Iraq: Geography#

LocationMiddle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
Geographic Coordinates33 00 N, 44 00 E 33.0,44.0
Area total: 438,317 sq km
land: 437,367 sq km
water: 950 sq km
We are unable to verify those figures from Factbook, since the 6 main sources we used for checking give different figures as follows:
Factbook: 438317
DBpedia: 438314
Geoname: 437072
Infoplease: 433970
Britannica: 434128
Wolfram: 437072

Attempted Explanation: Please help us to try to explain the discrepancies by sending us helpful information to office@global-geography.org
Land boundariestotal: 3,809 km
border countries: Iran 1,599 km, Jordan 179 km, Kuwait 254 km, Saudi Arabia 811 km, Syria 599 km, Turkey 367 km
Coastline58 km
Elevation Extremeslowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Cheekha Dar (Kurdish for "Black Tent"); 3,611 m
Highest MountainsAs there is no entry in Wolfram we are listing mountain list of Geonames only:
According to Geonames: Hasari Rost 3608 m; Sari Khazni 3298 m; Barbazin Rowst 2894 m; Qoch i Biri m ishka 2890 m; Shiv -e Sivil 2843 m

Attempted Explanation: Please help us to try to explain the discrepancies by sending us helpful information to office@global-geography.org
Terrainmostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey
Natural Hazardsdust storms; sandstorms; floods
Natural Resourcepetroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
Land Usearable land: 9.19%
permanent crops: 0.48%
other: 90.33% (2011)
Climatemostly 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
Irrigated Land35,250 sq km (2003)
Renewable Water Resources89.86 cu km (2011)
Environment_CurrentIssuesgovernment water control projects have drained most of the inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting the feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of Marsh Arabs, who inhabited these areas for thousands of years, has been displaced; furthermore, the destruction of the natural habitat poses serious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequate supplies of potable water; development of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers system contingent upon agreements with upstream riparian Turkey; air and water pollution; soil degradation (salination) and erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreementsparty to: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Large CitiesDue to difference in city rankings taken from two data sources we are listing here both lists :
According to Wolfram: Baghdad; al-Mawsil; al-Basrah; Irbil; Kirkuk
According to Geonames: Baghdad; Al Basrah; Al Mawsil al Jadidah; Al Basrat al Qadimah; Mosul

Attempted Explanation: Please help us to try to explain the discrepancies by sending us helpful information to office@global-geography.org
Important Cities
Geography-notestrategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf