China (1998)

Debt--external: very heavy relative to GDP but the exact amount is
unknown (1998)

Economic aid--recipient: $327.5 million (1995)

Currency: 1 Iraqi dinar (ID) = 1,000 fils

Exchange rates: Iraqi dinars (ID) per US$1--0.3109 (fixed official
rate since 1982); black market rate--Iraqi dinars (ID) per US$1--1,810
(December 1998), 1,530 (December 1997), 3,000 (December 1995);
subject to wide fluctuations

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones: 632,000 (1987 est.)

Telephone system: reconstitution of damaged telecommunication
facilities began after the Gulf war; most damaged facilities have
been rebuilt
domestic: the network consists of coaxial cables and microwave radio
relay links
international: satellite earth stations--2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean
and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1
Arabsat (inoperative); coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to
Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey; Kuwait line is probably
nonoperational

Radio broadcast stations: AM 16, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios: 3.7 million (1998 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 13 (government controlled) (1997)

Televisions: 1 million (1992 est.)

Transportation

Railways:
total: 2,032 km
standard gauge: 2,032 km 1.435-m gauge

Highways:
total: 47,400 km
paved: 40,764 km
unpaved: 6,636 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 1,015 km; Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by
maritime traffic for about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3
meters and is in use; Tigris and Euphrates Rivers have navigable
sections for shallow-draft watercraft; Shatt al Basrah canal was
navigable by shallow-draft craft before closing in 1991 because of
the Persian Gulf war

Pipelines: crude oil 4,350 km; petroleum products 725 km; natural
gas 1,360 km

Ports and harbors: Umm Qasr, Khawr az Zubayr, and Al Basrah have
limited functionality

Merchant marine:
total: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 456,845 GRT/780,318 DWT
ships by type: cargo 14, oil tanker 11, passenger 1, passenger-cargo
1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2 (1998 est.)

Airports: 109 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 77
over 3,047 m: 20
2,438 to 3,047 m: 36
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 7 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 32
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to