Iraq Geography Profile 2009

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: 438,317 sq km
land: 437,367 sq km
water: 950 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than twice the size of Idaho

Land boundaries

total: 3,650 km
border countries: Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 240 km, Saudi Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 352 km

Coastline

58 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: not specified

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: unnamed peak; 3,611 m; note - this peak is neither Gundah Zhur 3,607 m nor Kuh-e Hajji-Ebrahim 3,595 m

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur

Land use

arable land: 13.12%
permanent crops: 0.61%
other: 86.27% (2005)

Irrigated land

35,250 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources

96.4 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 42.7 cu km/yr (3%/5%/92%)
per capita: 1,482 cu m/yr (2000)

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 Marsh Arabs, who 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 the Tigris and 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: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note

strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf