Iraq: Forest Cover, 2005
| Total Land Area (ha) | 43,737,000 | | Total Forest Area (ha) | 822,000 | | Percent Forest Cover | 1.88% | | Primary Forest Cover (ha) | - | | Primary Forest, % total forest | 0.00% | | Primary Forest, % total land | 0.00% | | Other wooded land (ha) | 927,000 |
Iraq : Forest types
| Tropical (% forest area) | 0% | | Subtropical (% forest area) | 100% | | Temperate (% forest area) | 0% | | Boreal/polar (% forest area) | 0% |
Iraq: Breakdown of forest types, 2005
| Primary forest (ha | %) | - | 0.0% | | Modified natural (ha | %) | 809,000 | 98.4% | | Semi-natural (ha | %) | - | 0.0% | | Production plantation (ha | %) | - | 0.0% | | Production plantation (ha | %) | 13,000 | 1.6% |
Iraq: Change in Forest Cover
| TOTAL FOREST COVER | | Forest 1990 (ha) | 804,000 | | Forest 2000 (ha) | 818,000 | | Forest 2005 (ha) | 822,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | 1,400 | 0.17% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | 800 | 0.10% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | 18,000 | 2.24% | | Change in rate (%) | -43.84% | | PRIMARY FOREST COVER | | Primary 1990 (ha) | - | | Primary 2000 (ha) | - | | Primary 2005 (ha) | - | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | - | #DIV/0! | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | - | #DIV/0! | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | - | #DIV/0! | | Change in rate (%) | #DIV/0! | | OTHER WOODED LAND | | Other 1990 (ha) | 1,245,000 | | Other 2000 (ha) | 1,033,000 | | Other 2005 (ha) | 927,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | (21,200) | -1.70% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | (21,200) | -2.05% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | (318,000) | -25.54% | | Change in rate (%) | 20.52% | | PLANTATIONS | | Other 1990 (ha) | 15,000 | | Other 2000 (ha) | 15,000 | | Other 2005 (ha) | 13,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | - | 0.00% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | (400) | -2.67% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | (2,000) | -13.33% | | Change in rate (%) | #DIV/0! | TOTAL DEGRADATION/CONSERVSION
Forest area+Wooded Area-Plantations | | Other 1990 (ha) | 2,034,000 | | Other 2000 (ha) | 1,836,000 | | Other 2005 (ha) | 1,736,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | (19,800) | -0.97% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | (20,000) | -1.09% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | (298,000) | -14.65% | | Change in rate (%) | 11.90% |
Iraq: Primary
| Primary or "old-growth" vegetation | | Primary Forest 2005 (ha) | 0 | | Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) | 0 | | Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) | 0 | | Undisturbed vegetation 2005 (% land area) | 0.00% |
Iraq: Forest designation
| Ownership of forest land, 2000 | | Public (%) | 100.0% | | Private (%) | 0.0% | | Other (%) | 0.0% | | Ownership of other wooded land, 2000 | | Public (%) | 0.0% | | Private (%) | 0.0% | | Other (%) | 100.0% | | Designated functions of forest � primary function 2005 | | Production (%) | - | | Protection (%) | 80.0% | | Conservation (%) | 20.0% | | Social Services (%) | - | | Multiple Services (%) | - | | None of Unknown (%) | - |
Iraq: Disturbances affecting forest land 2000
| Forest Area annually affected by | | Fire (%) | - | | Insects (ha) | - | | Diseases (ha) | - | | Other (ha) | - |
Iraq: Protected areas
| Protected areas | | Biosphere reserves, 2005 | | Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites), 2005 | 0 | | World Heritage sites, 2004 | 2 | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories I-V, percent of total land | 0.0% | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories Ia, Ib, and II, extent, percent of total land | 0.00% | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories III, IV, and V, percent of total land, 2004 | 0.00% | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories VI and other, percent of total land, 2004 | 0.00% |
Iraq: Biodiversity - Wildlife
| Amphibians | | total species | 11 | | endemic species | 0 | | threatened species | 1 | | Birds | | total species | 396 | | endemic species | 1 | | threatened species | 18 | | Mammals | | total species | 102 | | endemic species | 1 | | threatened species | 9 | | Reptiles | | total species | 99 | | endemic species | 1 | | threatened species | 2 | | Wildlife diversity | | total species | 608 | | endemic species | 3 | | threatened species | 30 |
Iraq: Biodiversity - Plants
| Growing stock composition | 3 most common species
% of total growing stock | - | | Growing stock composition | 3 most common species
% of total growing stock | - | | Number of Native tree species | | | Native tree species | 20 | | Number of tree species in IUCN red list | | Critically Endangered | | 0 | | Endangered | 0 | | Vulnerable | 0 | | Vascular Plant Species, 2004 | | Total | | | Number endemic | 0 | | Number of Threatened Plant Species, 2004 | | Species threatened | 0 |
Iraq: Value of forests
| Biomass stock in forest, 2005 | | Above-ground biomass (M t) | - | | Below-ground biomass (M t) | - | | Dead wood (M t) | - | | Total (M t) | - | | Carbon stock in forest, 2005 | | Carbon in above-ground biomass (M t) | - | | Carbon in below-ground biomass (M t) | - | | Carbon in dead wood (M t) | - | | Carbon in litter (M t) | - | | Soil carbon (M t) | - | | Change in growing stock 1990 - 2005 | | Annual change rate (1000 cubic m/yr) | | 1990-2000 | - | | 2000-2005 | - | | Growing stock per hectare 1990 - 2005 | | Annual change rate ( cubic m/ha per yr) | | 1990-2000 | - | | 2000-2005 | - | | Wood removal 2005 | | Industrial roundwood (1000 cubic m) | 0 | | Wood fuel (1000 cubic m) | 0 | | Total wood removal 2005 (1000 cubic m) | 0 | | Total wood removal 2005 (% of growing stock) | - | | Plant products 2005 | | Food (t) | - | | Fodder (t) | - | | Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) | - | | Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) | - | | Raw material for utensils, handicrafts & construction (t) | - | | Ornamental plants (t) | - | | Exudates (t) | - | | Other plant products (t) | - | | Animal products 2005 | | Living animals (units) | - | | Hides, skins and trophies (units) | - | | Wild honey and bee-wax (t) | - | | Bush meat (t) | - | | Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) | - | | Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) | - | | Other edible animal products (t) | - | | Other non-edible animal products (t) | - | | Value of wood and non-wood forest product removal 2005 | | Industrial roundwood (US$) | - | | Wood fuel (US$) | - | | Non-wood forest products (US$) | - | | Total value (US$) | - | | Total value ($USD/ha) | $- | | Employment in forestry 2000 | | Total people employed | - |
Iraq : Production, trade and consumption of forest products, 2002
| Woodfuel ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 53 | | Imports | 0 | | Exports | - | | Consumption | 53 | | Industrial roundwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 59 | | Imports | 0 | | Exports | - | | Consumption | 59 | | Sawnwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 12 | | Imports | 16 | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 28 | | Wood-based panels ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 5 | | Imports | 21 | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 26 | | Pulp for paper ('000 metric tons), 2002 | | Production | 11 | | Imports | 0 | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 11 | | Paper and paperboard ('000 metric tons), 2002 | | Production | 20 | | Imports | 20 | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 40 |
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Iraq: Environment
| 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: Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification | | Natural hazards | dust storms, sandstorms, floods |
Iraq: Land use / Resources
| Land use (%) | arable land: 13.15%
permanent crops: 0.78%
other: 86.07% (2001) | | Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur |
Iraq: Economy
| Economy - overview: | Iraq's economy is dominated by the oil sector, which has traditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings. Iraq's seizure of Kuwait in August 1990, subsequent international economic sanctions, and damage from military action by an international coalition beginning in January 1991 drastically reduced economic activity. Although government policies supporting large military and internal security forces and allocating resources to key supporters of the regime hurt the economy, implementation of the UN's oil-for-food program beginning in December 1996 helped improve conditions for the average Iraqi citizen. Iraq was allowed to export limited amounts of oil in exchange for food, medicine, and some infrastructure spare parts. In December 1999, the UN Security Council authorized Iraq to export under the program as much oil as required to meet humanitarian needs. Per capita food imports increased significantly, while medical supplies and health care services steadily improved. Per capita output and living standards were still well below the pre-1991 level, but any estimates have a wide range of error. The military victory of the US-led coalition in March-April 2003 resulted in the shutdown of much of the central economic administrative structure. Although a comparatively small amount of capital plant was damaged during the hostilities, looting, insurgent attacks, and sabotage have undermined efforts to rebuild the economy. Attacks on key economic facilities - especially oil pipelines and infrastructure - have prevented Iraq from reaching projected export volumes, but total government revenues have been higher than anticipated due to high oil prices. Despite political uncertainty, Iraq has established the institutions needed to implement economic policy, has successfully concluded a three-stage debt reduction agreement with the Paris Club, and is working toward a Standby Arrangement with the IMF. The Standby Arrangement would clear the way for continued debt relief from the Paris Club. | | GDP - per capita | $3,400 (2005 est.) | | GDP - real growth rate (%) | 2.4% (2005 est.) | | Agriculture - products | wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep, poultry | | GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 7.3%, industry: 66.6%, services: 26.1% (2004 est.) | | Industries | petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food processing, fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing | | Economic aid - recipient | more than $33 billion in foreign aid pledged for 2004-07 (2004) | | Debt - external | $82.1 billion (2005 est.) | | Population below poverty line (%) | NA | | Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA |
Iraq: Population / Demographics
| Population (July 2005) | 26,074,906 | | Population growth rate (%) (2005) | 2.70% | | Population density (people/sq km) (2005) | 60.3 | | Percent rural (2003) | 32.8% | | Median age (years) | total: 19.43 years | | Total fertility rate (children born/woman) | 4.28 (2005 est.) | | Ethnic groups (%) | Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5% |
Largest Cities in Iraq
Cities and urban areas in Iraq with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002.
| City | Country | City Population | Urban Area Population |
| Baghdad | Iraq | 4948300 | 6492200 |
| Mosul | Iraq | 1139200 | 1139200 |
| Irbil | Iraq | 1100400 | 1100400 |
| Basrah | Iraq | 1030900 | 1030900 |
| Suleymaniye | Iraq | 757300 | 757300 |
| Kirkuk | Iraq | 712900 | 712900 |
| al-Najaf | Iraq | 549800 | 549800 |
| Karbala | Iraq | 536400 | 536400 |
| Nasirah | Iraq | 519500 | 519500 |
| Hillah | Iraq | 510300 | 510300 |
| Rumadiya | Iraq | 407900 | 407900 |
| Diwaniyah | Iraq | 407400 | 407400 |
| al-Kut | Iraq | 369500 | 369500 |
| Amarah | Iraq | 333200 | 333200 |
| Samarra | Iraq | 321600 | 321600 |
| Baqubah | Iraq | 269000 | 269000 |
| Fallujah | Iraq | 232600 | 232600 |
| Zubayr | Iraq | 158600 | 158600 |
| Tilafar | Iraq | 146700 | 146700 |
| as-Samawah | Iraq | 121600 | 121600 |
 Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005
Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005) and the State of the World�s Forests (2005, 2003, 2001)
Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.
Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.
RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.
World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site
The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund
With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com
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