Iraq

Iraq is a country located in the Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf between Iran and Kuwait, covering an area of approximately 438,317 square kilometers. As of 2025, Iraq has a population of over 42.9 million, with Arabic and Kurdish as official languages, alongside Turkmen and Syriac recognized in areas where these languages are spoken. The country features mostly broad plains with reedy marshes along the Iranian border and mountains along the borders with Iran and Turkey, experiencing a mostly desert climate with mild to cool winters and dry, hot summers. Baghdad serves as the capital, and the government operates as a federal parliamentary republic.

Iraq has a highly oil-dependent economy with a GDP of $279.64 billion and a GDP per capita of $12,700, with petroleum as the dominant industry alongside chemicals, textiles, leather, construction materials, food processing, and fertilizer. Key agricultural products include wheat, dates, maize, tomatoes, and grapes, while natural resources include petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, and sulfur. The unemployment rate is 15.5% as of 2025, with a literacy rate of 84.1% and life expectancy of 72.4 years. Iraq continues to recover from decades of conflict, facing persistent challenges including corruption, informal markets, political fragility, and economic vulnerability to fluctuations in global oil prices.