Iraq Government

The political framework of Iraq is classified as a federal parliamentary representative democratic republic and defined as a democratic, Islamic, federal parliamentary republic by the country's constitution. The state is a multi-party system with a Council of Representatives and the Federation Council holding legislative power and the Prime Minister holding executive power in Iraq. From 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003, the country was ruled by authoritarian dictator Saddam Hussein. The current system of government in Iraq is relatively modern due to the country only recently embracing democracy.

Free elections in Iraq have taken place in 2005, 2010, and 2014 for the federal government, and in 2013 there were provincial elections held for local representatives. The 2010 national elections for the Council of Representatives saw over 11.5 million voters turn up and make their choice freely. This election decided the individuals who would become members of parliament and hold seats on the national legislative body. As far as many Iraqis were concerned, this election indeed marked the first free election in many years as a lot of citizens did not agree with the 2005 results. The last national election was held on April 30, 2014, and the next election will take place sometime in 2018.

The Council of Representatives of Iraq comprises of 328 seats and meets in Baghdad inside the Green Zone, a protected area of Baghdad. The official residence of the Prime Minister of Iraq is the Republican Palace which is in the capital city of Baghdad. This historic structure was built by King Faisal II who ruled Iraq from 1939 until 1958. In the belief that it may hold valuable documents the Green Zone was established around it and served as the primary headquarters of the 2003 American invasion.

The major political parties in Iraq in Iraq include the Islamic Dawa Party, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, and the Sadrist Movement.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Baghdad
Languages	Arabic (official), Kurdish (official), Turkmen (a Turkish dialect), Syriac (Neo-Aramaic), and Armenian are official in areas where native speakers of these languages constitute a majority of the population)
Ethnic Groups	Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkmen, Assyrian, Shabak, Yazidi, other 5%
Religion	Muslim (official) 99% (Shia 55-60%, Sunni 40%), Christian <.1%, Yazidi <.1%, Sabean Mandaean <.1%, Baha'i <.1%, Zoroastrian <.1%, Hindu <0.1%, Buddhist <0.1%, Jewish <0.1%, folk religion <0.1, unafilliated 0.1%, other <0.1%
Government	Federal parliamentary republic
Independance	3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration); note - on 28 June 2004 the Coalition Provisional Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government
Area	438,317.00 km²
Water Area	950.00 km²
Land Area	437,367.00 km²
Population	38,146,025.00 Population is concentrated in the north, center, and eastern parts of the country, with many of the larger agglomerations found along extensive parts of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; much of the western and southern areas are either lightly populated or uninhabited
Location	Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
No. Bordering Countries	6
Bordering Countries	Iran 1,599 km, Jordan 179 km, Kuwait 254 km, Saudi Arabia 811 km, Syria 599 km, Turkey 367 km
GDP(PPP)	$597,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$16,500.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are China, India, and South Korea.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are crude oil and crude materials.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Turkey, Syria, and China.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include food, medicine, and manufactures.
Climate	Mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraq
Terrain	Mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey
Learn More	Iraq

Iraq Government

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