Introduction to Iraqi Business Analysis
Iraq has a rich and diverse resource base?the second biggest proven reserves of oil, at 112.5bn barrels (BBC News, 2004), abundant water, and a national labor force of more than 7 million people?much larger than any member country of the Gulf Cooperation Council (CIA: The World Fact Book, 2007). War is a very good business, mainly after the war is over. But the war in Iraq is still going on. It takes the lion-hearted and realistic person to do business in the midst of an unending sectarian violence that juxtaposes a civil war and in a completely different culture. It will be lot of fun too! Success factor is learning from the Iraqi war project.
Historical and Political Background of Iraq.
Iraq is a Middle Eastern country, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait. It has a land mass of totaling 437,072 square kilometer, slightly more than twice the size of Idaho. It was formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, occupied by Britain during the course of 1920's World War I. An advanced civilization existed by 4000 B.C. After 2000 B.C. the land became the center of the ancient Babylonian and Assyrian empires. Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932 and declared a republic 1958. Ironically, it had been ruled by series of military juntas until 2003 when the U.S-lead coalition forces ousted the last dictator?Saddam Hussein. Iraq now has a fragile democracy established by the U.S-led coalition forces. Some of the world's greatest ancient civilizations developed here.
It has a population of 27,499,638, with more than 40 percent of the population under 15 years (CIA: The ...