ECONOMY
Industry:
Main industries are oil refining, food processing, textiles, leather goods, cement and other building materials, tobacco, paper, and sulfur extraction. Iraq has ten oil refineries, all managed by the government's Oil Refineries Administration. The Iraq-Iran and Gulf wars seriously affected Iraqi refining. Iraq has total refinery capacity of 350,000 barrels per day (the Iraqi government claims 700,000), with the largest refinery, Baiji North, rated at 150,000 barrels per day. The second-largest refinery, at Salaheddin, has a capacity of 140,000 barrels per day. The bulk of Iraq's refinery capacity is concentrated in the Baiji complex.
In the 1970s, Iraq put strong emphasis on the development of heavy industry and diversification of its current industry, a policy aimed at decreasing dependence on oil. During the 1980s, the industrial sector showed a steady increase, reflecting the importance given to military industries during the Iran–Iraq war. By early 1992 it was officially claimed that industrial output had been restored to 60% of pre-Gulf War capacity. The UN oil-for-food program has allowed limited oil sales in 1999 and 2000, despite economic sanctions resulting from the Gulf War.
Agriculture:
Agricultural production in Iraq declined progressively because of the war with Iran and the Persian Gulf War. In 1992, wheat production was estimated at 600,000 tons compared with 965,000 tons in 1982, but by 1999 was only 800,000 tons. The comparable figures for barley were 400,000, 902,000, and 500,000 tons; for cotton, 5,000, 8,000, and 9,000 tons.
Iraq's most important agricultural export, increased from 374,000 tons in 1982 to an estimated 600,000 in 1999. Crops grown for domestic consumption include millet, lentils, beans, cucumbers, melons, figs, potatoes, corn, sugarcane, tobacco (a government monopoly), and mulberries.
Research & Development:
Iraq has imported Western technology for its petrochemical industry. The Scientific Research Council was established in 1963 and includes nine scientific research centers. The Nuclear Research Center (founded in 1967) has conducted nuclear physics experiments and produced radioisotopes with equipment supplied by France. In 1982, the French government agreed to help rebuild the institute's Osirak reactor, knocked out by an Israeli air attack the previous year.
Eight universities offer degrees in basic and applied sciences. In addition, the Ministry of Higher Education has 18 incorporated technical institutes. The Agriculture and Water Resources Research Center (founded in 1980) and the Iraq Natural History Research Center and Museum (founded in 1946) are both located in Baghdad. The Iraqi Medical Society (founded in 1920) is headquartered there.