Iraq (Republic of Iraq)

Iraq Republic of Iraq
Status	Independent State
Capital	Baghdad
Land Area	434 320km21
Location	Asia, Middle East
Population	33.7m (2011)2
Life Expectancy	69.63yrs (2017)3
GNI	$11 608 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	IQ, IRQ, 3685
Internet Domain	.iq6
Currency	Dinar (IQD)7
Telephone	+9648

1. Overview
2. Iraq National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Human Rights, Equality and Freedom
5. Peace Versus Instability
6. Religion and Beliefs
7. The Internet
8. Public Health Issues
9. Children's Health
10. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
11. Links

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1. Overview

#iran #iraq #kuwait #UK

“Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A "republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of strongmen ruled the country until 2003. The last was SADDAM Husayn. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait but was expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces during the Gulf War of January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions over a period of 12 years led to the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. US forces remained in Iraq under a UNSC mandate through 2009 and under a bilateral security agreement thereafter, helping to provide security and to train and mentor Iraqi security forces. In October 2005, Iraqis approved a constitution in a national referendum and, pursuant to this document, elected a 275-member Council of Representatives (COR) in December 2005. The COR approved most cabinet ministers in May 2006, marking the transition to Iraq's first constitutional government in nearly a half century. In January 2009, Iraq held elections for provincial councils in all governorates except for the three governorates comprising the Kurdistan Regional Government and Kirkuk Governorate. Iraq held a national legislative election in March 2010 - choosing 325 legislators in an expanded COR - and, after nine months of deadlock the COR approved the new government in December 2010. Nearly nine years after the start of the Second Gulf War in Iraq, US military operations there ended in mid-December 2011.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“One of the cradles of civilisation, Iraq has, despite its recent troubles and persistent bad press, a wealth of human and cultural riches to reveal. Torn between its glorious past as the cradle of civilisation and the turmoil of its recent bloody history, Iraq is a country of contradictions. It is the birthplace of writing and the legendary home of the Garden of Eden, Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Epic of Gilgamesh. But it is also a place of unimaginable horrors.

Since the 2003 US-led invasion, Iraq has been caught in a cycle of violence. The country has since intermittently hovered on the cusp of a new beginning. Even so, with the exception of Iraqi Kurdistan, much of Iraq remains too dangerous for independent travellers. The future is far from certain, but with its rich history and warm hospitality, Iraq could become one of the great travel destinations of the Middle East, insha´ Allah.

Iraqi Kurdistan´s slogan, `The Other Iraq´, could not be more fitting. This is the Iraq you don´t see in the news. It´s a safe and tranquil oasis with happening cities, soaring mountains and welcoming people.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Iraq National and Social Development

#human_development

UN HDI (2016)11
Pos.		Lower is better Rank11
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
118	Bolivia	118
119	S. Africa	119
120	Kyrgyzstan	120
121	Iraq	121
122	Cape Verde	122
123	Morocco	123
124	Nicaragua	124
125	Guatemala	125
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Higher is better Points12
1	Denmark	83.6
2	Finland	83.1
3	Sweden	82.6
	...
191	Syria	35.5
192	Congo, DR	35.3
193	Angola	35.1
194	Chad	34.8
195	Afghanistan	34.4
196	Somalia	33.7
197	Yemen	32.2
198	Iraq	31.8
	World Avg	55.4
q=198.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

#birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #Iraq #life_expectancy #longevity #overpopulation #population

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)13
Pos.		Lower is better Per 10013
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
23	Benin	05.8
24	Burundi	05.9
25	Liberia	05.9
26	Iraq	06.0
27	Guinea	06.1
28	Guinea-Bissau	06.1
29	Lesotho	06.1
30	Kenya	06.1
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Emigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
110	Turkmenistan	5.0%
111	Mozambique	5.0%
112	Senegal	5.0%
113	Iraq	4.9%
114	Denmark	4.7%
115	Yemen	4.7%
116	Hungary	4.6%
117	Colombia	4.6%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

Fertility Rate (2013)15
Pos.		2.0 is best15
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
150	Congo, (Brazzaville)	4.46
151	Central African Rep.	4.46
152	Madagascar	4.52
153	Iraq	4.57
154	Kenya	4.64
155	Senegal	4.65
156	Gambia	4.73
157	Mozambique	4.75
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Immigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Qatar	86.5%
2	Monaco	71.6%
3	UAE	70.0%
	...
178	Lesotho	0.3%
179	Laos	0.3%
180	Egypt	0.3%
181	Iraq	0.3%
182	Somalia	0.2%
183	Colombia	0.2%
184	Madagascar	0.2%
185	Myanmar (Burma)	0.2%
	World Avg	9.2%
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015)16
Pos.		Higher is better Years16
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
120	Bhutan	69.85
121	Mongolia	69.81
122	Syria	69.65
123	Iraq	69.63
124	Kazakhstan	69.59
125	Tajikistan	69.58
126	Uzbekistan	69.40
127	Micronesia	69.27
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Population (2012)17
Pos.		Population17
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
	...
35	Uganda	35.6m
36	Sudan	35.0m
37	Canada	34.7m
38	Iraq	33.7m
39	Afghanistan	33.4m
40	Morocco	32.6m
41	Nepal	31.0m
42	Venezuela	29.9m
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

Iraq's population is predicted to rise to 55.26 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 4.57. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

4. Human Rights, Equality and Freedom

#equality #freedom #human_rights #iraq #politics #tolerance

Iraq is amongst the very worst places in the world at ensuring any human rights and freedoms, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Iraq does worse than average in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₁₈, eliminating modern slavery₁₉, opposing gender inequality₂₀, supporting press freedom₂₁, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₂ and in LGBT equality₂₃. It falls into the worst-performing 20 in terms of its Global Peace Index rating₂₄ (one of the worst in Asia), fighting corruption₂₅ (one of the lowest in Asia) and in the year from which women could participate in democracy₂₆. And finally, it is the worst in fighting anti-semitic opinions₂₇. Violence against women is rife, and women have few legal protections to shield them from domestic abuse₂₈. Homosexual relations are illegal₂₈. As a result of the death penalty, "Iraq has long had one of the highest rates of executions in the world"₂₈.

Human Rights Watch finds that ISIS have "carried out the most serious human rights abuses, war crimes and crimes against humanity"₂₈ and the UN finds the ISIS responsible for genocide₂₈. Iraq forces have conducted widespread 'collective punishments' against families and communities₂₈.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Iraq

5. Peace Versus Instability

#extremism #human_development #Iraq #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Peacekeeping and Security (2017)29
Pos.		Lower is better Rank29
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
155	Mali	155
156	Swaziland	156
157	Yemen	157
158	Iraq	158
159	Bahrain	159
160	Slovenia	160
161	Tonga	161
162	Marshall Islands	162
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)29
Pos.		Lower is better Rank29
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
112	Libya	112
113	Belize	113
114	Morocco	114
115	Iraq	115
116	Dominica	116
117	Saudi Arabia	117
118	Lesotho	118
119	Oman	119
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Global Peace Index (2012)24
Pos.		Lower is better24
1	Iceland	1.11
2	New Zealand	1.24
3	Denmark	1.24
	...
150	Central African Rep.	2.87
151	N. Korea	2.93
152	Russia	2.94
153	Congo, DR	3.07
154	Iraq	3.19
155	Sudan	3.19
156	Afghanistan	3.25
157	Somalia	3.39
	World Avg	2.02
q=157.

"The 2012 Global Peace Index is the sixth edition of the world's leading study on global levels of peacefulness. The GPI ranks 158 nations using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources, which gauge three broad themes: the level of safety and security in society; the extent of domestic or international conflict; and the degree of militarisation. By generating new information on the state of peace at the national and global level, the Institute for Economics and Peace hopes to make a valuable contribution to better understanding how civil society, researchers, policymakers, and government can create a more peaceful society"₂₄. The most peaceable countries in the world are Iceland, New Zealand and Denmark₂₄ and the worst are Somalia, Afghanistan and Sudan₂₄.

Impact of Terrorism (2019)30
Pos.		Lower is better Score30
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
143	Yemen	7.26
144	India	7.52
145	Somalia	7.80
146	Pakistan	7.89
147	Syria	8.01
148	Nigeria	8.60
149	Iraq	9.24
150	Afghanistan	9.60
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

6. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #iraq #islam #judaism #religion

Religiosity (2009)31
Pos.		Lower is better %31
1	Estonia	16
2	Sweden	17
3	Denmark	19
	...
54	Romania	84
55	Honduras	84
56	Peru	84
57	Iraq	84
58	Nicaragua	84
59	S. Africa	85
60	Tajikistan	85
61	Malta	86
	World Avg	75.1
q=114.

Disbelief In God (2007)32
Pos.		Higher is better %32
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
106	Tanzania	0
107	Malaysia	0
108	Haiti	0
109	Iraq	0
110	Guinea	0
111	Ghana	0
112	Jordan	0
113	Gambia	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₃₃:

Christian	0.8%
Muslim	99%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.1%

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 100% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 84% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

• "Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim (official) 97% (Shia 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%. note: while there has been voluntary relocation of many Christian families to northern Iraq, recent reporting indicates that the overall Christian population may have dropped by as much as 50 percent since the fall of the Saddam HUSSEIN regime in 2003, with many fleeing to Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon₃₄.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: When it comes to religious freedom and persecution, sociologists Grim & Finke place Iraq into the worst category, along with just 13 other countries. In this category, severe restrictions on religious freedom and freedom of belief stem simultaneously from top-down pressure from government and institutionalized religion, and from bottom-up grassroots movements that often go even further than the government in harassing those who do not believe the right things (2011)₃₅.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?
• Human Rights and Freedom in Iraq: 6. Freedom of Belief and Religion

7. The Internet

#internet #Iraq #it_security #the_internet

Internet Users (2016)36
Pos.		Higher is better36
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
165	Namibia	16%
166	Turkmenistan	15%
167	Bangladesh	13%
168	Iraq	13%
169	Kiribati	13%
170	Rwanda	12%
171	Mali	12%
172	Haiti	12%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)37
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio37
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
141	Kiribati	0.0
142	Ivory Coast	0.0
143	Mauritania	0.0
144	Iraq	0.0
145	Oman	0.0
146	Papua New Guinea	0.0
147	French Polynesia	0.0
148	Palestine	0.0
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

IT Security (2013)38
Pos.		Lower is better38
1	Ireland	0.11
2	Luxembourg	0.11
3	Belize	0.11
	...
73	Angola	1.61
74	Sri Lanka	1.67
75	Oman	1.72
76	Iraq	1.84
77	Bangladesh	1.87
78	Sudan	1.98
79	India	2.10
80	Russia	2.42
	World Avg	0.98
q=81.

Internet access has become an essential research tool. It facilitates an endless list of life improvements, from the ability to network and socialize without constraint, to access to a seemingly infinite repository of technical and procedural information on pretty much any task. The universal availability of data has sped up industrial development and personal learning at the national and personal level. Individuals can read any topic they wish regardless of the locality of expert teachers, and, entire nations can develop their technology and understanding of the world simply because they are now exposed to advanced societies and moral discourses online. Like every communications medium, the Internet has issues and causes a small range of problems, but these are insignificant compared to the advantages of having an online populace.

8. Public Health Issues

#alcohol #genetics #health #Iraq #obesity #public_health #smoking #sociology #UK

Iraq is a pretty unhealthy country. Iraq comes in the best 20 for its alcohol consumption rate₃₉. When it comes to most other metrics, Iraq does not do well. It does worse than average in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₂₉ (the worst in Asia), its smoking rate₄₀, its adolescent birth rate₂₀ (the highest in Asia) and in the prevalence of overweight adults₄₁. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 when it comes to its immunizations take-up₄₂ (one of the worst in Asia). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)39
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita39
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
9	Syria	0.3
10	Pakistan	0.3
11	Kiribati	0.4
12	Iraq	0.4
13	Brunei	0.4
14	Egypt	0.4
15	Djibouti	0.5
16	Niger	0.5
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

There is nothing wrong with drinking modest and sensible amounts of alcohol but fitness, physical health, mental health and long-term health all suffer as a result of medium- or heavy- drinking₄₃ and the health risks to the baby when pregnant mothers drink₄₄ are well-known. Aside from the effects on the individual, alcohol misuse impacts on entire economies₄₅ via increased health service costs, policing costs and lost days' work. Worldwide, alcohol misuse is "among the top five risk factors for disease, disability and death" and is a "cause of more than 200 disease and injury conditions in individuals, most notably alcohol dependence, liver cirrhosis, cancers and injuries"₄₆. "In 2012... 5.9% of all global deaths, were attributable to alcohol consumption"₄₇. Deaths from chronic alcohol misuse have been rising for decades, and so has violence, abuse, vandalism and crime all associated with alcohol over-use. The aggression and crime associated with alcohol in some Western countries infringes on the human rights of those who want nothing to do with such behaviour. Many of the social effects of alcohol are psychological and cultural; i.e., people don't have to behave criminally or destructively whilst drunk - it is a culturally learned behaviour. Experiments have shown that behaviour can be controlled: Those who do not wish to behave badly whilst drunk, will not do so.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)29
Pos.		Lower is better Rank29
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
132	Suriname	132
133	Grenada	133
134	Montenegro	134
135	Iraq	135
136	Madagascar	136
137	Congo, (Brazzaville)	137
138	Albania	138
139	Ghana	139
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults (2016)41
Pos.		Lower is better %41
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
165	Israel	64.3
166	Bahamas	64.4
167	Australia	64.5
168	Iraq	64.6
169	Mexico	64.9
170	New Zealand	65.6
171	Bahrain	65.8
172	Malta	66.4
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

About one third of the global population is overweight or obese₄₈. Most Western countries are facing an obesity epidemic. Our cultures are having to change to compensate for widespread ill-health. It is costing our health systems a massive amount of money, and is having negative effects on national economies. The situation has persisted for a suitable length of time for our very perceptions to change; opinions on "normal weights" for people and "average sizes" for clothes has shot up₄₉. Over 2 in 3 adults in the UK are overweight₄₉ and this costs the NHS £5.1 billion per year₅₀ and "costs Britain's economy £47bn a year; more than war, terrorism or armed violence"₅₁. We are forgetting how to be healthy.

The causes are not genetic. Most people who say obesity "runs in their family" are wrong. The rate of increase in obesity is many, many times too fast to be accounted for by a change in inherited genes₅₂. Our culture and lifestyle choices are to blame. The causes of the modern obesity epidemic are processed foods, low levels of physical exercise, over-indulgence, poor choices in food products, poor knowledge of nutrition. Most of this is made much worse by well-funded advertising campaigns by food manufacturers selling cheaper mass-produced food. Even some so-called "health foods" contain well over recommended limits of fat, salt and sugar₅₃.

Smoking Rates (2014)40
Pos.		Lower is better40
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
132	Albania	1 177
133	Egypt	1 188
134	Vietnam	1 215
135	Iraq	1 227
136	Spain	1 265
137	Malta	1 266
138	Philippines	1 291
139	Indonesia	1 322
	World Avg	819
q=182.

9. Children's Health

#health #Iraq #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)20
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100020
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
149	Guatemala	80.7
150	Bangladesh	83.0
151	Benin	83.2
152	Iraq	84.0
153	Sao Tome & Principe	84.3
154	Guyana	88.0
155	Nicaragua	88.8
156	Guinea-Bissau	89.5
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)42
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %42
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
175	S. Africa	72.5
176	Angola	71.9
177	Madagascar	71.9
178	Iraq	70.7
179	Afghanistan	70.6
180	Niger	69.7
181	Samoa	68.1
182	Yemen	67.4
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

10. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries