Part 103
GDP (official exchange rate):
$84.14 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 46 4.5% (2009 est.)
7.8% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$3,600 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 161 $3,600 (2009 est.)
$3,500 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9.7%
industry: 63%
services: 27.3% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
8.5 million (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 21.6%
industry: 18.7%
services: 59.8% (2008 est.)
Unemployment rate:
15.3% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 153 15.2% (2008 est.)
Population below poverty line:
25% (2008 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.2% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 122 6.8% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
8.83% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 16 16.75% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
15.64% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 21 19.5% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$35.69 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 50 $30.02 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$46.01 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 68 $37.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$21.94 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 76 $10.16 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$2.6 billion (31 July 2010) country comparison to the world: 93 $2 billion (31 July 2009)
$1.878 billion (31 March 2008)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep, poultry
Industries:
petroleum, chemicals, textiles, leather, construction materials, food processing, fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing
Industrial production growth rate:
4.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
Electricity - production:
46.39 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 49
Electricity - consumption:
52 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2009 est.)
Electricity - imports:
5.6 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Oil - production:
2.399 million bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 12
Oil - consumption:
687,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Oil - exports:
1.91 million bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Oil - imports:
116,900 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 60
Oil - proved reserves:
115 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Natural gas - production:
1.88 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
Natural gas - consumption:
9.454 billion cu m country comparison to the world: 48 note: 1.48 billion cu m were flared (2008 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 168
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Natural gas - proved reserves:
3.17 trillion cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Current account balance:
$2.715 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 40 -$19.9 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$49.1 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 54 $40.86 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
crude oil 84%, crude materials excluding fuels, food and live animals
Exports - partners:
US 27.62%, India 14.45%, Italy 10.14%, South Korea 8.62%, Taiwan 5.61%, China 4.23%, Netherlands 4.13%, Japan 3.99% (2009)
Imports:
$42.56 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 51 $50 billion (2008 est.)
Imports - commodities:
food, medicine, manufactures
Imports - partners:
Turkey 24.99%, Syria 17.36%, US 8.66%, China 6.79%, Jordan 4.17%, Italy 3.98%, Germany 3.97% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$45.68 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 24 $44.38 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$52.58 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 55 $73 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Iraqi dinars (IQD) per US dollar - 1,170 (2010), 1,170 (2009), 1,176 (2008), 1,255 (2007), 1,466 (2006)
Communications ::Iraq
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.108 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 73
Telephones - mobile cellular:
19.722 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 40
Telephone system:
general assessment: the 2003 liberation of Iraq severely disrupted telecommunications throughout Iraq including international connections; widespread government efforts to rebuild domestic and international communications through fiber optic links are in progress; the mobile cellular market has expanded rapidly and its subscribership base is expected to continue increasing rapidly
domestic: repairs to switches and lines destroyed during 2003 continue; additional switching capacity is improving access; mobile-cellular service is available and centered on 3 GSM networks which are being expanded beyond their regional roots, improving country-wide connectivity; wireless local loop is available in some metropolitan areas and additional licenses have been issued with the hope of overcoming the lack of fixed-line infrastructure
international: country code - 964; satellite earth stations - 4 (2 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean, 1 Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region, and 1 Arabsat (inoperative)); local microwave radio relay connects border regions to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey; international terrestrial fiber-optic connections have been established with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Kuwait with planned connections to Iran and Jordan; a link to the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine fiber-optic cable is planned (2009)
Broadcast media:
the number of private radio and television stations has increased rapidly since 2003; government-owned TV and radio stations are operated by the publicly-funded Iraqi Public Broadcasting Service; private broadcast media are mostly linked to political, ethnic, or religious groups; satellite TV is available to an estimated 70% of viewers and many of the broadcasters are based abroad; transmissions of multiple international radio broadcasters are accessible (2007)
Internet country code:
.iq
Internet hosts:
9 (2010) country comparison to the world: 222
Internet users:
325,900 (2009) country comparison to the world: 126
Transportation ::Iraq
Airports:
104 (2010) country comparison to the world: 58
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 75
over 3,047 m: 20
2,438 to 3,047 m: 36
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 8 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 29
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 6 (2010)
Heliports:
21 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 2,501 km; liquid petroleum gas 918 km; oil 5,032 km; refined products 1,637 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 2,272 km country comparison to the world: 69 standard gauge: 2,272 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 44,900 km country comparison to the world: 83 paved: 37,851 km
unpaved: 7,049 km (2002)
Waterways:
5,279 km country comparison to the world: 23 note: Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third River (565 km) are principal waterways (2008)
Merchant marine:
total: 2 country comparison to the world: 147 by type: petroleum tanker 2
registered in other countries: 2 (Marshall Islands 2) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Al Basrah, Khawr az Zubayr, Umm Qasr
Military ::Iraq
Military branches:
Iraqi Armed Forces: Iraqi Army (includes Iraqi Special Operations Force, Iraqi Intervention Force), Iraqi Navy (former Iraqi Coastal Defense Force), Iraqi Air Force (former Iraqi Army Air Corps) (2005)
Military service age and obligation:
18-40 years of age for voluntary military service (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 7,541,723
females age 16-49: 7,238,553 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,402,171
females age 16-49: 6,232,674 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 323,328
female: 313,360 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
8.6% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 4
Transnational Issues ::Iraq
Disputes - international:
coalition forces assist Iraqis in monitoring internal and cross-border security; approximately two million Iraqis have fled the conflict in Iraq, with the majority taking refuge in Syria and Jordan, and lesser numbers to Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, and Turkey; Iraq's lack of a maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction disputes beyond the mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf; Turkey has expressed concern over the autonomous status of Kurds in Iraq
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 10,000-15,000 (Palestinian Territories); 11,773 (Iran); 16,832 (Turkey)
IDPs: 2.4 million (ongoing US-led war and ethno-sectarian violence) (2007)
page last updated on January 26, 2011
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@Ireland (Europe)
Introduction ::Ireland
Background:
Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600-150 B.C. Invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. English invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh repressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in independence from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern (Ulster) counties remained part of the UK. In 1949, Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in 1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. A peace settlement for Northern Ireland is gradually being implemented despite some difficulties. In 2006, the Irish and British governments developed and began to implement the St. Andrews Agreement, building on the Good Friday Agreement approved in 1998.
Geography ::Ireland
Location:
Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain
Geographic coordinates:
53 00 N, 8 00 W
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 70,273 sq km country comparison to the world: 119 land: 68,883 sq km
water: 1,390 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
total: 360 km
border countries: UK 360 km
Coastline:
1,448 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
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
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Carrauntoohil 1,041 m
Natural resources:
natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite
Land use:
arable land: 16.82%
permanent crops: 0.03%
other: 83.15% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Total renewable water resources:
46.8 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.18 cu km/yr (23%/77%/0%)
per capita: 284 cu m/yr (1994)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
strategic location on major air and sea routes between North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 100 km of Dublin
People ::Ireland
Population:
4,622,917 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.9% (male 454,571/female 424,022)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 1,411,336/female 1,409,760)
65 years and over: 12% (male 224,850/female 278,661) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 34.5 years
male: 34.1 years
female: 34.8 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.007% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Birth rate:
16.37 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
Death rate:
6.3 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 155
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 97
Urbanization:
urban population: 61% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.057 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.89 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 206 male: 4.29 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.07 years country comparison to the world: 26 male: 77.86 years
female: 82.41 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.03 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
5,500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 142
Nationality:
noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural)
adjective: Irish
Ethnic groups:
Irish 87.4%, other white 7.5%, Asian 1.3%, black 1.1%, mixed 1.1%, unspecified 1.6% (2006 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 87.4%, Church of Ireland 2.9%, other Christian 1.9%, other 2.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.2% (2006 census)
Languages:
English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official) spoken mainly in areas along the western coast
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 18 years
male: 18 years
female: 18 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
4.9% of GDP (2007) country comparison to the world: 73
Government ::Ireland
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Ireland
local long form: none
local short form: Eire
Government type:
republic, parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Dublin
geographic coordinates: 53 19 N, 6 14 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
29 counties and 5 cities*; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Cork*, Donegal, Dublin*, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Galway, Galway*, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Limerick*, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, North Tipperary, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, South Dublin, South Tipperary, Waterford, Waterford*, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow
Independence:
6 December 1921 (from the UK by treaty)
National holiday:
Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March
Constitution:
adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite; effective 29 December 1937
Legal system:
based on English common law substantially modified by indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mary MCALEESE (since 11 November 1997)
head of government: Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Brian COWEN (since 7 May 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nomination by the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 31 October 1997 (next scheduled for October 2011); note - Mary MCALEESE was appointed to a second term when no other candidate qualified for the 2004 presidential election; prime minister (taoiseach) nominated by the House of Representatives (Dail Eireann) and appointed by the president
election results: Mary MCALEESE elected president; percent of vote - Mary MCALEESE 44.8%, Mary BANOTTI 29.6%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of the Senate or Seanad Eireann (60 seats; 49 members elected by the universities and from candidates put forward by five vocational panels, 11 are nominated by the prime minister; members serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Dail Eireann (166 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held in July 2007 (next to be held probably in early 2011); House of Representatives - last held on 24 May 2007 (next to be held probably in early 2011)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Fianna Fail 28, Fine Gael 14, Labor Party 6, Progressive Democrats 2, Green Party 2, Sein Fein 1, independents 7; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - Fianna Fail 41.6%, Fine Gael 27.3%, Labor Party 10.1%, Sinn Fein 6.9%, Green Party 4.7%, Progressive Democrats 2.7%, other 6.7%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 78, Fine Gael 51, Labor Party 20, Sinn Fein 4, Green Party 6, Progressive Democrats 2, independents 4, Speaker of the Dail 1; note - through dissertions and attrition the makeup of both houses is greatly changed
note: on 8 November 2008, delegates voted to disband the Progressive Democrats, and in November 2009 it officially stopped operating as a political party
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister and cabinet)
Political parties and leaders:
Fianna Fail [Brian COWEN]; Fine Gael [Enda KENNY]; Green Party [John GORMLEY]; Labor Party [Eamon GILMORE]; Progressive Democrats or PD [Noel GREALISH] (formerly dissolved on 20 November 2009); Sinn Fein [Gerry ADAMS]; Socialist Party [Joe HIGGINS]; The Workers' Party [Michael FINNEGAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Families Acting for Innocent Relatives or FAIR [Brian MCCONNELL] (seek compensation for victims of violence); Families Against Intimidation and Terror or FAIT (oppose terrorism); Gaeltacht Civil Rights Campaign (Coiste Cearta Sibhialta na Gaeilge) or CCSG (encourages the use of the Irish language and campaigns for greater civil rights in Irish speaking areas); Iona Institute [David QUINN] (a conservative Catholic think tank); Irish Anti-War Movement [Richard Boyd BARRETT] (campaigns against wars around the world); Irish Republican Army or IRA (terrorist group); Keep Ireland Open (environmental group); Midland Railway Action Group or MRAG [Willie ALLEN] (transportation promoters); Peace and Neutrality Alliance [Roger COLE] (campaigns to protect Irish neutrality); Rail Users Ireland (formerly the Platform 11 - transportation promoters); 32 Country Sovereignty Movement or 32CSM (supports a fully sovereign Ireland); Ulster Defence Association or UDA (terrorist group)
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael COLLINS
chancery: 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 462-3939
FAX: [1] (202) 232-5993
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel ROONEY
embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [353] (1) 668-8777
FAX: [353] (1) 668-9946
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; officially the flag colors have no meaning, but a common interpretation is that the green represents the Irish nationalist (Gaelic) tradition of Ireland; orange represents the Orange tradition (minority supporters of William of Orange); white symbolizes peace (or a lasting truce) between the green and the orange
note: similar to the flag of Cote d'Ivoire, which is shorter and has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has colors of green (hoist side), white, and red
National anthem:
name: "Amhran na bhFiann" (The Soldier"s Song)
lyrics/music: Peadar KEARNEY [English], Liam O RINN [Irish]/Patrick HEENEY and Peadar KEARNEY
note: adopted 1926; instead of "Amhran na bhFiann," the song "Ireland"s Call" is often used in athletic events where citizens of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland compete as a unified team
Economy ::Ireland
Economy - overview: