2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 11 (1998 est.)

Heliports: 4 (1998 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Republican Guard and Special Republican
Guard, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Border Guard Force,
Internal Security Forces

Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 5,459,998 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 3,058,098 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 259,915 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: NA%

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: Iran and Iraq restored diplomatic
relations in 1990 but are still trying to work out written
agreements settling outstanding disputes from their eight-year war
concerning border demarcation, prisoners-of-war, and freedom of
navigation and sovereignty over the Shatt al Arab waterway; in
November 1994, Iraq formally accepted the UN-demarcated border with
Kuwait which had been spelled out in Security Council Resolutions
687 (1991), 773 (1993), and 883 (1993); this formally ends earlier
claims to Kuwait and to Bubiyan and Warbah islands although the
government continues periodic rhetorical challenges; dispute over
water development plans by Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

======================================================================

@Ireland
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Introduction

Background: Growing Irish nationalism resulted in independence
from the United Kingdom in 1921, with six largely Protestant
northern counties remaining within the UK. After World War II bloody
strife between Catholics and Protestants over the status of Northern
Ireland cost thousands of lives. In 1998, substantial steps toward
peace were agreed to by the British and Irish governments and the
Roman Catholics and Protestants of Northern Ireland.

Geography

Location: Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of
Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain

Geographic coordinates: 53 00 N, 8 00 W

Map references: Europe

Area:
total: 70,280 sq km
land: 68,890 sq km
water: 1,390 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries:
total: 360 km
border countries: UK 360 km

Coastline: 1,448 km

Mari