Iraq Country & Tourist Information

Location
Middle East.

Area
438,317 sq km (169,235 sq miles).

Population
27 million (CIA estimate 2006).

Population Density
61.6 per sq km.

Capital
Baghdad.
Population: 5.7 million (2006 estimate).

Government
Iraqi Transitional Government. 

Language
80% Arabic (official). Other languages spoken include Kurdish, Persian, Chaldean, Assyrian and Armenian. English is quite widely spoken in urban centers.

Religion
Islam. Muslims make up 95% of the population, with considerably more Shiites than Sunni. Others are Christians who belong to various sects, including Chaldeans, Assyrians, Syrian and Roman Catholics, Orthodox Armenians and Jacobites. Other religious minorities are the Yezidis, often called devil worshippers, and the Sabaeans, or Mandeans, who are followers of John the Baptist.

Time
GMT + 3 (GMT + 4 from 1 April to 1 October).

Electricity
230 volts AC, 50Hz. Various two- and three-pin plugs are in use. Electricity supplies were severely affected in the recent conflict and are still unreliable.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Jawad al-Maliki since 2006.

Head of State
President Jalal Talabani since 2005.

Recent History
Since March 2003 when the US-led coalition declared war on Iraq and successfully ousted the regime of Saddam Hussein, the country has been in a period of transition. The transferal of power was finally granted to a new Iraqi government in 2004. Countrywide elections in 2005 appointed a National Assembly, with the majority of seats assigned to the Shia United Iraqi Alliance. This assembly elected a president, Jalal Talabani, who, in turn, designated Ibrahim Jaafari as prime minister. Parliamentary elections took place in December 2005 and following months of political deadlock, Jaafari withdrew his candidature for prime minister in April 2006, making way for Jawad al-Maliki. It remains to be seen whether al-Maliki is able to form a government capable of uniting this divided nation in the face of a rapidly deteriorating security situation.

Telephone
Country code: 964.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements with several international mobile phone companies exist. There is good coverage in major cities.

Internet
Internet cafes are springing up across Iraq, especially in Baghdad.

Media
There has been a surge of media outlets since the downfall of Saddam Hussein. Hundreds of publications and dozens of radio and TV stations are now available. Journalists and other media workers have fallen victim to insurgents and coalition military action. The financial viability of media companies is seriously affected by the security situation.



Post
All mail may take several weeks to process and is inadvisable.

Press
• Newspapers printed in Iraq include Al-Sabah, sponsored by state-run Iraqi Media Network.
• Al-Zaman is a London-based daily.
• Al-Mada, Al-Mashriq, Al-Dustur, and Al-Manarah are all private dailies.

Radio
• Radio stations in Iraq include Republic of Iraq Radio, Voice of Iraq, Hot FM and Radio Dijla.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
1 Jan New Year's Day.
6 Jan Army Day.
7 Jan Ashura. 
9 Mar Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet Muhammad).
9 Apr Baghdad Liberation Day.
17 Apr FAO Day.
1 May Labor Day.
14 Jul Republic Day. 
8 Aug Ceasefire Day (End of Iran-Iraq War). 
21 Sep Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
3 Oct Iraqi Independence Day (National Day).
28 Nov Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).
18 Dec Islamic New Year.
27 Dec Ashura. 

2010
1 Jan New Year's Day.
6 Jan Army Day. 
26 Feb Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet Muhammad).
9 Apr Baghdad Liberation Day.
17 Apr FAO Day.
1 May Labor Day.
14 Jul Republic Day.
8 Aug Ceasefire Day (End of Iran-Iraq War). 
11 Sep Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
3 Oct Iraqi Independence Day (National Day).
17 Nov Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).
7 Dec Islamic New Year.
16 Dec Ashura. 

Note
Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Many restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the region.

Contact Information:

Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in the UK
9 Holland Villas Road, London W14 8BP, UK
Tel: (020) 7602 8456.
Consular section: 106 Gloucester Place, London W1U 6HU, UK
Tel: (020) 7935 1058/8456.
Website: www.iraqembassy.org.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1300.

Iraq Policy Unit in the UK
c/o Foreign and Commonwealth Office, King Charles Street, London SW1A 2AH, UK
Tel: (020) 7008 1500.
Website: www.fco.gov.uk

Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in the USA
1801 P Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA
Tel: (202) 483 7500.
Website: www.iraqiembassy.org


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