Iraq

• 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

• mostly broad plains;
• reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas;
• mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey

• Euphrates river mouth (shared with Turkey[s], Syria, and Iran) - 3,596 km;
• Tigris river mouth (shared with Turkey[s], Syria, and Iran) - 1,950 km;
• the Tigris and Euphrates join to form the Shatt al Arab

note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

• population is concentrated in the north, center, and eastern parts of the country, with many of the larger urban agglomerations found along extensive parts of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers;
• much of the western and southern areas are either lightly populated or uninhabited

• dust storms;
• sandstorms;
• floods

noun:

Iraqi(s)

adjective:

Iraqi

total:

22.7 years (2025 est.)

male:

22 years

female:

22.7 years

• population is concentrated in the north, center, and eastern parts of the country, with many of the larger urban agglomerations found along extensive parts of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers;
• much of the western and southern areas are either lightly populated or uninhabited

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.8 male(s)/female

total population:

1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

18.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

20.4 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

17 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

73.7 years (2024 est.)

male:

71.9 years

female:

75.7 years

total:

0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

18.6% (2025 est.)

male:

36.2% (2025 est.)

female:

1.3% (2025 est.)

women married by age 15:

7.2% (2018)

women married by age 18:

27.9% (2018)

• habitat loss from wetland draining;
• inadequate potable water;
• soil degradation (salination) and erosion;
• desertification;
• air, soil, and groundwater pollution from military and industries;
• water pollution from oil refineries and factory and sewage discharges;
• soil pollution from fertilizer and chemicals;
• air pollution in urban areas

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Environmental Modification

• 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

urban population:

71.6% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

2.91% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

energy:

2,243 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture:

157 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste:

325 kt (2019-2021 est.)

other:

2.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

13.14 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

15.4% (2022 est.)

municipal:

6.735 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

4.52 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

31.169 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Iraq

conventional short form:

Iraq

local long form:

Jumhuriyat al-Iraq/Komar-i Eraq

local short form:

Al Iraq/Eraq

former:

Mesopotamia, Mandatory Iraq, Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq

etymology:

the name probably derives from Uruk ("Erech" in Aramaic), the ancient Sumerian and Babylonian city on the Euphrates River

name:

Baghdad

geographic coordinates:

33 20 N, 44 24 E

time difference:

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

the origin of the name is unclear; it may mean "gift of God," from the pre-Islamic words bagh (god) and dad (given)

• 19 governorates ( muhafazat , singular - muhafazah (Arabic); parezgakan, singular - parezga (Kurdish));
• 'Al Anbar;
• Al Basrah;
• Al Muthanna;
• Al Qadisiyah (Ad Diwaniyah);
• An Najaf;
• Arbil (Erbil) (Arabic), Halabjah;
• Hewler (Kurdish);
• As Sulaymaniyah (Arabic), Slemani (Kurdish);
• Babil;
• Baghdad;
• Dahuk (Arabic), Dihok (Kurdish);
• Dhi Qar;
• Diyala;
• Karbala';
• Kirkuk;
• Maysan;
• Ninawa;
• Salah ad Din;
• Wasit

note: Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government administers Arbil, Dahuk, and As Sulaymaniyah (as Hewler, Dihok, and Slemani, respectively)

history:

several previous; latest adopted by referendum 15 October 2005

amendment process:

• proposed by the president of the republic and the Council of Minsters collectively, or by one fifth of the Council of Representatives members;
• passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Council of Representatives, approval by referendum, and ratification by the president;
• passage of amendments to articles on citizen rights and liberties requires two-thirds majority vote of Council of Representatives members after two successive electoral terms, approval in a referendum, and ratification by the president

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Iraq

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

10 years

• Al Fatah Alliance
• Azm Alliance
• Babiliyun Movement
• Imtidad
• Ishraqat Konun
• Kurdistan Democratic Party
• National Contract Party
• New Generation Movement
• Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
• Sadrist Bloc
• State Forces Alliance
• State of Law Coalition
• Taqadum
• Tasmim Alliance

chief of mission:

Ambassador Nazar Issa Abdulhadi AL-KHIRULLAH (since 30 June 2023)

chancery:

1801 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone:

[1] (202) 483-7500

FAX:

[1] (202) 462-8815

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://www.iraqiembassy.us/

consulate(s) general:

Detroit, Los Angeles

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Ambassador Joshua HARRIS (since 2 September 2025)

embassy:

Al-Kindi Street, International Zone, Baghdad; note - consulate in Al Basrah closed as of 28 September 2018

mailing address:

6060 Baghdad Place, Washington DC 20521-6060

telephone:

0760-030-3000

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://iq.usembassy.gov/

description:

• three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black;
• the Takbir (Arabic phrase meaning "God is great") in green Arabic script is centered in the white band

meaning:

the colors come from the Arab Liberation flag and stand for oppression (black) overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white)

history:

the Council of Representatives approved this flag in 2008 as a compromise replacement for the Ba'thist SADDAM-era flag

note: similar to the flags of Syria (two stars but no script), Yemen (plain white band), and Egypt (a golden Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band)

title:

"Mawtini" (My Homeland)

lyrics/music:

Ibrahim TOUQAN/Mohammad FLAYFEL

history:

adopted 2004, after the ouster of SADDAM Husayn; popular Arab folk song that also serves as an unofficial anthem for the Palestinian people

total World Heritage Sites:

6 (5 cultural, 1 mixed)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (c);
• Babylon (c);
• Erbil Citadel (c);
• Hatra (c);
• Samarra Archaeological City (c);
• The Ahwar (Marshland) of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities (m)

• highly oil-dependent Middle Eastern economy;
• fiscal sustainability subject to fluctuation in oil prices;
• rising public confidence in economic conditions;
• import-dependent for most sectors;
• persistent challenges of corruption, informal markets, banking access, and political fragility

total:

32.1% (2024 est.)

male:

27.5% (2024 est.)

female:

62.7% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

28.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

4.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

lowest 10%:

3.7% (2023 est.)

highest 10%:

24.2% (2023 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

total petroleum production:

4.448 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

1.043 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

145.019 billion barrels (2021 est.)

production:

10.537 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption:

19.308 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports:

8.771 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

3.729 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

• the number of private radio and TV stations has increased rapidly since 2003;
• state-owned TV and radio stations are operated by the publicly funded Iraqi Media Network;
• private broadcast media are mostly linked to political, ethnic, or religious groups;
• satellite TV is available to about 70% of viewers;
• many broadcasters are based abroad;
• transmissions of multiple international radio broadcasters are accessible (2019)

total:

2,272 km (2014)

standard gauge:

2,272 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

total ports:

6 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

1

small:

1

very small:

4

ports with oil terminals:

3

key ports:

Al Basrah, Al-Basra Oil Terminal, Khawr Al Amaya, Khawr Al Zubair, Umm Qasr

• estimated 200,000 active armed forces personnel under the Ministry of Defense (Army, Aviation Command, Air/Air Defense, Navy, Special Forces);
• approximately 20-25,000 National-Level Security Forces

Ministry of Peshmerga:

estimated 150,000 active personnel

Popular Mobilization Forces:

estimated 200,000 militia (2025)

• Ansar al-Islam;
• Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq;
• Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force;
• Harakat al-Nujaba (HAN);
• Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya (HAAA);
• Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS);
• Jaysh Rijal al-Tariq al-Naqshabandi;
• Kata'ib Hizballah;
• Kata’ib al-Imam Ali (KIA);
• Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS);
• Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

refugees:

335,343 (2024 est.)

IDPs:

1,201,813 (2024 est.)

stateless persons:

233 (2024 est.)