Map of Israel | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: The territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the data below. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations are being conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives, Syria, and Jordan to determine the final status of the occupied territories. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace treaty. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace.


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Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total area total: 20,770 km²
Land: 20,330 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than New Jersey

Land boundaries: total 1,006 km, Egypt 255 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km

Coastline: 273 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas

Terrain: Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley

Elevation

Natural resources: copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur, asphalt, manganese, small amounts of natural gas and crude oil

Land use
Arable land: 17%
Permanent crops: 5%
Meadows and pastures: 40%
Forest and woodland: 6%
Other: 32%

Irrigated land: 2,140 km² (1989)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: there are 199 Jewish settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 24 in the Gaza Strip, and 25 in East Jerusalem (August 1994 est.)


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Population: 5,433,134 (July 1995 est.)
Note: includes 122,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank, 14,500 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 4,800 in the Gaza Strip, and 149,000 in East Jerusalem (August 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 1.4% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Israeli(s)
Adjective: Israeli

Ethnic groups: Jewish 82% (Israel born 50%, Europe/Americas/Oceania born 20%, Africa born 7%, Asia born 5%), non-Jewish 18% (mostly Arab) (1993 est.)

Languages: Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language

Religions: Judaism 82%, Islam 14% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2%, Druze and other 2%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 29%
15-64 years: 61%
65 years and over: 10%

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.4% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 20.39 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 6.38 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: limited arable land: and natural fresh water resources pose serious constraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides
Current issues natural hazards: sandstorms may occur during spring and summer
Current issues international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Desertification, Marine Life Conservation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 8.4 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.14 years
Male: 76 years
Female: 80.39 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.81 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1992)
Total population: 95%
Male: 97%
Female: 93%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: State of Israel
Conventional short form: Israel
Local long form: Medinat Yisra'el
Local short form: Yisra'el

Government type: republic

Capital: Jerusalem
Note: Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, does not recognize this status, and maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv

Administrative divisions: 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz; Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv

Dependent areas

Independence: 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)

National holiday: Independence Day, 14 May 1948 (Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May)

Constitution: no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the basic laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law

Legal system: mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in December 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Ezer WEIZMAN (since 13 May 1993) election last held 24 March 1993 (next to be held NA March 1999); results - Ezer WEIZMAN elected by Knesset
Head of government: Prime Minister Yitzhak RABIN (since NA July 1992)
Cabinet: Cabinet; selected from and approved by the Knesset

Legislative branch: unicameral
Parliament Knesset: elections last held NA June 1992 (next to be held by NA 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (120 total) Labor 44, Likud 32, MERETZ 12, Tzomet 8, National Religious Party 6, SHAS 6, United Torah Jewry 4, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) 3, Moledet 3, Arab Democratic Party 2; note - in 1994 four legislators broke party ranks, resulting in the following new distribution of seats - Labor Party 44, Likud bloc 32, MERETZ 12, National Religious Party 6, SHAS 6, Tzomet 5, United Torah Jewry 4, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) 3, Moledet 2, Arab Democratic Party 2, independents 4 (1 in coalition, 3 voting with opposition)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: AG (observer), CCC, CE (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, ECE, FAO, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Itamar RABINOVICH
In the us chancery: 3,514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 364-5,500
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 364-5,610
In the us consulates general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Martin INDYK
From the us embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv
From the us mailing address: PSC 98, Box 100, Tel Aviv; APO AE 9,830
From the us telephone: [972] (3) 517-4,338
From the us FAX: [972] (3) 663-449
From the us consulates general: Jerusalem

Flag description: white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Israel has a market economy with substantial government participation. It depends on imports of crude oil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has intensively developed its agricultural and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Industry employs about 22% of Israeli workers, construction 6.5%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3.5%, and services most of the rest. Israel is largely self-sufficient in food production except for grains. Diamonds, high-technology equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are leading exports. Israel usually posts current account deficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from abroad and by foreign loans. Roughly half of the government's external debt is owed to the United States, which is its major source of economic and military aid. To earn needed foreign exchange, Israel has been targeting high-technology niches in international markets, such as medical scanning equipment. The influx of Jewish immigrants from the former USSR, which topped 450,000 during the period 1990-94, increased unemployment, intensified housing problems, and strained the government budget. At the same time, the immigrants bring to the economy valuable scientific and professional expertise.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 6.8% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $13,880 (1994 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: citrus and other fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products

Industries: food processing, diamond cutting and polishing, textiles and apparel, chemicals, metal products, military equipment, transport equipment, electrical equipment, miscellaneous machinery, potash mining, high-technology electronics, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 8% (1994 est.), accounts for about 30% of GDP

Labor force: 1.9 million (1992)
By occupation public services: 29.3%
By occupation industry: 22.1%
By occupation commerce: 13.9%
By occupation finance and business: 10.4%
By occupation personal and other services: 7.4%
By occupation construction: 6.5%
By occupation transport storage and communications: 6.3%
By occupation agriculture forestry and fishing: 3.5%
By occupation other: 0.6% (1992)

Unemployment rate: 7.5% (1994 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $42.3 billion
Expenditures: $45.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $11.1 billion (FY92/93)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year (since 1 January 1992)

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $16.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
Commodoties: machinery and equipment, cut diamonds, chemicals, textiles and apparel, agricultural products, metals
Partners: US, EU, Japan

Imports: $22.5 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
Commodoties: military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, oil, other productive inputs, consumer goods
Partners: EU, US, Japan

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $25.9 billion (November 1994 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 3.070 (December 1994), 3.0111 (1994), 2.8301 (1993), 2.4591 (1992), 2.2791 (1991), 2.0162 (1990), 1.9164 (1989)


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Electricity
Capacity: 4,140,000 kW
Production: 23 billion kWh
Production consumption per capita: 4,290 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: 1,800,000 telephones; most highly developed in the Middle East although not the largest
Local: NA
Intercity: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay
International: 3 submarine cables; 3 INTELSAT (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth stations

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $6.5 billion, about 10% of GDP (1995)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 57
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 6
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 8
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7
With paved runways under 914 m: 31
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 708 km; petroleum products 290 km; natural gas 89 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 624,861 GRT/720,765 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 7, container 22, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: separated from Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank by the 1949 Armistice Line; the Gaza Strip and Jericho area, formerly occupied by Israel, are now administered largely by the Palestinian Authority; other areas of the West Bank outside Jericho are administered jointly by Israel and the Palestinian Authority; Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse and trafficking