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| Iraq
General Info |
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Area
438,317 square kilometres (169,235 square miles).
Population
24,510,000 people (the UN estimate for 2002).
Population
Density
55.9 people per square kilometre.
Capital
Baghdad.
Population of Baghdad
4,958,000 (the UN estimate for 2001).
Geography
Some key geographical facts:
Iraq shares borders with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,
Turkey, Iran, the Gulf of Oman, Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic.
There
is a neutral zone between Iraq
and Saudi Arabia administered jointly by the 2 countries.
Iraq’s portion covers 3,522 square kilometres (1360 square
miles).
Iraq’s
main topographical features are the 2 rivers, the
Euphrates and the Tigris, which flow from the Turkish and Syrian
Arab Republic borders in the north to the Gulf in the south
The
land surrounding the 2 rivers is fertile plain,
however the lack of effective irrigation has resulted in flooding
and areas of marshland
The
northeast of Iraq is mountainous.
The
country in the west is dry desert.
Government
Iraq has an Interim government.
The Head of State is President Ghazi Mashal Ajil
a-Yawer since 2004.
The Head of Government is Prime Minister Iyad Allawi
since 2004.
In November 2005, UN Security Council Resolution 1637 (2005) extended
backing for the Multinational Force's role in Iraq for an additional
year.
Language
80 % Arabic, 15 % Kurdish.
Armenian and Assyrian may also be spoken.
Religion
More than 50 % Shia Muslim, with the remaining Sunni Muslim, and
Druze and Christian minorities.
Time
Zone
Greenich Mean Time (GMT) + 3 (GMT + 4 from May 1st to September
30th).
Electricity
230 volts AC, 50 Hz. Various 2 and 3 pin plugs are used, however
electricity supplies were severely affected in the recent conflict.
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