| Local name: Al-Jumhuriya al'Iraqiya ad-Dimuqratiya ash-Sha'abiya |
| Surface : 168,928 square miles (437,522 square
kilometers).......Iraq shares borders with Turkey, Iran, the Gulf
of Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria. There is also a neutral zone between Iraq
and Saudi Arabia administered jointly by the two countries. Iraq's portion covers 3522 sq
km (1360 sq miles). |
| Population : (1997 estimate) 22,219,289 |
| Climate: Most of Iraq has a continental climate with extremes
of heat and cold. The mountainous northern portion of the country has cool summers and
cold winters, often accompanied by snow. In central Iraq the summers are long and hot and
the winters short and cool. The mean January temperature in Baghdad is 9.4° C (49° F);
for the months of July and August it is 33.3° C (92° F), and temperatures as high as
50.6° C (123° F) have been recorded. In the southern area around the Persian Gulf some
of the highest atmospheric temperatures in the world have been recorded, and humidity is
high. In the northeastern highlands rainfall is considerable from October to May, but
farther south, on the central alluvial plain, precipitation is slight, averaging
approximately 152 mm (approximately 6 in) annually. The Syrian Desert gets little or no
precipitation. |
| Capital : Baghdad (1985 estimate) (4,648,600) |
| Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Various 2- and 3-pin plugs are in use. |
| Languages : Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish
regions), Assyrian, Armenian |
| Religions : 45% Sunni Muslim, 50% Shia
Muslim, with Druze and Christian minorities. |
| Money : Iraqi Dinar (ID) = 20
dirhams = 1000 fils |
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