Short facts about the geography of Iraq
| 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 |
| 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 | Source: World Factbook |
