Iraq - Nuts and Bolts

Iraq has a population of 21.5 million. Although 53.5 percent of the population are Shia Muslims, the minority Sunni Muslims (41.5 percent) are politically dominant.

The Iraqi currency, for what little it's worth, is the Iraqi dinar (ID). One ID = 1000 files. Banks are generally open from 8 a.m.-12 noon. Government offices are generally open 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Businesses are open 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Shops, when they have anything to sell, don't follow the clock, opening at dawn, closing for lunch when the sun is high, and reopening when the day cools off around 4 p.m. Small shops tend to open very early, close during the middle of the day, and then reopen from around 4 p.m. till 7 p.m. or later. Food markets open around 9 a.m. and close at midday, or when supplies are exhausted. The Islamic year contains 354 or 355 days, meaning that Muslim feasts advance by 10 to 12 days against the Gregorian calendar each year. Dates of feasts vary according to the sighting of the new moon, so they cannot be forecast precisely.

There is a neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, administered jointly by the two countries, with Iraq's portion covering 3,522 square kilometers. The country's most fertile area is the centuries-old floodplain of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, from Turkey and Syria to the Gulf. The northeast of Iraq is mountainous, while the large western desert area is sparsely populated and undeveloped. The northern mountainous region experiences severe winters, but the southern plains have warm winters with little rain and very hot, dry summers. The temperatures in Baghdad are between 40¡F and 60¡F in January, and between 75¡F and 90¡F in July and August. The average annual rainfall is 28 millimeters.

Alcohol is available only in international hotels. During the Ramadan, fasting month, both smoking and drinking in public are forbidden.

Money Hassles

The Iraqi dinar is virtually worthless (3.2 to the U.S. dollar officially; 1,000 to the dollar semiofficially and 3,000 dinars to the buck on the black market). The shortage of foreign currency has created a thriving black market, although the penalties for its use are severe, with heavy fines and possible imprisonment. The difference in exchange rates is vast between the black market and the official rates. You must declare your funds on entry, but few people do. It is legal to bring only ID25 into Iraq and take out ID5. Any amount of hard currency may be imported, but this must be declared on entry, and receipts must be obtained for any expenditure in Iraq. The balance and receipts must be shown upon leaving the country. Credit cards are not generally accepted, and traveler's checks are virtually useless. Iraqis traveling abroad may take out ID100.

Embassy Location

There is no U.S. embassy or consulate in Iraq. The U.S. government is not in a position to accord normal consular protective services to U.S. citizens who are in Iraq. U.S. government interests are represented by the government of Poland, which, as a protecting power, is able to provide only limited emergency services to U.S. citizens. The U.S. interests section of the embassy of Poland is located opposite the Foreign Ministry Club (Masbah Quarter):

U.S. Interests Section, Embassy of Poland

P.O. Box 2447 Alwiyah

Baghdad, Iraq

Tel.: (964-1) 719-6138, 719-6139, 719-3791, 718-1840