Basic facts about Iraq, which is holding a general election on Sunday.
- GEOGRAPHY: Iraq borders Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey. It has a narrow outlet to the sea on the Gulf and a surface area of 438,317 square kilometres. The capital is Baghdad.
- POPULATION: 29.6 million, of whom around 58 percent are Shiite Arabs, 25 percent Sunni and 14 percent Kurds. Other minorities include Christians and Yazidis (a sect dating back to the 12th century).
- RELIGION: Islam. Christians number around 500,000, a 30-percent plunge due to an exodus of members of the minority fleeing deadly attacks since the 2003 invasion.
- HISTORY: Today's Iraq covers much of the territory of ancient Mesopotamia, one of the cradles of human civilisation. In the early modern era it became part of the vast Ottoman Empire.
Under British control in the early 20th century, Iraq became formally independent in 1932. The monarchy was abolished in 1958 after a military coup and a republic established.
Saddam Hussein, one of the strongmen after his Baath party took control in 1968, became president in 1979.
Several wars shook the country -- the Iraq-Iran war from 1980-1988, the Gulf War over Kuwait in 1991 and the invasion in March 2003 by US-led forces which brought an end to the era of Saddam, who was hanged on December 30, 2006.
- POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: The US has put in place a programme for revamping Iraq's institutions. Sunday's election is crucial for the future of the country, ahead of the end of all US combat operations by August 31, 2010, and the full withdrawal all American troops by the end of 2011.
- ECONOMY AND RESOURCES: Iraq is estimated to have the world's third largest known oil reserves, or 115 billion barrels of crude. Oil is the greatest source of revenue, with exports of crude reaching in February their highest level since 1990 (2.069 million barrels a day).
- MILITARY: US mandate from the United Nations in Iraq ended on December 31, 2008.
Some 96,000 American troops are still in the country.
Around 750,000 Iraqi police and soldiers are in charge of security.
