GeoWorld

Iraq

Geography

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Geography

Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
33 00 N, 44 00 E
total: 438,317 sq km
country comparison to the world: See information ranked by country 58
land: 437,367 sq km
water: 950 sq km
slightly more than twice the size of Idaho
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
58 km
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: not specified
Current Weather
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
mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey
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
petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
arable land: 13.12%
permanent crops: 0.61%
other: 86.27% (2005)
35,250 sq km (2003)
96.4 cu km (1997)
total: 42.7 cu km/yr (3%/5%/92%)
per capita: 1,482 cu m/yr (2000)
dust storms; sandstorms; floods
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
party to: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf


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