Chapter XXIX: Front Matter (29)

Background:
Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979
after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and the shah was forced
into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a theocratic
system of government with ultimate political authority nominally
vested in a learned religious scholar. Iranian-US relations have
been strained since a group of Iranian students seized the US
Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held it until 20 January
1981. During 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq
that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes
between US Navy and Iranian military forces between 1987-1988. Iran
has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for its activities
in Lebanon and elsewhere in the world and remains subject to US
economic sanctions and export controls because of its continued
involvement. Following the elections of a reformist President and
Majlis in the late 1990s, attempts to foster political reform in
response to popular dissatisfaction have floundered as conservative
politicians have prevented reform measures from being enacted,
increased repressive measures, and consolidated their control over
the government.

Geography Iran

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the
Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan

Geographic coordinates:
32 00 N, 53 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 1.648 million sq km
land: 1.636 million sq km
water: 12,000 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Alaska

Land boundaries:
total: 5,440 km
border countries: Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km,
Azerbaijan-proper 432 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 179 km, Iraq
1,458 km, Pakistan 909 km, Turkey 499 km, Turkmenistan 992 km

Coastline:
2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: natural prolongation
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements or median lines in the
Persian Gulf

Climate:
mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast

Terrain:
rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts,
mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead,
manganese, zinc, sulfur

Land use:
arable land: 8.72%
permanent crops: 1.39%
other: 89.89% (2001)

Irrigated land:
75,620 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
air pollution, especially in urban areas, from vehicle emissions,
refinery operations, and industrial effluents; deforestation;
overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf;
wetland losses from drought; soil degradation (salination);
inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution from raw
sewage and industrial waste; urbanization

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the
Sea, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which
are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport

People Iran

Population:
69,018,924 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28% (male 9,935,527; female 9,411,647)
15-64 years: 67.2% (male 23,608,621; female 22,744,128)
65 years and over: 4.8% (male 1,645,246; female 1,673,755) (2004
est.)

Median age:
total: 23.5 years
male: 23.3 years
female: 23.7 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.07% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
17.1 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
5.53 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 42.86 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 42.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 43.01 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.66 years
male: 68.31 years
female: 71.07 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.93 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
20,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
290 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Iranian(s)
adjective: Iranian

Ethnic groups:
Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab
3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%

Religions:
Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian,
and Baha'i 2%

Languages:
Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%,
Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.4%
male: 85.6%
female: 73% (2003 est.)

Government Iran

Country name:
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Iran
conventional short form: Iran
local short form: Iran
former: Persia
local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran

Government type:
theocratic republic

Capital:
Tehran

Administrative divisions:
28 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e
Gharbi, Azarbayjan-e Sharqi, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari,
Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Golestan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman,
Kermanshah, Khorasan, Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh va Buyer Ahmad,
Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan,
Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan

Independence:
1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)

National holiday:
Republic Day, 1 April (1979)
note: additional holidays celebrated widely in Iran include
Revolution Day, 11 February (1979); Noruz (New Year's Day), 21
March; Constitutional Monarchy Day, 5 August (1925)

Constitution:
2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency
and eliminate the prime ministership

Legal system:
the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government

Suffrage:
15 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI
(since 4 June 1989)
elections: leader of the Islamic Revolution appointed for life by
the Assembly of Experts; president elected by popular vote for a
four-year term; election last held 8 June 2001 (next to be held June
2005)
election results: (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani reelected
president; percent of vote - (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani 77%
cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with
legislative approval; the Supreme Leader has some control over
appointments to the more sensitive ministries
head of government: President (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani (since
3 August 1997); First Vice President Dr. Mohammad Reza AREF-Yazdi
(since 26 August 2001)

Legislative branch:
unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or
Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (290 seats, note - changed from 270 seats
with the 18 February 2000 election; members elected by popular vote
to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 20 February 2004 with a runoff held 7 May 2004
(next to be held February 2008)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party -
conservatives/Islamists 190, reformers 50, independents 43,
religious minorities 5, and 2 seats unaccounted for

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court - above a special clerical court, a revolutionary
court, and a special administrative court

Political parties and leaders:
formal political parties are a relatively new phenomenon in the
Islamic Republic and most conservatives still prefer to work through
political pressure groups rather than parties; a loose pro-reform
coalition called the 2nd Khordad front, which includes political
parties as well as less formal pressure groups and organizations,
achieved considerable success at elections to the sixth Majles in
early 2000; groups in the coalition include: Islamic Iran
Participation Front (IIPF); Executives of Construction Party
(Kargozaran); Solidarity Party; Islamic Labor Party; Mardom Salari;
Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization (MIRO); and
Militant Clerics Society (Ruhaniyun); the coalition is expected to
participate in the seventh Majles elections in early 2004; a new
apparently conservative group, the Builders of Islamic Iran, took a
leading position in the new Majles afte winning a majority of the
seats in February 2004

Political pressure groups and leaders:
political pressure groups conduct most of Iran's political
activities; groups that generally support the Islamic Republic
include Ansar-e Hizballah, Muslim Students Following the Line of the
Imam, Tehran Militant Clergy Association (Ruhaniyat), Islamic
Coalition Party (Motalefeh), and Islamic Engineers Society; active
pro-reform student groups include the Organization for Strengthening
Unity; opposition groups include Freedom Movement of Iran, the
National Front, Marz-e Por Gohar, and various ethnic and Monarchist
organizations; armed political groups that have been almost
completely repressed by the government include Mujahidin-e Khalq
Organization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Democratic Party of Iranian
Kurdistan, and Komala

International organization participation:
CP, ECO, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory),
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none; note - Iran has an Interests Section in the Pakistani
Embassy; address: Iranian Interests Section, Pakistani Embassy, 2209
Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: [1] (202)
965-4990; FAX [1] (202) 965-1073

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the
national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah in the
shape of a tulip, a symbol of martyrdom) in red is centered in the
white band; ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script is
repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11
times along the top edge of the red band

Economy Iran

Economy - overview:
Iran's economy is marked by a bloated, inefficient state sector,
over reliance on the oil sector, and statist policies that create
major distortions throughout. Most economic activity is controlled
by the state. Private sector activity is typically small-scale -
workshops, farming, and services. President KHATAMI has continued to
follow the market reform plans of former President RAFSANJANI, with
limited progress. Relatively high oil prices in recent years have
enabled Iran to amass some $22 billion in foreign exchange reserves,
but have not eased economic hardships such as high unemployment and
inflation. In December 2003 a major earthquake devastated the city
of Bam in southeastern Iran, killing more than 30,000 people.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $478.2 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
6.1% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $7,000 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 12.5%
industry: 41.2%
services: 46.2% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
28.6% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
40% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
16.4% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
22.32 million
note: shortage of skilled labor (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
15.7% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $40.38 billion
expenditures: $40.29 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.6
billion (2003 est.)

Public debt:
28.2% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy
products, wool; caviar

Industries:
petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction
materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and
vegetable oil production), metal fabricating, armaments

Industrial production growth rate:
3% excluding oil (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
124.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
115.9 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
3.804 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
1.277 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
2.2 million bbl/day (2003)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
94.39 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
61.5 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
65.59 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
110 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
4.2 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
24.8 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$3.935 billion (2003)

Exports:
$29.88 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and
nuts, carpets

Exports - partners:
Japan 21.8%, China 9.7%, Italy 6.3%, Taiwan 5.5%, Turkey 5.4%,
South Korea 5.4% (2003)

Imports:
$25.26 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods,
foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military
supplies

Imports - partners:
Germany 11%, France 8.6%, China 8.4%, Italy 8.1%, UAE 7.9%, South
Korea 6.5%, Russia 4.8%, Japan 4.1% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$25.13 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$10.96 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$408 million (2002 est.)

Currency:
Iranian rial (IRR)

Currency code:
IRR

Exchange rates:
rials per US dollar - 8,193.89 (2003), 6,906.96 (2002), 1,753.56
(2001), 1,764.43 (2000), 1,752.93 (1999)
note: Iran has been using a managed floating exchange rate regime
since unifying multiple exchange rates in March 2002.

Fiscal year:
21 March - 20 March

Communications Iran

Telephones - main lines in use:
14,571,100 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
3,376,500 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate but currently being modernized and
expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and
increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing
telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently
connected
domestic: as a result of heavy investing in the telephone system
since 1994, the number of long-distance channels in the microwave
radio relay trunk has grown substantially; many villages have been
brought into the net; the number of main lines in the urban systems
has approximately doubled; and thousands of mobile cellular
subscribers are being served; moreover, the technical level of the
system has been raised by the installation of thousands of digital
switches
international: country code - 98; HF radio and microwave radio relay
to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria,
Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to
UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan
through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion
to Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and
4 Inmarsat

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998)

Radios:
17 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
4.61 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.ir

Internet hosts:
5,269 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
100 (2002)

Internet users:
4.3 million (2003)

Transportation Iran

Railways:
total: 7,203 km
broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,109 km 1.435-m gauge (189 km electrified) (2003)

Highways:
total: 167,157 km
paved: 94,109 km (including 890 km of expressways)
unpaved: 73,048 km (1998)

Waterways:
850 km (on Karun River and Lake Urmia) (2004)

Pipelines:
condensate/gas 212 km; gas 16,998 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km;
oil 8,256 km; refined products 7,808 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Abadan (largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war), Ahvaz,
Bandar 'Abbas, Bandar-e Anzali, Bushehr, Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni,
Bandar-e Lengeh, Bandar-e Mahshahr, Bandar-e Torkaman, Chabahar
(Bandar Beheshti), Jazireh-ye Khark, Jazireh-ye Lavan, Jazireh-ye
Sirri, Khorramshahr (limited operation since November 1992), Now
Shahr

Merchant marine:
total: 134 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,715,242 GRT/8,240,069 DWT
by type: bulk 40, cargo 36, chemical tanker 3, container 7,
liquefied gas 1, multi-functional large load carrier 5, petroleum
tanker 33, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea/passenger 1
registered in other countries: 10 (2004 est.)

Airports:
303 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 127
over 3,047 m: 39
2,438 to 3,047 m: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 32
under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 26

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 178
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
under 914 m: 39 (2004 est.)
914 to 1,523 m: 129

Heliports:
13 (2003 est.)

Military Iran

Military branches:
Islamic Republic of Iran regular forces (includes Ground Forces,
Navy, Air Force and Air Defense Command), Islamic Revolutionary
Guards Corps (IRGC) (includes Ground Forces, Air Force, Navy, Qods
Force [special operations], and Basij [Popular Mobilization Army]),
Law Enforcement Forces

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age
for volunteers; soldiers as young as 9 were recruited extensively
during the Iran-Iraq war; conscript service obligation - 18 months
(2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 20,937,348 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 12,434,810 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 912,569 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$4.3 billion (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.3% (2003 est.)

Transnational Issues Iran

Disputes - international:
Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed waters on
Helmand River tributaries in periods of drought; thousands of Afghan
refugees still reside in Iran; creation of a maritime boundary with
Iraq remains in hiatus until full sovereignty is restored in Iraq;
Iran and UAE engage in direct talks and solicit Arab League support
to resolve disputes over Iran's occupation of Tunb Islands and Abu
Musa Island; Iran stands alone among littoral states in insisting
upon a division of the Caspian Sea into five equal sectors

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 1,223,823 (Afghanistan), 124,014
(Iraq) (2004)

Illicit drugs:
despite substantial interdiction efforts, Iran remains a key
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; domestic
narcotics consumption remains a persistent problem and according to
official Iranian statistics there are at least 2 million drug users
in the country; lax anti-money-laundering regulations

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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@Iraq

Introduction Iraq

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 and the election of its president,
Ghazi al-Ujayl al-YAWR, was held in January 2005.

Geography Iraq

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait

Geographic coordinates:
33 00 N, 44 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 437,072 sq km
water: 4,910 sq km
land: 432,162 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Idaho

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

Coastline:
58 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: not specified

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

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: unamed peak 3,611 m; note - this peak is not Gundah
Zhur 3,607 m or Kuh-e Hajji-Ebrahim 3,595 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur

Land use:
arable land: 13.15%
permanent crops: 0.78%
other: 86.07% (2001)

Irrigated land:
35,250 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
dust storms, sandstorms, floods

Environment - current issues:
government water control projects have drained most of the
inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting
the feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of Marsh
Arabs, who inhabited these areas for thousands of years, has been
displaced; furthermore, the destruction of the natural habitat poses
serious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequate
supplies of potable water; development of the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers system contingent upon agreements with upstream riparian
Turkey; air and water pollution; soil degradation (salination) and
erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the
Persian Gulf

People Iraq

Population:
25,374,691 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 40.3% (male 5,198,966; female 5,039,173)
15-64 years: 56.7% (male 7,280,167; female 7,094,688)
65 years and over: 3% (male 357,651; female 404,046) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.2 years
male: 19.1 years
female: 19.3 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.74% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
33.09 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
5.66 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 52.71 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 46.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 58.58 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.26 years
male: 67.09 years
female: 69.48 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.4 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Iraqi(s)
adjective: Iraqi

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

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 40.4%
male: 55.9%
female: 24.4% (2003 est.)

Government Iraq

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Iraq
conventional short form: Iraq
local short form: Al Iraq
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah

Government type:
none; note - the Iraqi Interim Government (IG) was appointed on 1
June 2004

Capital:
Baghdad

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

Independence:
3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration); note - on 28 June 2004 the Coalition Provisional
Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government

National holiday:
Revolution Day, 17 July (1968); note - this holiday was celebrated
under the SADDAM Husayn regime but the Iraqi Interim Government has
yet to declare a new national holiday

Constitution:
interim constitution signed 8 March 2004; note - the Transitional
Administrative Law (TAL) was enacted 8 March 2004 to govern the
country until an elected Iraqi Transitional Government can draft and
ratify a new constitution in 2005

Legal system:
based on civil and Islamic law under the Iraqi Interim Government
(IG) and Transitional Administrative Law (TAL)

Suffrage:
formerly 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Interim Iraqi Government (IG) President Ghazi al-Ujayl al-YAWR (since 1 June 2004); Deputy Presidents Ibrahim al-JAFARI and Rowsch SHAWAYS (since 1 June 2004); note - the President and Deputy Presidents comprise the Presidency Council head of government: Interim Iraqi Government (IG) Prime Minister Ayad ALLAWI (since 28 June 2004) cabinet: 31 ministers appointed by the Presidency Council, plus a Deputy Prime Minister, Barham SALIH elections: scheduled to be held January 2005

Legislative branch:
Iraqi Interim National Council formed in July 2004

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court appointed by the Prime Minister, confirmed by the
Presidency Council

Political parties and leaders:
note - the Iraqi political parties included below reflect only the
major groups; new political parties continue to emerge, indicative
of a rapidly changing political landscape; Al-Sadr Movement [Muqtada
Al-SADR]; Da'wa Party [Ibrahim al-JA'FARI]; Iraqi Hizballah [Karim
Mahud al-MUHAMMADAWI]; Iraqi National Accord or INA [Ayad ALLAWI];
Iraqi National Congress or INC [Ahmad CHALABI]; Jama'at al Fadilah
or JAF [Ayatollah Muhammad ' Ali al-YAQUBI]; The Supreme Council for
the Islamic Revolution in Iraq or SCIRI [Abd al-Aziz al-HAKIM];
Constitutional Monarchy Movement or CMM [Sharif Ali Bin al-HUSAYN];
Independent Iraqi Alliance or IIA [Falah al-NAQIB]; Iraqi
Independent Democrats or IID [Adnan PACHACHI, Mahdi al-HAFIZ]; Iraqi
Islamic Party or IIP [Muhsin Abd al-HAMID, Hajim al-HASSANI]; Iraqi
National Unity Movement or INUM [Ahmad al-KUBAYSI, chariman]; Muslim
Ulama Council or MUC [Harith Sulayman al-DARI, secretary general];
Kurdistan Democratic Party or KDP [Masud BARZANI]; Patriotic Union
of Kurdistan or PUK [Jalal TALABANI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
an insurgency against the Iraqi Interim Government and Coalition
forces is primarily concentrated in Baghdad and in areas west and
north of the capital; the diverse, multigroup insurgency is led
principally by Sunni Arabs whose only common denominator is a shared
desire to oust the Coalition and end US influence in Iraq

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, WTO (observer), WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
chancery: 1801 P Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036
FAX: [1] (202) 462-5066
telephone: [1] (202) 483-7500

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John D. NEGROPONTE
embassy: Baghdad
mailing address: APO AE 09316
telephone: 00-1-240-553-0584 ext. 4354; note - Consular Section
FAX: NA

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with
three green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the
white band; the phrase ALLAHU AKBAR (God is Great) in green Arabic
script - Allahu to the right of the middle star and Akbar to the
left of the middle star - was added in January 1991 during the
Persian Gulf crisis; similar to the flag of Syria, which has two
stars but no script, Yemen, which has a plain white band, and that
of Egypt which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white
band; design is based upon the Arab Liberation colors

Economy Iraq

Economy - overview:
Iraq's economy is dominated by the oil sector, which has
traditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings. In
the 1980s financial problems caused by massive expenditures in the
eight-year war with Iran and damage to oil export facilities by Iran
led the government to implement austerity measures, borrow heavily,
and later reschedule foreign debt payments; Iraq suffered economic
losses from that war of at least $100 billion. After hostilities
ended in 1988, oil exports gradually increased with the construction
of new pipelines and restoration of damaged facilities. Iraq's
seizure of Kuwait in August 1990, subsequent international economic
sanctions, and damage from military action by an international
coalition beginning in January 1991 drastically reduced economic
activity. Although government policies supporting large military and
internal security forces and allocating resources to key supporters
of the regime have hurt the economy, implementation of the UN's
oil-for-food program beginning in December 1996 helped improve
conditions for the average Iraqi citizen. Iraq was allowed to export
limited amounts of oil in exchange for food, medicine, and some
infrastructure spare parts. In December 1999, the UN Security
Council authorized Iraq to export under the program as much oil as
required to meet humanitarian needs. The drop in GDP in 2001-02 was
largely the result of the global economic slowdown and lower oil
prices. Per capita food imports increased significantly, while
medical supplies and health care services steadily improved. Per
capita output and living standards were still well below the
pre-1991 level, but any estimates have a wide range of error. The
military victory of the US-led coalition in March-April 2003
resulted in the shutdown of much of the central economic
administrative structure, but with the loss of a comparatively small
amount of capital plant. The rebuilding of oil, electricity, and
other production is proceeding steadily at the start of 2004 with
foreign support and despite the continuation of severe internal
strife. A joint UN and World Bank report released in the fall of
2003 estimated that Iraq's key reconstruction needs through 2007
would cost $55 billion. In October 2003, international donors
pledged assistance worth more than $33 billion toward this
rebuilding effort.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $37.92 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
-21.8% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6%
industry: 13%
services: 81% (1993 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
29.3% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
7.8 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA

Unemployment rate:
NA (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $12.8 billion NA
expenditures: $13.4 billion NA, including capital expenditures of NA
(2004 budget)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep

Industries:
petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food
processing

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
36.01 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
33.49 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
2.2 million bbl/day; note - prewar production was 2.8 million
bbl/day (January 2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
460,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
1.7 million bbl/day (January 2004)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
113.8 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
2.76 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
2.76 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
3.149 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$1.136 billion (2003)

Exports:
$7.542 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil

Exports - partners:
US 48.8%, Jordan 8.4%, Canada 8%, Italy 7.9%, Morocco 5.3% (2003)

Imports:
$6.521 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
food, medicine, manufactures

Imports - partners:
Turkey 18.1%, Jordan 13.4%, Vietnam 10.7%, US 6.9%, Germany 5%, UK
4.7% (2003)

Debt - external:
$93.95 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
more than $33 billion in foreign aid pledged for 2004-07 (2004)

Currency:
New Iraqi dinar (NID) as of 22 January 2004

Currency code:
NID, IQD prior to 22 January 2004

Exchange rates:
New Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 1,890 (second half, 2003)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Iraq

Telephones - main lines in use:
675,000; note - an unknown number of telephone lines were damaged
or destroyed during the March-April 2003 war (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
20,000 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: the 2003 war severely disrupted
telecommunications throughout Iraq including international
connections; USAID is overseeing the repair of switching capability
and the construction of mobile and satellite communications
facilities
domestic: repairs to switches and lines destroyed in the recent
fighting continue but sabotage remains a problem; cellular service
is expected to be in place within two years
international: country code - 964; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik
(Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Arabsat (inoperative); coaxial cable
and microwave radio relay to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey;
Kuwait line is probably nonoperational

Radio broadcast stations:
after 17 months of unregulated media growth, there are
approximately 80 radio stations on the air inside Iraq (2004)

Radios:
4.85 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
21 (2004)

Televisions:
1.75 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.iq

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
25,000 (2002)

Transportation Iraq

Railways:
total: 1,963 km
standard gauge: 1,963 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)

Highways:
total: 45,550 km
paved: 38,399 km
unpaved: 7,151 km (2000 est.)

Waterways:
5,275 km (not all navigable)
note: Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,895 km), and Third
River (565 km) are principal waterways (2004)

Pipelines:
gas 1,739 km; oil 5,418 km; refined products 1,343 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Umm Qasr, Khawr az Zubayr, and Al Basrah have limited functionality

Merchant marine:
total: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 83,221 GRT/125,255 DWT
by type: cargo 6, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 5, roll
on/roll off 1
registered in other countries: 3 (2004 est.)

Airports:
111; note - unknown number were damaged during the March-April 2003
war (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 79
over 3,047 m: 21
2,438 to 3,047 m: 36
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 32
under 914 m: 9 (2004 est.)
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5

Heliports:
6 (2003 est.)

Military Iraq

Military branches:
note: in the summer of 2003 the Coalition Provisional Authority
(CPA) began recruiting and training a New Iraqi Army (NIA) that
would have a purely defensive mission and capability; in March 2004,
the Iraqi Interim Government established a Ministry of Defense to
create an Iraqi Armed Force; at that time the NIA was renamed the
Iraqi Armed Force - Army (IAF-A); plans also were put into effect to
reconstitute an Iraqi Army Air Corps (IAAC) and Coastal Defense
Force (navy), but there are no plans to reconstitute an Iraqi Air
Force; the Army's primary new focus will be domestic
counterinsurgency, which is a change of direction from the CPA's
intent to create an army not involved in domestic politics; in
mid-2004 the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (ICDC) was designated the
Iraqi National Guard (ING) and subordinated to the Defense Ministry
and the Iraqi Armed Forces Pre-war Iraqi military equipment was
largely destroyed by Coalition forces during combat operations in
early 2003 or subsequently looted or scrapped (September 2004)

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age; the Iraqi Interim Government is creating a new
professional Iraqi military force of men aged 18 to 40 to defend
Iraqi territory from external threats (September 2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 6,547,762 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 3,654,947 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 304,527 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.3 billion (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Transnational Issues Iraq

Disputes - international:
coalition forces assist Iraqis in monitoring boundary security, but
resolution of disputes and creation of maritime boundaries with
neighboring states will remain in hiatus until full sovereignty is
restored in Iraq; Turkey has expressed concern over the status of
Kurds in Iraq

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 150,000 (Palestinian Territories)
IDPs: 1,340,280 (ongoing US-led war and Kurds' subsequent return)
(2004)

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@Ireland

Introduction Ireland

Background:
Celtic tribes settled on the island from 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 United Kingdom. In 1948
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,
known as the Good Friday Agreement and approved in 1998, is being
implemented with some difficulties.

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: 70,280 sq km
water: 1,390 sq km
land: 68,890 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: 15.2%
permanent crops: 0.03%
other: 84.77% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

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 97 km of Dublin

People Ireland

Population:
3,969,558 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 21% (male 430,905; female 404,218)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 1,342,233; female 1,337,580)
65 years and over: 11.5% (male 199,379; female 255,243) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 33.4 years
male: 32.6 years
female: 34.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.16% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
14.47 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
7.91 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
4.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 6.04 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.36 years
male: 74.74 years
female: 80.15 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.87 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,400 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural)
adjective: Irish

Ethnic groups:
Celtic, English

Religions:
Roman Catholic 91.6%, Church of Ireland 2.5%, other 5.9% (1998)

Languages:
English is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge)
spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% (1981 est.)
male: NA
female: NA

Government Ireland

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Ireland

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Dublin

Administrative divisions:
26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway,
Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth,
Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary,
Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow
note: Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan are part of Ulster Province

Independence:
6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty)

National holiday:
Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March

Constitution:
29 December 1937; adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite

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: Prime Minister Bertie AHERN (since 26 June 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nomination
by the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives
election results: Mary MCALEESE elected president; percent of vote -
Mary MCALEESE 44.8%, Mary BANOTTI 29.6%
note: government coalition - Fianna Fail and the Progressive
Democrats
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 31 October 1997 (next scheduled for 22 October
2004); note - Mary MCALEESE appointed to a second term when no other
candidate qualified for the 2004 presidential election; prime
minister nominated by the House of Representatives and appointed by
the president

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of the Senate or Seanad
Eireann (60 seats - 49 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 are elected
by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve
five-year terms)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Fianna Fail 30, Fine Gael 15, Labor Party 5, Progressive
Democrats 4, independents and others 6; House of Representatives -
percent of vote by party - Fianna Fail 41.5%, Fine Gael 22.5%, Labor
Party 10.8%, Sinn Fein 6.5%, Progressive Democrats 4.0%, Green Party
3.8%, others 10.9%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 81, Fine Gael 31,
Labor Party 21, Progressive Democrats 8, Green Party 6, Sinn Fein 5,
others 14
elections: Senate - last held 16 and 17 July 2002 (next to be held
by July 2007); House of Representatives - last held 17 May 2002
(next to be held by May 2007)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the advice of
the prime minister and cabinet)

Political parties and leaders:
Fianna Fail [Bertie AHERN]; Fine Gael [Enda KENNY]; Green Party
[Trevor SARGENT]; Labor Party [Pat RABITTE]; Progressive Democrats
[Mary HARNEY]; Sinn Fein [Gerry ADAMS]; Socialist Party [Joe
HIGGINS]; The Workers' Party [Sean GARLAND]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
Australia Group, BIS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM
(guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club,
PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIK,
UNMIL, UNOCI, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO,
ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Noel FAHEY
chancery: 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 232-5993
telephone: [1] (202) 462-3939

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James C. KENNY
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; 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

Economy Ireland

Economy - overview:
Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy with growth
averaging a robust 8% in 1995-2002. The global slowdown, especially
in the information technology sector, pressed growth down to 2.1% in
2003. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by
industry and services. Industry accounts for 46% of GDP and about
80% of exports and employs 28% of the labor force. Although exports
remain the primary engine for Ireland's growth, the economy has also
benefited from a rise in consumer spending, construction, and
business investment. Per capita GDP is 10% above that of the four
big European economies and the second highest in the sEU, behind
Luxembourg. Over the past decade, the Irish Government has
implemented a series of national economic programs designed to curb
price and wage inflation, reduce government spending, increase labor
force skills, and promote foreign investment. Ireland joined in
launching the euro currency system in January 1999 along with 10
other EU nations.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $116.2 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.4% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $29,600 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 46%
services: 49% (2002 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
22.9% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
10% (1997 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 27.3% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
35.9 (1987)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.5% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
1.871 million (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 8%, industry 29%, services 64% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate:
4.7% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $53.22 billion
expenditures: $53.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.5
billion (2003)

Public debt:
31.2% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products

Industries:
food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals,
pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and
crystal; software

Industrial production growth rate:
6.7% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
23.53 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
21.63 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
285 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
38 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
174,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
27,450 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
178,600 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
815 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
4.199 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
3.384 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
9.911 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$-2.994 billion (2003)

Exports:
$98.31 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals;
live animals, animal products (1999)

Exports - partners:
US 20.5%, UK 18.1%, Belgium 12.6%, Germany 8.3%, France 6.1%,
Netherlands 5.1%, Italy 4.6% (2003)

Imports:
$57.54 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment,
chemicals; petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing

Imports - partners:
UK 34.9%, US 15.8%, Germany 7.9%, Netherlands 4.1% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$4.152 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$11 billion (1998)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $283 million (2001)

Currency:
euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Currency code:
EUR

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001),
1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Ireland

Telephones - main lines in use:
1.955 million (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.4 million (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: modern digital system using cable and microwave
radio relay
domestic: microwave radio relay
international: country code - 353; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 9, FM 106, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
2.55 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
4 (many low-power repeaters) (2001)

Televisions:
1.82 million (2001)

Internet country code:
.ie

Internet hosts:
162,228 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
22 (2000)

Internet users:
1.26 million (2003)

Transportation Ireland

Railways:
total: 3,312 km
broad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (46 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the Irish Peat
Board to transport peat to power stations and briquetting plants)
(2003)

Highways:
total: 92,500 km
paved: 87,043 km (including 115 km of expressways)
unpaved: 5,457 km (2000 est.)

Waterways:
753 km (pleasure craft only) (2004)

Pipelines:
gas 1,795 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Arklow, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Foynes, Galway, Limerick, New Ross,
Waterford

Merchant marine:
total: 35 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 288,401 GRT/383,628 DWT
registered in other countries: 18 (2004 est.)
foreign-owned: Germany 3, Italy 7, Norway 2
by type: bulk 7, cargo 22, chemical tanker 1, container 3, roll
on/roll off 1, short-sea/passenger 1

Airports:
36 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 15
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 6 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 21
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 17 (2004 est.)

Military Ireland

Military branches:
Army (including Naval Service and Air Corps)

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service; enlistees under the
age of 17 can be recruited for specialist positions (2001)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,029,525 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 827,811 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 30,083 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$700 million (FY00/01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.9% (FY00/01)

Transnational Issues Ireland

Disputes - international:
disputes with Iceland, Denmark, and the UK over the Faroe Islands
continental shelf boundary outside 200 nm

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa
to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs;
minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for
Western Europe; despite recent legislation, narcotics-related money
laundering using bureaux de change, trusts, shell companies
involving the offshore financial community remains a concern

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@Israel

Introduction Israel

Background:
Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of
Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish
states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the
Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the
deep tensions between the two sides. The territories occupied by
Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country
profile, unless otherwise noted. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew
from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty.
Israel and Palestinian officials signed on 13 September 1993 a
Declaration of Principles (also known as the "Oslo accords") guiding
an interim period of Palestinian self-rule. Outstanding territorial
and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994
Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. In addition, on 25 May 2000, Israel
withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied
since 1982. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid
Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted
between Israel and Palestinian representatives and Syria to achieve
a permanent settlement. On 24 June 2002, US President BUSH laid out
a "road map" for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which
envisions a two-state solution. However, progress toward a permanent
status agreement has been undermined by Palestinian-Israeli violence
ongoing since September 2000. The conflict may have reached a
turning point with the election in January 2005 of Mahmud ABBAS as
the new Palestinian leader following the November 2004 death of
Yasir ARAFAT.

Geography Israel

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and
Lebanon

Geographic coordinates:
31 30 N, 34 45 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 20,770 sq km
water: 440 sq km
land: 20,330 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries:
total: 1,017 km
border countries: Egypt 266 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km,
Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km

Coastline:
273 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation

Climate:
temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas

Terrain:
Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains;
Jordan Rift Valley

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m

Natural resources:
timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium
bromide, clays, sand

Land use:
arable land: 16.39%
permanent crops: 4.17%
other: 79.44% (2001)

Irrigated land:
1,990 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic
earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
limited arable land and natural fresh water resources pose serious
constraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial and
vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and
domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life
Conservation

Geography - note:
there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in
the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 25 in the
Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (February 2002 est.); Sea of
Galilee is an important freshwater source

People Israel

Population:
6,199,008
note: includes about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank,
about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, more than 5,000
in the Gaza Strip, and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July
2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.7% (male 847,591; female 808,399)
15-64 years: 63.4% (male 1,976,539; female 1,954,782)
65 years and over: 9.9% (male 262,781; female 348,916) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 29.2 years
male: 28.3 years
female: 30 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.29% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
18.45 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
6.19 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.21 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 7.96 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.17 years
male: 77.08 years
female: 81.37 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.47 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,400 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Israeli(s)
adjective: Israeli

Ethnic groups:
Jewish 80.1% (Europe/America-born 32.1%, Israel-born 20.8%,
Africa-born 14.6%, Asia-born 12.6%), non-Jewish 19.9% (mostly Arab)
(1996 est.)

Religions:
Jewish 80.1%, Muslim 14.6% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2.1%,
other 3.2% (1996 est.)

Languages:
Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority,
English most commonly used foreign language

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.4%
male: 97.3%
female: 93.6% (2003 est.)

Government Israel

Country name:
conventional long form: State of Israel
conventional short form: Israel
local short form: Yisra'el
local long form: Medinat Yisra'el

Government type:
parliamentary democracy