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Executive
branch:
chief of state: Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG)
President Jalal TALABANI (since 6 April 2005); Deputy Presidents
Adil Abd AL-MAHDI and Ghazi al-Ujayl al-YAWR (since 6 April
2005); note - the President and Deputy Presidents comprise the
Presidency Council)
head of government: Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG)
Prime Minister Ibrahim al-JAFARI (since April 2005); Deputy
Prime Ministers Rowsch SHAWAYS, Ahmad CHALABI, and Abid al-Mutlaq
al-JABBURI (since May 2005)
cabinet: 32 ministers appointed by the Presidency
Council, plus Prime Minister Ibrahim al-JAFARI, Deputy Prime
Ministers Rowsch SHAWAYS, Ahmad CHALABI, and Abid al-Mutlaq al-JABBURI
elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member
Council of Representatives that will finalize a permanent
constitution
Capital:
Baghdad
Population:
26,074,906
(July 2005 est.)
Languages:
Arabic,
Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and
Kuwait
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
Land boundaries:
total:
3,650 km
border countries: Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait
240 km, Saudi Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 352 km
Background:
Formerly
part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain during
the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League of
Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next
dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in
1932. A "republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in
actuality a series of military strongmen ruled the country, the
latest was SADDAM Husayn. Territorial disputes with Iran led to
an inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August
1990, Iraq seized Kuwait, but was expelled by US-led, UN
coalition forces during the Gulf War of January-February 1991.
Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN Security Council (UNSC)
required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and
long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections.
Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions over a
period of 12 years resulted in the US-led invasion of Iraq in
March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. Coalition
forces remain in Iraq, helping to restore degraded
infrastructure and facilitating the establishment of a freely
elected government, while simultaneously dealing with a robust
insurgency. The Coalition Provisional Authority transferred
sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government (IG) in June 2004.
Iraqis voted on 30 January 2005 to elect a 275-member
Transitional National Assembly and voted on 15 December 2005 to
elect a 275-member Council of Representatives that will finalize
a permanent constitution.
Administrative divisions:
18 governorates (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
International
organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO,
ITU, LAS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
GDP
(purchasing power parity):
$94.1
billion (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,400 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by
sector:
agriculture: 7.3%
industry: 66.6%
services: 26.1% (2004 est.)
Agriculture
- products:
wheat,
barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep, poultry
Industries:
petroleum,
chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food processing,
fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing
By
the
Courtesy of World
Fact Book - Iraq and
Wikipedia
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