Regional Background : Iraq Aftermath : Issues : AFSC

Iraq: Basic Facts

Area: 437,072 sq km (slightly more than twice the size of Idaho)

Population: 24,683,313 (July 2003 est.)

Ethnic Groups: Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5%

Religions: Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%

Government: in transition, occupied by a U.S.-led coalition

Head of State: in transition

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,400 (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line: N/A

Jordan: Basic Facts

Area: 92,300 sq km (slightly smaller than Indiana)

Population: 5,460,265 (July 2003 est.)

Ethnic Groups: Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%

Religions: Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several small Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.)

Government: constitutional monarchy

Head of State: King Abdallah II (since 7 February 1999)

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,300 (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line: 30%

Syria: Basic Facts

Area: 185,180 sq km (slightly larger than North Dakora)

Population: 17,585,540 (July 2002 est.) note: in addition, about 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 20,000 Arabs (18,000 Druze and 2,000 Alawites) and about 20,000 Israeli settlers (August 2001 est.)

Ethnic Groups: Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%

Religions: Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)

Government: republic under military regime since March 1963

Head of State: President Bashar al-Asad (since 17 July 2000);

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,500 (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line: 15%-25%