Editing Economy of Iraq (section)

=== Forestry, fishing, and mining ===
Throughout the twentieth century, human exploration, shifting agriculture, [[Wildfire|forest fires]], and uncontrolled grazing denuded large areas of Iraq's natural forests, which in 2005 were almost exclusively confined to the northeastern highlands. Most of the trees found in that region are not suitable for lumbering. In 2002, a total of 112,000 cubic meters of wood were harvested, nearly half of which was used as fuel.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

Despite its [[Tigris–Euphrates river system|notable large rivers]], Iraq's fishing industry has remained relatively small and based largely on marine species in the Persian Gulf. In 2001, the approximate yield was 8,000 tons (compared to 18,000/t during the period between 1981-1997) according to official government estimates.<ref>{{cite web |title=FAO Fishery Country Profile - Republic of Iraq |url=https://www.fao.org/fishery/docs/DOCUMENT/fcp/en/FI_CP_IQ.pdf |access-date=10 March 2024 |archive-date=10 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310235654/https://www.fao.org/fishery/docs/DOCUMENT/fcp/en/FI_CP_IQ.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Aside from hydrocarbons, Iraq's mining industry has been confined to extraction of relatively small amounts of [[phosphates]] (at [[Akashat]]), salt, and sulfur (near [[Mosul]]). Since a productive period in the 1970s, the mining industry has been hampered by the [[Iran–Iraq War]] (1980–88), the sanctions of the 1990s, and the economic collapse of 2003.<ref>{{cite news |date=7 September 2011 |title=Iraq faces rocky road in mining investment hunt |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/iraq-mining/iraq-faces-rocky-road-in-mining-investment-hunt-idUSL5E7K749020110907 |work=Reuters |access-date=22 May 2023 |archive-date=22 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230522184325/https://www.reuters.com/article/iraq-mining/iraq-faces-rocky-road-in-mining-investment-hunt-idUSL5E7K749020110907 |url-status=live }}</ref>