Geographic coordinates: 33 00 N, 44 00 E
Map references: Middle East
Area:
total:
437,072 sq km
land:
432,162 sq km
water:
4,910 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Idaho
Land boundaries:
total:
3,631 km
border countries:
Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 242 km, Saudi Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 331 km
Coastline: 58 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
not specified
territorial sea:
12 nm
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:
Haji Ibrahim 3,600 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
Land use:
arable land:
12%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
9%
forests and woodland:
0%
other:
79% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 25,500 sq km (1993 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 Shi'a Muslims, who have 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 Tigris-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, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification
![[Home]](wikipedia.png)