Travelling Club - Iraq

Fact Sheet: Iraq

• Location: Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
• Geographic coordinates: 33 00 N, 44 00 E
• Area: total: 437,072 sq km
• 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
• Terrain: mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey
• Natural hazards: dust storms, sandstorms, floods
• Population: 26,783,383 (July 2006 est.)
• Ethnic groups: 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
• Government type: transitional democracy
• Capital: name: Baghdad
• Currency code: New Iraqi dinar (NID) as of 22 January 2004
• Exchange rates: New Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 1,475 (2005), 1,890 (second half, 2003), 0.3109 (2001)
• Internet country code: .iq
• Airports: 110 (2006)