n border in
south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran
and Turkey

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m

highest point: Haji Ibrahim 3,600 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur

Land use: arable land: 12%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 9%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 79% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 25,500 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: dust storms, sandstorms, floods

Environment - current issues: government water control projects have
drained most of the inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by
drying up or diverting the feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable
population of Shi'a Muslims, who have inhabited these areas for
thousands of years, has been displaced; furthermore, the destruction
of the natural habitat poses serious threats to the area's wildlife
populations; inadequate supplies of potable water; development of
Tigris-Euphrates Rivers system contingent upon agreements with
upstream riparian Turkey; air and water pollution; soil degradation
(salination) and erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements: party to: Law of the Sea,
Nuclear Test Ban

signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Iraq People

Population: 23,331,985 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 41.64% (male 4,934,340; female 4,781,206)

15-64 years: 55.28% (male 6,528,854; female 6,368,823)

65 years and over: 3.08% (male 335,953; female 382,809) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.84% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 34.64 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 6.21 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female

total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 60.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 66.95 years

male: 65.92 years

female: 68.03 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.75 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.01% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Iraqi(s)

adjective: Iraqi

Ethnic groups: Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyri