The terrain is made up mostly of broad plains and reedy marshes in the south-eastern parts of the country. About one fifth of the land is arable and there are a few permanent crops. The climate is mostly desert with mild to cool winters and dry, hot, cloudless summers. The northernmost regions along the mountainous Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with heavy snow. It has the second largest oil reserves and had become the second largest exporter of hydrocarbons in the world prior to the Gulf War.
Manufacturing plays a relatively smaller role in the economy.
All large-scale industry is publicly owned and includes iron, steel, cement, pharmaceutical, and fertiliser productions. Small private industrial companies are engaged in food processing and textiles. Iraq has a skilled work force. Most of the fertile irrigated land is available for agricultural purposes and 30 percent of the work force is employed in agriculture. This site was last updated on 15 May 2001 .