Iraq

C

Natural Resources

The natural resources of Iraq are primarily mineral. The country is well endowed with oil and natural gas. There are also important deposits of sulphur and phosphates, and small deposits of salt and gypsum. Iraq has areas of rich alluvial soil. However, deforestation and irrigation have helped to create in some areas problems of soil degradation and erosion, such as salinization and desertification.

The soils of Iraq are of two kinds. Heavy alluvial deposits containing a significant amount of humus and clay make up one type, and are useful for construction. The second type comprises lighter soils lacking in humus and clay content, and containing wind-deposited nutrients. A high saline content mars the otherwise rich composition of the soils. Irrigation and flood-control projects on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers have helped to increase the agricultural production of this area.

D

Plants and Animals

Vegetation is scanty throughout Iraq. The western and south-western parts of the country are desert areas, and the northern Tigris-Euphrates plain is barren. The country has few trees, except for the cultivated date palm and the poplar. In the few areas capable of supporting significant tree cover, notably the north-eastern foothills of the Zagros Mountains, there has been severe deforestation over the past 30 years, a result of both local fuel needs and warfare. The country’s native fauna includes the cheetah, gazelle, antelope, wild ass, lion, hyena, wolf, jackal, wild pig, hare, jerboa, and bat. Numerous birds of prey exist, including the vulture, buzzard, raven, owl, and various species of hawk; other birds include duck, geese, partridge, and sand grouse. Lizards are fairly common.

E

Environmental Concerns

A series of wars: the Iran–Iraq War (1980-1988), the Gulf War (1991), and the ongoing War on Iraq have destroyed wildlife habitat, polluted Iraq's land and water, and led to the neglect of conservation efforts. During the Gulf War and the War on Iraq, much of the country’s infrastructure was destroyed, including equipment involved in the petroleum industry. Although many oil wells and refineries have been restored they continue not to work at full capacity.

Iraq's farmland is declining in productivity due to soil salinization, which is caused by insufficient drainage and by saturation irrigation practices. About 8 per cent (1997) of Iraq is irrigated, and 12 per cent (1997) of its land is arable. Government water-control projects have destroyed wetland habitats in eastern Iraq by diverting or drying up tributary streams that formerly irrigated wetland areas. Estimates suggest that around half of all the country’s waste water flows untreated into rivers, especially since Baghdad’s water treatment plants were destroyed in 2003. The World Bank reported in late 2003 that only 6 out of 10 Iraqis in urban areas had safe drinking water. Most water is currently brought into the country aboard tankers.

III

Population

About 77 per cent of the population of Iraq is of Arab origin. Kurds, dwelling in the highlands of northern Iraq, constitute about 19 per cent of the population. The other significant minority, the Turkomans, tend to dominate retail trading in the cities of Mosul and Kirkūk. In the rural areas of the country many people still live in tribal communities; some lead a nomadic or semi-nomadic existence, keeping herds of camels, horses, and sheep. The tribal ethos also extends into many aspects of urban and political life; this applies to both Arabs and Kurds.

A

Population Characteristics

Iraq has a population of 28,221,181 (2008 estimate). The estimated overall population density was about 65 people per sq km (169 per sq mi). The density varies markedly, with the largest concentrations of people in the area of the river systems. The population is about 67 per cent urban; many people have had to move to the cities in recent years.