| Background Prior to
the Gulf War, Iraq and its million man army had the most potent military force in the
region. This force was the vehicle for Iraq to attain its goal of becoming the leader of
the Arab world. However, during the Gulf War, Iraq’s armed forces were reduced by
approximately half. In addition, since the end of the Gulf War in 1991, Iraq has been
under United Nations sanctions that have severely impacted Iraq’s economic health and
military capability. The sanctions against Iraq resulted in severe economic decline,
making military constitution very difficult. |
Land Comparison
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| Land
Area 437,072 sq km (168,710 sq mi) Coastline 58 km Religion Muslim: 97% Shi’a: 60-65% Sunni: 32-37% Christian and Other: 3% Nationality Iraqi Type of Government Military Dictatorship Key leaders: President, Foreign Minister, Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Time +3 Hours Coordinated Universal Time +8 Hours Eastern Standard Time |
Population
21,722,287, (July 1998 est.) Growth rate: 3.2 % (1998 est.) Literacy 58% (1995) Major Cities and Population Capital: Baghdad 5,348,000 Al Basrah 1,435,000 Mosul 1,000,000 Kirkuk 550,000 Irbil 333,903 As Sulaymaniyah 279,249 An Nijaf 242,603 Al Hillah 215,249 International Airports Bagdad, Al Basrah Language Official Language: Arabic Also Kurdish, Assyrian, Armenian |
Click on thumbnail below for a
detailed map Iraq Defense StructureIraq Historical TimelineOfficer Insignia |
Ethnic Composition |
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Economy Currency Denomination : Iraqi Dinar (ID) $1- 0.3109 (official fixed rate) Black Market Rate: $1- 1530 (Dec 1997) GDP: US $42.8 billion (1997) Per Capita: US $2,000 (1997) Real growth rate: 0% Export: N/A Commodities: Crude Oil Imports: N/A Inflation: N/A Commodities: manufactured items and food Agriculture: 21% of Iraq is arable, and agriculture occupies a third of the labor force. Not self-sufficient in food output. Products: wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, | dates, other fruit, cotton, cattle, and sheep. Note: UN sanctions prohibit Iraqi exports and most imports |
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