| Location: | Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait |
| 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 |
