Name
The name probably derives from Uruk, called "Erech" in Aramaic, the ancient Sumerian and Babylonian city on the Euphrates River.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Country
Iraq
33.09° N, 43.26° E
3,809 km of land border against just 58 km of coast — this country faces its neighbors far more than it faces the sea.
coastline 58 km · 171st/229 · land borders 3,809 km · 54th/230
CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · ranks computed across the countries in this atlas that carry the value
- Population
- 39,309,783
- Natural Earth population estimate.
- Area
- 438,317 km²
- Official total area (land + water) from the CIA World Factbook. Computed from the Natural Earth boundary: ≈ 437,233 km².
- Population density
- ≈ 90 / km²
- Population divided by the computed boundary area.
- ISO codes
- IQ · IRQ
- GDP (nominal)
- $279.64 billion
- Field “Economy → GDP (official exchange rate)” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- GDP per capita (PPP)
- $12,700
- Field “Economy → Real GDP per capita → Real GDP per capita 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Iraq 438,317 km²Congo 342,000 km²
geometry: Natural Earth 1:50m · EPSG:6933 equal-area
Where Iraq sits in the world
Each line is every country in this atlas that carries the value, ordered smallest to largest. The line down the middle is the world median; the mark on each line is this country.
- Median age22.7 years182nd of 224 · median 32.6 years
- Life expectancy73.7 years143rd of 224 · median 76.2 years
- Fertility rate3.03 children per woman46th of 225 · median 1.92 children per woman
- Population39,309,78336th of 235 · median 5,454,073
- Total area438,317 km²59th of 228 · median 83,736 km²
- Coastline58 km171st of 229 · median 402 km
Overview
Geography
At the head of the Persian Gulf, Iraq occupies a strategic location on the Shatt al Arab waterway. In the Middle East, it borders the Persian Gulf and lies between Iran and Kuwait. The terrain consists mostly of broad plains, with reedy marshes and large flooded areas along the Iranian border in the south.
Mountains line its borders with Iran and Türkiye. Cheekha Dar, Kurdish for 'Black Tent,' is the country's highest point. Its natural resources include petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, and sulfur. The Persian Gulf is the country's lowest point.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
People and society
Its people include Arab and Kurdish communities, along with Turkmen, Yezidi, Shabak, Kaka'i, Bedouin, Romani, Assyrian, Circassian, Sabaean-Mandaean, and Persian communities. Arabic and Kurdish are official languages; Turkmen, a Turkish dialect, and Syriac, or Neo-Aramaic, are recognized as official where native speakers are present.
Muslim is the official religion, with Shia and Sunni communities; Christians include Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Assyrian Church of the East traditions. People are concentrated in the north, center, and eastern parts of Iraq, with many larger urban agglomerations along extensive parts of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Western and southern areas are either lightly populated or uninhabited.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Government
A federal parliamentary republic is Iraq's form of government. Its legal system is a mixed system of civil and Islamic law. After several previous constitutions, the current one was adopted by referendum 15 October 2005. Iraq gained independence 3 October 1932 from League of Nations mandate under British administration. Its national holidays are Independence Day, 3 October (1932), and Republic Day, 14 July (1958).
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Flag and symbols
Three equal horizontal bands of red at the top, white, and black carry the Takbir, an Arabic phrase meaning "God is great," in green Arabic script centered in the white band. The colors come from the Arab Liberation flag and stand for oppression in black overcome through bloody struggle in red, to be replaced by a bright future in white. The Council of Representatives approved this flag in 2008 as a compromise replacement for the Ba'thist SADDAM-era flag. Iraq's national symbol is the golden eagle.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Key figures
CIA World Factbook
Economy
- GDP (nominal)
- $279.64 billion
- Field “Economy → GDP (official exchange rate)” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- GDP (PPP)
- $585.89 billion
- Field “Economy → Real GDP (purchasing power parity) → Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- GDP per capita (PPP)
- $12,700
- Field “Economy → Real GDP per capita → Real GDP per capita 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- GDP growth
- -1.5%
- Field “Economy → Real GDP growth rate → Real GDP growth rate 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Inflation (consumer prices)
- 4.4%
- Field “Economy → Inflation rate (consumer prices) → Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Unemployment
- 15.6%
- Field “Economy → Unemployment rate → Unemployment rate 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Exports
- $107.85 billion
- Field “Economy → Exports → Exports 2023” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Imports
- $81.18 billion
- Field “Economy → Imports → Imports 2023” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
People
- Life expectancy
- 73.7 years
- Field “People and Society → Life expectancy at birth → total population” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Median age
- 22.7 years
- Field “People and Society → Median age → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Birth rate
- 23.26 per 1,000
- Field “People and Society → Birth rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Death rate
- 3.86 per 1,000
- Field “People and Society → Death rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Fertility rate
- 3.03 children per woman
- Field “People and Society → Total fertility rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Population growth
- +1.94% a year
- Field “People and Society → Population growth rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Urban population
- 71.6%
- Field “People and Society → Urbanization → urban population” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Literacy
- 84.1%
- Field “People and Society → Literacy → total population” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Languages
- Arabicofficial
- Kurdishofficial
- Turkmen and Syriac are recognized as official languages where native speakers of these languages are present
- Field “People and Society → Languages → Languages” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Land
- Total area
- 438,317 km²Land 437,367 km² · Water 950 km²
- Field “Geography → Area → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Coastline
- 58 km
- Field “Geography → Coastline” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Land borders
- 3,809 km
- Field “Geography → Land boundaries → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Mean elevation
- 312 m
- Field “Geography → Elevation → mean elevation” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Highest point
- 3,611 m Cheekha Dar (Kurdish for "Black Tent")
- Field “Geography → Elevation → highest point” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Values from the CIA World Factbook archive. Each carries the year it describes; open a year for the exact source field.
Connections
Natural geography 6
Natural Earth outlines · features with a Wikidata ID
Gulfs 1
Lakes 2
Deserts 1
Peninsulas 1
Geographic regions 1
Largest cities 25
Population · Natural Earth
- Baghdadcapital5.1M
- Mosul1.3M
- Dahuk986K
- Irbil926K
- Basra870K
- As Sulaymaniyah723.2K
- An Najaf665.6K
- Kirkuk601.4K
- Al Hillah594.6K
- Karbala510.7K
- An Nasiriyah451.5K
- Ad Diwaniyah358.4K