Country Name
Conventional long form: Republic of Iraq
Conventional short form: Iraq
Local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah
Local short form: Al Iraq

Government Type
Republic

Capital
Baghdad

Administrative Divisions
18 provinces (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)

Location
Middle East, bordering the Arab Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait

Area
Total area : 437,072 sq km
Land area : 432,162 sq km
Water: 4,910 sq km

Population
23,331,985 (July 2001 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth
Total population 66.95 years
Male 65.92 years
Female 68.03 years (2001 est.)

Total Fertility Rate
4.75 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Birth Rate
34.64 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death Rate
6.21 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Iraqi Ethnic Divisions
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