Iraq's economy is dominated by the oil sector. Oil exports provide over 90% of government revenue and 80% of foreign exchange earnings. Prior to the outbreak of the war with Iran in September 1980, Iraq's economic prospects were bright. Oil production had reached a level of 3.5 million barrels per day, and oil revenues were $21 billion in 1979 and $27 billion in 1980. At the outbreak of the war, Iraq had amassed an estimated $35 billion in foreign exchange reserves.

Despite a difficult security and political environment, Iraq managed to maintain macroeconomic stability over the past  years.  An improving security environment and foreign investment are helping to spur economic activity, particularly in the energy, construction, and retail sectors. Broader economic development, long-term fiscal health, and sustained improvements in the overall standard of living still depend on the central government passing major policy reforms.

Iraq will need to address serious medium-term challenges in order to be able to create the conditions for high and sustainable growth that is necessary to improve the living standards of its people. The economy continues to suffer from severe structural weaknesses such as a small nonoil sector, high unemployment, public sector dominance, and a weak business environment.
While oil-growth is projected to remain high over the coming years, boosting non-oil private sector growth will need a long-term government strategy centered on improving the business environment and opening up opportunities for the private sector.

Essential Information    

Area: 438,317 sq km
Population: 31,858,481 (2013 est.)
Capital: Baghdad
Principal Towns: Basra, Mosul, Kirkuk.
Languages: Arabic is the official language, while some 15% of the population speak Kurdish. English and French are widely used in business.
Gross Domestic Product: $130.6 billion (2012 est.)
GDP per capita: $4,099 (2012 est.)
GDP per capita (PPP): $4,600 (2012 est.)
International Reserves: $67.7 billion (2012 est.)
Climate: The summer is very hot; the July average for Baghdad is 35°C, but this can exceed 40°C. The north is cooler. Winters are cold with Baghdad frequently seeing frost. In the north one can expect snow while the south is much warmer.
Currency: $1 = 1,161.00 IQD Iraqi Dinar
 
DEMOGRAPHY
Age Distribution (2013 est.)
0-14 years: 37.6%
15-24 years: 19.7%
25-54 years: 35.4%
55-64 years: 4.2%
65 years and over: 3.1%
 
Population Growth 2.345% (2012 est.)   

Education
Of total population, 78.2% age 15 and over can read and write  (2010)
 
NATURAL RESOURCES
Fossil Fuel
Petroleum, natural gas
Minerals
Phosphates, sulfur
Hydro-electric
In 2006, hydroelectrique power production of Iraq was estimated at 480 million kwh.

Visa Requirements:

All visitors, except Jordanian and some other Arab nationals, require visas. Visitors must be sponsored and visas must be obtained in advance. Anyone remaining for more than 15 days must register with the residence department and may subsequently require an exit visa to depart.
Within five days of arrival visitors must attend a hospital or health centre to make an appointment for an AIDS test. A certificate or proof of a forthcoming appointment is required.

 National Day, 3 October

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Diplomatic representation of Iraq in Switzerland

Egypt is bisected by the highly fertile Nile valley, where most economic activity takes place. The Egyptian economy relies heavily on tourist revenues. Egypt is the most populated Arab country, it counts about 82.1 million people, with $2,922 GDP per capita.

The contribution of the Egyptian economy is about 0.3% of the emerging markets index MSCI. Egyptian population is rather young. The aged 15 years or less, about 34%, and the age group of youth from 15-35 years old about 35%.  The people who represent the workforce in the category of 15-65 years old represent 62%, which requires a clear map to take advantage of the power work in economic activity.
The services sector is the owner of the largest share in terms of its contribution to the GDP of the acquisition of more than 50%, while the contribution of industry and agriculture, two sectors that offers a real job opportunities, permanent and constitute a measure of value added is 37.7% and 13.1% subsequently. The rising contribution of services sector because of its education and health services, provided by public institutions. On the other hand, the tourism sector is considered historically a main source of Egypt’s national income with some 12 million tourists visiting Egypt and spending about $11 billion annually.

Egypt’s economy is still suffering from a severe downturn and the government faces numerous challenges as to how to restore growth, market and investor confidence. Political and institutional uncertainty, a perception of rising insecurity and sporadic unrest continue to negatively affect economic growth. Real GDP growth slowed to just 2.2 percent year on year in October-December 2012/13 and investments declined to 13 percent of GDP in July-December 2012. The economic slowdown contributed to a rise in unemployment, which stood at 13 percent at end-December 2012, with 3.5 million people out of work. Foreign exchange reserves have continued to decline to reach about 3 months of imports.

Essential Information 

Area: 1,002,000 sq km
Population: 85,3 Million (2012 est.)
Capital: Cairo
Principal Towns: Alexandria, Tanta, Damietta, Suez, Port Said.
Languages: Arabic is the official language; French and English are both widely used, particularly in business circles.
Gross Domestic Product: $255billion (2012 est.)
GDP per capita: $2,989
International Reserves: $15.72 billion
Climate: Generally warm and dry from November to March although day temperatures can rise to over 38°C. April to October can see periods of intense heat in Cairo and Upper Egypt. Rainfall is limited to the northern, coastal region. A hot and dusty desert wind, the Khamaseen, blows in April/May and August/September.
Currency: 1$ ≈ 6.8 Egyptian Pound (EGP)

DEMOGRAPHY
Age Distribution (2012 est.)
0-14 years: 32.5%
15-24 years: 18.2%
25-54 years: 38.1%
55-64 years: 6.5%
65 years and over: 4.7%
 
Population Growth 1.92% (2012 est.)

Education
71.4% of the total population age 15 and over can read and write
 
NATURAL RESOURCES
Fossil Fuel
Petroleum, natural gas
Minerals
Iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc  
Hydro-electric
Assuan and Nasser Dams

Visa: All visitors must be in possession of a valid passport and a visa. Travellers should ensure that their passports extend for three months from the date of the visa being issued. Where this date may be exceeded intending visitors are advised to renew their passports beforehand as persons found with non-registered passports can be liable to a £E 20 fine.
One-month tourist and seven-day transit visas are available at Egyptian ports, airports and frontier posts; even so it is preferable to obtain visas before travelling.

 National Day 23 July.

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Diplomatic representation of Egypt in Switzerland

Djibouti’s economy is based on service activities connected with the country's strategic location and status as a free trade zone in the Horn of Africa. Two-thirds of Djibouti's inhabitants live in the capital city; the remainder are mostly nomadic herders. Djibouti provides services as both a transit port for the region and an international transhipment and refuelling centre. Imports and exports from landlocked neighbour Ethiopia represent 70% of port activity at Djibouti's container terminal. Djibouti has few natural resources and little industry. The nation is, therefore, heavily dependent on foreign assistance to help support its balance of payments and to finance development projects. 
The Djiboutian economy has benefited from huge investment in the transport sector namely; port investment, construction and banking sector during the last years. Foreign direct investment (FDI) as well has registered a positive evolution in the last ten years.

With the aim of strengthening Djibouti's position as a hub for trade, logistics and related services, as well as a provider of financial services, several road corridors were opened or renovated in 2010.
Nevertheless, the economy remains little diversified and highly dependent on port operations in the tertiary sector. This accounts for 76% of GDP, while the primary sector contributes a mere 3.9%. The country depends almost entirely on imports for its food supply. Domestic agricultural production covers only 10% of the country's food needs. 

Djibouti is at the crossroads of major sea routes for trading oil and other goods, and wants to become a hub for commercial, logistical and financial services for the Gulf of Aden countries. The government has launched a 4.3 billion US dollar (USD) investment programme, and in 2012, funding was obtained to build new port facilities for salt and potassium exports. 
The government is also drafting a long-term development strategy called Vision 2035, and a study is being done of which leading sectors could diversify the sources of national growth and create jobs.

Essential Information    

Area: 23,200 sq km

Population: 792,198 (2013 est.)

Capital: Djibouti

Principal Towns:Dikhil, Tadjoura, Obock

Languages: Arabic and French are the official languages. Afar, Amharic and Somali are also widely spoken.

Gross Domestic Product: $1.4 billion (2012 est.)

GDP per capita: $1,767 (2012 est.)

GDP per capita (PPP): $2,700 (2012 est.)

Gross Official Reserves: $0.2 billion (2012 est).

Climate: Very hot and arid from April to August with average temperatures of 32°C but reaching 45°C. October through March is slightly cooler with occasional light rain.

Currency: 1.00 USD ≈ 179.7 Djiboutian Franc (DJF), 1.00 DJF = 0.00556 USD.

Visa requirements:

Visas are required by all visitors, except French nationals, on short stay visits. Ten-day visas are available on arrival for US and EU nationals - an onward ticket is also required.

 Djibouti National Day, 27 June.

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Diplomatic representation of Djibouti in Switzerland

Comoros is made up of three islands that have inadequate transportation links, a young and rapidly increasing population, and few natural resources. The low educational level of the labour force contributes to a subsistence level of economic activity, high unemployment, and a heavy dependence on foreign grants and technical assistance. Agriculture, including fishing, hunting, and forestry, contributes 50% to GDP, employs 80% of the labour force, and provides most of the exports. Export income is heavily reliant on the three main crops of vanilla, cloves, and ylang-ylang; and Comoros' export earnings are easily disrupted by disasters such as fires. The country is not self-sufficient in food production; rice, the main staple, accounts for the bulk of imports. The government is struggling to upgrade education and technical training, privatize commercial and industrial enterprises, improve health services, diversify exports and promote tourism. Remittances from 150,000 Comorans abroad help supplement GDP. 

The international donor community currently plays a modest role in the country’s development. According to the OECD statistics, Comoros received approximately US$25 million in development assistance in 2005.

France was by far the largest donor contributing almost $17 million followed by UN agencies (including the World Bank) with over $7 million and the EC with over $4 million. Further, the economy is also significantly dependent upon remittances from the estimated 150,000-strong Comorian Diaspora in France and elsewhere.

Economic development in the past two decades has been hindered by a combination of recurrent political crises, macro-economic imbalances, and external shocks. A gradual recovery of the economy is observed since 2008. Real GDP is driven by agriculture and services increased by 0.6% in 2008, 1.1% in 2009 and 2.1% in 2010.

Essential Information     

Area: 2,170 sq km
Population:795,000 (July 2011 est.)
Capital:Moroni
Principal Towns:Fomboni, Moutsamoudou, Domoni
Languages: Arabic and French are the official languages while Comoran, a blend of Swahili and Arabic, is also spoken.
Gross Domestic Product (purchasing power parity):$872 million (2012 est.)

Gross Domestic Product (official exchange rate):$595 million (2012 est.)
 
GDP per capita: $1,300 (2012 est.)
 
Reserves: 6.2 months of imports of goods and services (2009 est.)
Climate: The coast has a moderate climate with temperatures ranging from 13 to 32°C. The summer months of June to September can be hot and humid with daytime temperatures registering between 27 and 32°C; these can be exceeded, for brief periods, when the hot, dry sirocco wind blows from the south. The Sahara desert is hot and arid with daytime temperatures reaching 43°C while night temperatures fall to 10°C or less.

Currency: Comoros Franc (KMF) = nearly 0.00281 US Dollar (USD)

Visa Requirements: A valid passport and onward/return ticket are required. A three-week entry visa, which may be extended, may be obtained from the airport on arrival. Travellers should obtain the latest details from the nearest Mission of the Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros.

Comoros' National Day 6 July

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Diplomatic representation of Comoros in Switzerland

Bahrain is a banking and financial services centre; its small and reasonably prosperous economy is less dependent on oil than most Gulf states.

Bahrain has taken great strides in diversifying its economy and its highly developed communication and transport facilities make Bahrain home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. Bahrain's economy, however, continues to depend heavily on oil. Petroleum production and refining account for more than 60% of Bahrain's export receipts, 70% of government revenues, and 11% of GDP. Other major economic activities are production of aluminum - Bahrain's second biggest export after oil - finance, and construction. Bahrain competes with Malaysia as a worldwide center for Islamic banking and continues to seek new natural gas supplies as feedstock to support its expanding petrochemical and aluminum industries.

The country’s limited oil reserves, which are expected to last only another 10 to 15 years, have led Bahrain to already make significant progress on developing the non-oil sector. Other major segments of Bahrain's economy are the financial and construction sectors. The financial sector contributes around 27 per cent of the kingdom’s GDP, while hydrocarbons contributes around 25 per cent. Manufacturing contributes around 13 per cent.

The Kingdom is the main banking hub for the Gulf and a centre for Islamic finance with a total size of $800 billion, which has been attracted by the strong regulatory framework for the industry.

Essential Information

Area: 695.25 sq km

Population: 1.3 million

Capital: Manama

Principal Towns: Muharraq, Jidhafs, Isa Town, Awali, Hidd, Rifaa.
Area: 695.25 sq km
Population:1.3 million
Capital: Manama
Principal Towns: Muharraq, Jidhafs, Isa Town, Awali, Hidd, Rifaa.
Languages: Arabic is the official language. English is used widely in business circles.
Gross Domestic Product (official exchange rate): $26,5 billion (2012 est)
GDP per capita: $20,385 (2012 est.)
International Reserves: $5.0 billion (2012 est.)
Climate: Tropical Gulf climate with hot summers, mild winters and high year-round humidity. The annual average rainfall is only some 70 mm.
Currency: 2.64 US Dollar (USD) = nearly 0.377 Bahraini Dinar (BHD)     
     
Visa Requirements:

No visa is required for GCC and British nationals. Other travellers must obtain entry visas in countries where there is a Bahraini consulate, these can then be extended locally. Travellers with an onward reservation may obtain a 72-hour transit visa at the point of entry.

Bahrain National Day 16 December

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Bahrain Diplomatic representation in Switzerland

Economy of Algeria

Algeria’s economy is based mainly on oil and gas, it has the eighth-largest reserves of natural gas in the world and is the fourth-largest gas exporter; it ranks 18^th in oil reserves.

The hydrocarbon sector represents about 40–45 percent of total GDP and about two-thirds of budget revenues. Oil and gas resources account for 98 percent of the country’s exports and 70 percent of tax revenues.

The chief challenges that Algeria faces in the short and medium terms are the need to diversify the economy, strengthen political and economic reform, improve the business climate, reduce regional inequalities and create jobs. Structural reform within the economy, such as development of the banking sector and the construction of infrastructure, moves ahead slowly. According to the World Bank indicator for ease of doing business in 2015, Algeria is ranked 154 out of 183 economies.

Essential Information  

Area: 2,381,741 sq km
Capital: Algiers
Principal Towns: Oran, Constantine, Annaba, Stiff, Blida, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Batna, Tlemcen.
Languages: Arabic is the official language but French is still widely used. There are Berber-speaking minorities.
Climate: The coast has a moderate climate with temperatures ranging from 13 to 32°C. The summer months of June to September can be hot and humid with daytime temperatures registering between 27 and 32°C; these can be exceeded, for brief periods, when the hot, dry sirocco wind blows from the south
Currency: 1$ = 78.9 Algerian dinar (DZD).

DEMOGRAPHY

39,5 (Million 2015 est.) (source: IMF)

Source: CIA factbook.
 
Education
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

NATURAL RESOURCES
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc
 
Fossil Fuel
Oil - proved reserves: 12.2 billion bbl (January 2012 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 4.502 trillion cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
 
Minerals
Iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc
Hydro-electric
0.3% of production
 
Visa Requirements:

Nationals from the following countries do not require a visa to travel to Algeria:
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Democratic Republic Sahraoui, Seychelles, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Yemen.
Non-resident foreigners must change the equivalent of AD 1,000 on entering the country.

WTO accession: Observer

Independence Day July 5

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