, Christian or
other 3%

Languages: Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian,
Armenian

Literacy: age 15-45 can read and write (1985)
total population: 89%
male: 90%
female: 88%

Labor force: 4.4 million (1989)
by occupation: services 48%, agriculture 30%, industry 22%
note: severe labor shortage; expatriate labor force was about
1,600,000 (July 1990); since then, it has declined substantially

@Iraq:Government

Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Iraq
conventional short form: Iraq
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah
local short form: Al Iraq

Digraph: IZ

Type: republic

Capital: Baghdad

Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (muhafazat, singular -
muhafazah); Al Anbar, Al Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf,
Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah, At Ta'mim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar,
Diyala, Karbala', Maysan, Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit

Independence: 3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under
British administration)

National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 17 July (1968)

Constitution: 22 September 1968, effective 16 July 1970 (provisional
Constitution); new constitution drafted in 1990 but not adopted

Legal system: based on Islamic law in special religious courts, civil
law system elsewhere; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President SADDAM Husayn (since 16 July 1979); Vice
President Taha Muhyi al-Din MARUF (since 21 April 1974); Vice
President Taha Yasin RAMADAN (since 23 March 1991)
head of government: Prime Minister SADDAM Husayn (since NA May 1994);
Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Mikhail AZIZ (since NA 1979)
Revolutionary Command Council: Chairman SADDAM Husayn, Vice Chairman
Izzat IBRAHIM al-Duri
cabinet: Council of Ministers

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Majlis al-Watani): elections last held on 1 April
1989 (next to be held NA); results - Sunni Arabs 53%, Shi'a Arabs 30%,
Kurds 15%, Christians 2% (est.); seats - (250 total) number of seats
by party NA
note: in northern Iraq, a "Kurdish Assembly" was elected in May 1992
and calls for Kurdish self-determination within a federated Iraq; the
assembly is not recognized by the Baghdad government

Judicial branch: Court of Cassation

Political parties and leaders: Ba'th Party

Other political or pressure groups: political parties and