Iraq: A Country On The Rise Essay, Research Paper

Iraq: A Country on the Rise

Lauterbach, Kevin

History, Period 4

January 7, 1996

Iraq is a country that is on the rise. After being crushed by allied

troops for their invasion of Kuwait, they have begun the slow rebuilding process.

In this report, I will discuss the basic geographic features of Iraq, and other

various important features such as mineral wealth, vegetation, ect.

Iraq’s total area is 271,128 square miles (just slightly more than twice

the size of Idaho). It’s capital, Baghdad, is located at 33.20 north longitude,

44.24 east latitude. It’s boundaries are 2,222 miles long. With 906 miles

bordering Iran, 83 miles bordering Jordan, 149 miles bordering Kuwait, 502 miles

bordering Saudi Arabia, 376 miles bordering Turkey, and a coastline 36 miles

long. The terrain in Iraq is mostly broad plains, with reedy marshes in the

southeast, mountains along toe borders with Iran and Turkey.

The Climate in Iraq is most desert, with mild to cool winters and dry,

hot cloudless summers. The northernmost regions along Iranian and Turkish

borders experience cold winters and occasional heavy snows. Iraq has few

natural resources, consisting of Crude oil, natural gas, various phosphates, and

sulfur. Their maritime (ocean) clams are just the continental shelf on their

coastline, and twelve nautical miles beyond that.

Iraq and Iran have just recently restored diplomatic relations in the

year 1990, but are still trying to work out written agreements settling their

disputes from their eight-year war concerning definite borders, prisoners-of-war,

and freedom of navigation and sovereignty over the Shatt-al-Arab waterway. In

April of 1991, Iraq officially accepted the UN Security Council’s Resolution 687,

which states that Iraq accepts the boundaries that were set in it’s 1963

agreement with Kuwait, and ending all claims to the Bubiyan and Warbah Islands,

and all claims to Kuwait. On June 17, 1992, the UN Security council reaffirmed

the finality of the Boundary Demarcation Commission’s decisions. Disputes also

occur with Syria about water rights on the Euphrates, and a potential dispute

with Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates river.

Iraq has some environmental problems, consisting of air and water

pollution, soil degradation (caused by salinization), land erosion, and

deserification. Iraq has 12% of it’s land still arable, with 1% permanent crops,

9% meadows and pastures, 3% forest and wood land, 4% irrigated farm land, and

75% is used for other various things (housing, ect.)

Iraq does not produce very many industrial products. On the average

year, Iraq produces 13,000 metric tons of paper and paperboard, 3,000 metric

tons of particle board, 8,000 sawnwood, 207,000 metric tons of phosphate

fertilizer, and 409,000 metric tons of nitrogen fertilizer.

Iraq currently has 1,300,000 televisions in use (about 69 per 1,000

people). It also has 3,880,000 radios in use (about 205 per 1,000 people).

Iraq has 6 newspaper publications, with a circulation of 650,000 a day (about 34

per 1,000 people). This causes a 1,797 kilograms of newsprint to be consumed

per 1,000 people. Iraq has one FM station and 16 AM broadcast stations, and 13

TV stations. Reconstruction of Iraq’s telecommunication system began after

Desert Storm was over. It includes of many coaxial cables and microwave links,

632,000 telephones (with an operational network), satellite earth stations, 1

INTELSAT satellite and 1 GORIZONT satellite over the Atlantic Ocean, 1 INTELSAT

satellite over the Indian Ocean, and 1 ARABSAT in the Intersputnik system.

Their country telephone code is 964.

In Iraq, travel can be very shaky. International flight schedules can

change without prior notice. The Al-Basrah and Umm Qasar Seaports are closed

because of their proximity to the war zone. A railroad connects At-Basrah to

Baghdad, but the Syrian segment of the railroad linking Iraq to Turkey and

Europe has been closed since 1982. Border crossing points between and Iraq and

Syria and Iraq and Iran have been closed. Iraq has paved highways connecting

major cites and neighboring countries. Some highways have been severely

deteriorated due to increased use by heavy military and commercial vehicles.

Iraq has 21,566 total miles of highways, with 10,876 miles of it being

paved, and the other 11,000 miles being improved earth. It has 2,704 miles of

crude oil pipelines, 451 miles of petroleum pipelines, and 845 miles of natural

gas pipelines. It has 1,527 miles of railroad. Iraq has 42 ships registered to

it. Including of 1 passenger, 1 passenger/cargo, 16 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo,

3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 19 petroleum tankers, and 1 chemical tanker. But

since January 1, 1992, none of them have been trading internationally. Iraq has

about 631 miles of inland waterways to trade amongst it self. After the Persian

Gulf war, Shatt-al-Arab was closed down for trading. Iraq only has one

currently open port at Khawr az Zubayr. Iraq has 98 usable (but 113 total)

airports, 73 of them with permanent-surface runways.

Iraq’s agricultural products include the following:

Asses: 355,000 head

Buffaloes: 130,000 head

Camels: 10,000 head

Cattle: 1,400,000 head

Goats: 1,500,000 head

Horses: 40,000 head

Mules: 2,000 head

Sheep: 9,000,000 head

Chickens: 35,000,000 head

Poultry: 65,000 T

Hen Eggs: 45,000 T

Fish: 14,000 T

Almonds: 700 T

Dates: 580,000 T

Fruits: 1,169,000 T

Lemons: 13,000 T

Oranges: 185,000 T

Sugar Beets: 5,000 T

Barley: 100,000 T

Corn: 100,000 T

Dry Beans: 8,000 T

Oats: 1,000 T

Tobacco: 3,000 T

Olives: 3,000 T

Potatoes: 195,000 T

Rice: 150,000 T

Soybeans: 2,000 T

Sunflower Seeds: 25,000 T

Vegetables: 2,306,000 T

Walnuts: 2,400 T

Wheat: 260,000 T

Beef and Veal: 38,000 T

Sugar Cane: 13,000 T

Butter and Cheese: 7,393 T

Cotton: 5,000 T

Honey: 2,200 T

21.3% of the land in Iraq is reserved for agriculture. Iraq has 1,053,000

people working for agriculture (about 19.8% of the economically active part of

the population). There about 2,300 threshers in use.

In Iraq, the Ba’thist regime is in charge of the extensive central

planning and management of industrial production and foreign trade, while

leaving some small-scale industry and services and most agriculture to private

enterprise. The economy has been 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, with the damage to oil export facilities caused by Iran, led the

government to implement austerity measures and to borrow heavier and reschedule

foreign debt payments. After 1988, oil exports gradually increased and many new

pipelines were made. But Agricultural development remained hampered by labor

shortages, the salinization of the land, and dislocations caused by previous

land reform programs. Also, the industrial part of the economy was also under

financial constraints. But after Iraq’s seizure of Kuwait in August 1990, with

it’s subsequent international economic embargoes, it’s economic picture changed

drastically. Industrial and transportation facilities suffered severe damage,

Oil exports remain at less than 10% of it’s previous level. Living standards

deteriorated even further in 1992, and 1993. Consumer prices tripled in 1992.

The UN-sponsored economic embargo reduced exports and imports to Iraq. Also,

the government’s policies of supporting a large military and internal security

force have drained the country’s treasury.

Iraq’s GDP (gross domestic product) is about $35 billion dollars, with

the average person making $1,940 a year. It’s labor force is 4,400,000, causing

a severe labor shortage. Iraq’s industrial production accounts for about 10% of

its GDP. Iraq spends about $6.6 billion a year importing commodities such as

manufactures and food. They have trade relations with the US, France, Turkey,

and UK. But Iraq’s makes about $10.4 billion a year exporting such commodities

such as crude oil and other refined products, fertilizer, and sulfur. They

export to the US, Brazil, Turkey, Japan, the Netherlands, and Spain. Iraq’s

unemployment rate is about 5%.

Iraq’s nation debt is $45 billion (excluding a debt of about $35 owed to

Arab Gulf states). Iraq invests %8.1 of it’s GDP. Iraq produces 3,800,000 kW

of electricity a year. Iraq has received about $650 million in economic aid,

most of coming from Western, non-US countries, from 1970-1989. But after the

Gulf War, they have received none. Iraq’s official currency is Iraqi dinars

(ID). It is 3.1 dinars to the dollar, but the black market rate is 12 to the

dollar.

Iraq’s government is technically considered a republic, with it’s

capital located in Baghdad. Iraq’s formal name is the Republic of Iraq. Iraq

received it’s independence from the League of Nations (under British

administration) on October 3, 1932. Iraq contains of 18 provinces or muhafazah:

Al Anabar, Al Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al Quadisiyah, An Najaf, Arbil, As

Sulaymaniyah, At Ta’im, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Quar, Diyala, Karbala, Maysan,

Ninawa, Salah ad din, Wasist. Iraq’s constitution was drafted on September 22,

1968, and was ratified on July 16, 1970 (incidentally, a new constitution was

drafted in 1990, but was not adopted). Iraq’s government is very similar to the

US’, consisting of a executive, legislative, and judicial branch, with universal

suffrage at the adult age of 18. It’s leaders include the Chief of State,

Saddam Husayn, Vice Presidents Taha Muhyi al-Din Ma’ruf, and then Taha Yasin.

The Head of Government is Ahmad Husayn Khudayir al-Sammarrai. Iraq has five

branches of military: Army and Republican Guard, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard

Force, and Internal Security Forces.

Health conditions in Iraq are very poor. There are only 9,442 (about 6

per every 10,000 people) with about the same number of nurses, and only 1,465

dentists (about 1 per every 10,000 people). In a survey only 10% of married

women reported to use any form of birth control. Infant death is extremely high

at 79 deaths per 1,000 with a total of 68,121 per year. 83% of the country is

immunized for measles and DPT.

Education is also very poor. The literacy rate is only about 60% (49%

in females, and 70% in males). A child is only educated from ages 6-12. Also,

there are only 31 museums in Iraq.

The population in Iraq in 1993 was 19,162,000 people. It is estimated

that in 2025, there will be 52,615,000 people living there. The population

density is about 110 people per square mile. Only 70% of the total population

of Iraq live in urban areas. The population of Iraq is growing 3.7% per year,

with the population doubling every 18.94 years. The average woman will have 7

children. The life expectancy in Iraq is 64.4 years for females, and 63.2 years

for Males. 145,855 people were married last year (about 8.5 people per

thousand). 97% of Iraq is Muslim, the other 3% being other various religions.

Iraq’s official language is Arabic, but Kurdish, Assyrian, and Armenian are also

spoke frequently.

If you are planning to travel to Iraq in the future, you had better not.

The Department of State warns all US citizens against traveling to Iraq.

Conditions within the country remain unsettled and dangerous. The US does not

maintain diplomatic relations with Iraq, and cannot provide normal consular

protective services to US citizens.

A passport and visa are required to travel to Iraq (along with an AIDS

test if you are planning to stay longer than 5 days). Since 1991, US passports

are not valid for travel in, to, or through Iraq without authorization from the

Department of state. An adapter is necessary to use Iraqi electrical outlets.

Although Iraq does not have an embassy in the US, it does have an interest

section in the Algerian Embassy in Washington, DC. Iraqi nation holidays are

the following: New Years Day-Jan. 1, Iraqi Army Day-Jan. 6, Id al-Fitr-Apr. 16,

Id al-Adha-Jun. 21, 1958 Revolution-Jul. 14, 1968 Revolution-Jul. 17,

Although Iraq may have it’s problems now, it is a country on the rise.

It’s economy is stabilizing. and it’s government is in the process of working it

bugs out. Some day, Iraq may be one of the world’s superpowers, just like the

US.