labor force:
4.4 million (1989)
by occupation:
services 48%, agriculture 30%, industry 22%
note:
severe labor shortage; expatriate labor force was about 1,600,000
(July 1990); since then, it has declined substantially
@Iraq, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Iraq
conventional short form:
Iraq
local long form:
Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah
local short form:
Al Iraq
Digraph:
IZ
Type:
republic
Capital:
Baghdad
Administrative divisions:
18 provinces (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Anbar, Al Basrah,
Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah, At
Ta'mim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Karbala', Maysan,
Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit
Independence:
3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration)
National holiday:
Anniversary of the Revolution, 17 July (1968)
Constitution:
22 September 1968, effective 16 July 1970 (provisional Constitution);
new constitution drafted in 1990 but not adopted
Legal system:
based on Islamic law in special religious courts, civil law system
elsewhere; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President SADDAM Husayn (since 16 July 1979); Vice President Taha
Muhyi al-Din MARUF (since 21 April 1974); Vice President Taha Yasin
RAMADAN (since 23 March 1991)
head of government:
Prime Minister Ahmad Husayn Khudayir al-SAMARRAI (since 5 September
1993); Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Mikhail AZIZ (since NA 1979)
Revolutionary Command Council:
Chairman SADDAM Husayn, Vice Chairman Izzat IBRAHIM al-Duri
cabinet:
Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
unicameral
National Assembly (Majlis al-Watani):
elections last held on 1 April 1989 (next to be held NA); results -
Sunni Arabs 53%, Shi'a Arabs 30%, Kurds 15%, Christians 2% est.; seats
- (250 total) number of seats by party NA
note:
in northern Iraq, a "Kurdish Assembly" was elected in May 1992 and
calls for Kurdish self-determination within a federated Iraq; the
assembly is not recognized by the Baghdad government
Judicial branch:
Court of Cassation
Political parties and leaders:
Ba'th Party
Other political or pressure groups:
political parties and activity severely restricted; opposition to
regime from disaffected members of the Baath Party, Army officers, and
Shi'a religious and ethnic Kurdish dissidents; the Green Party
(government-controlled)
Member of:
ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Iraq has an Interest Section in the Algerian Embassy in Washington, DC
chancery:
Iraqi Interests Section, 1801 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:
(202) 483-7500
FAX:
(202) 462-5066
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
(vacant); note - operations have been temporarily suspended; a US
Interests Section is located in Poland's embassy in Baghdad
embassy:
Masbah Quarter (opposite the Foreign Ministry Club), Baghdad
mailing address:
P. O. Box 2447 Alwiyah, Baghdad
telephone:
[964] (1) 719-6138 or 719-6139, 718-1840, 719-3791
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with three
green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white
band; the phrase ALLAHU AKBAR (God is Great) in green Arabic script -
Allahu to the right of the middle star and Akbar to the left of the
middle star - was added in January 1991 during the Persian Gulf
crisis; similar to the flag of Syria that has two stars but no script
and the flag of Yemen that has a plain white band; also similar to the
flag of Egypt that has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band
@Iraq, Economy
Overview:
The Ba'thist regime engages in extensive central planning and
management of industrial production and foreign trade while leaving
some small-scale industry and services and most agriculture to private
enterprise. The economy has been dominated by the oil sector, which
has traditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings. In
the 1980s, financial problems caused by massive expenditures in the
eight-year war with Iran and damage to oil export facilities by Iran,
led the government to implement austerity measures and to borrow
heavily and later reschedule foreign debt payments. After the end of
hostilities in 1988, oil exports gradually increased with the
construction of new pipelines and restoration of damaged facilities.
Agricultural development remained hampered by labor shortages,
salinization, and dislocations caused by previous land reform and
collectivization programs. The industrial sector, although accorded
high priority by the government, also was under financial constraints.
Iraq's seizure of Kuwait in August 1990, subsequent international
economic embargoes, and military action by an international coalition
beginning in January 1991 drastically changed the economic picture.
Industrial and transportation facilities suffered severe damage and
have been only partially restored. Oil exports remain at less than 10%
of the previous level. Shortages of spare parts continue. Living
standards deteriorated even further in 1993 and early 1994; consumer
prices at least tripled in 1993. The UN-sponsored economic embargo has
reduced exports and imports and has contributed to the sharp rise in
prices. The government's policies of supporting large military and
internal security forces and of allocating resources to key supporters
of the regime have exacerbated shortages. In brief, per capita output
in 1993-94 is far below the 1989-90 level, but no precise estimate is
available.
National product:
GNP - purchasing power equivalent - $38 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
NA%
National product per capita:
$2,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
200% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues:
$NA
expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
$10.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
crude oil and refined products, fertilizer, sulfur
partners:
US, Brazil, Turkey, Japan, Netherlands, Spain (1990)
Imports:
$6.6 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
manufactures, food
partners:
Germany, US, Turkey, France, UK (1990)
External debt:
$45 billion (1989 est.), excluding debt of about $35 billion owed to
Arab Gulf states
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%; manufacturing accounts for 10% of GNP (1989)
Electricity:
capacity:
7,300,000 kW available out of 9,902,000 kW due to Gulf war
production:
12.9 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
700 kWh (1992)
Industries:
petroleum production and refining, chemicals, textiles, construction
materials, food processing
Agriculture:
accounted for 11% of GNP and 30% of labor force before the Gulf war;
principal products - wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, other
fruit, cotton, wool; livestock - cattle, sheep; not self-sufficient in
food output
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $3 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $647
million; Communist countries (1970-89), $3.9 billion
Currency:
1 Iraqi dinar (ID) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates:
Iraqi dinars (ID) per US$1 - 3.2 (fixed official rate since 1982);
black-market rate (May 1994) US$1 = 370 Iraqi dinars
Fiscal year:
calendar year
@Iraq, Communications
Railroads:
2,457 km 1.435-meter standard gauge
Highways:
total:
34,700 km
paved:
17,500 km
unpaved:
improved earth 5,500 km; unimproved earth 11,700 km
Inland waterways:
1,015 km; Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for
about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 meters and is in use;
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers have navigable sections for shallow-draft
watercraft; Shatt al Basrah canal was navigable by shallow-draft craft
before closing in 1991 because of the Persian Gulf war
Pipelines:
crude oil 4,350 km; petroleum products 725 km; natural gas 1,360 km
Ports:
Umm Qasr reopened in November 1993; Khawr az Zubayr and Al Basrah have
been closed since 1980
Merchant marine:
37 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 805,205 GRT/1,444,810 DWT, cargo
15, oil tanker 16, passenger 1, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo
1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3
note:
none of the Iraqi flag merchant fleet was trading internationally as
of 1 January 1993
Airports:
total:
118
usable:
105
with permanent-surface runways:
76
with runways over 3,659 m:
10
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
51
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
17
Telecommunications:
reconstitution of damaged telecommunication facilities began after
Desert Storm, most damaged facilities have been rebuilt; the network
consists of coaxial cables and microwave radio relay links; 632,000
telephones; broadcast stations - 16 AM, 1 FM, 13 TV; satellite earth
stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1
Atlantic Ocean GORIZONT in the Intersputnik system and 1 ARABSAT;
coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and
Turkey, Kuwait line is probably non-operational
@Iraq, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army and Republican Guard, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Border
Guard Force, Internal Security Forces
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 4,428,193; fit for military service 2,487,319; reach
military age (18) annually 219,641 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GNP
@Ireland, Geography
Location:
Western Europe, in the North Atlantic Ocean, across the Irish Sea from
Great Britain
Map references:
Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
70,280 sq km
land area:
68,890 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
total 360 km, UK 360 km
Coastline:
1,448 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
not specified
exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
Northern Ireland question with the UK; Rockall continental shelf
dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK
have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)
Climate:
temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters,
cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
Terrain:
mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and
low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast
Natural resources:
zinc, lead, natural gas, petroleum, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone,
dolomite, peat, silver
Land use:
arable land:
14%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
71%
forest and woodland:
5%
other:
10%
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
party to - Air Pollution, Environmental Modification, Hazardous
Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Tropical Timber, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air
Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Note:
strategic location on major air and sea routes between North American
and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 60
miles of Dublin
@Ireland, People
Population:
3,539,296 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.3% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
14.21 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
8.59 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
-2.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
7.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
75.68 years
male:
72.85 years
female:
78.68 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.99 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Irishman(men), Irishwoman(men), Irish (collective plural)
adjective:
Irish
Ethnic divisions:
Celtic, English
Religions:
Roman Catholic 93%, Anglican 3%, none 1%, unknown 2%, other 1% (1981)
Languages:
Irish (Gaelic), spoken mainly in areas located along the western
seaboard, English is the language generally used
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1981 est.)
total population:
98%
male:
NA%
female:
NA%
Labor force:
1.37 million
by occupation:
services 57.0%, manufacturing and construction 28%, agriculture,
forestry, and fishing 13.5%, energy and mining 1.5% (1992)
@Ireland, Government