Statistical information Israel 1998

Israel in the World
top of pageBackground: The territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the data below, unless otherwise noted. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations are being conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives, and Israel and Syria, to achieve a permanent settlement between them. 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.
top of pageLocation: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
Geographic coordinates: 31 30 N, 34 45 E
Map reference:
Middle EastAreaTotal: 20,770 km²
Land: 20,330 km²
Water: 440 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundariesTotal: 1,006 km
Border countries: (6) Egypt 255 km;
, Gaza Strip 51 km;
, Jordan 238 km;
, Lebanon 79 km;
, Syria 76 km;
, West Bank 307 kmCoastline: 273 km
Maritime claimsContinental 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
ElevationExtremes lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
Extremes highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m
Natural resources: copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur, asphalt, manganese, small amounts of natural gas and crude oil
Land useArable land: 17%
Permanent crops: 4%
Permanent pastures: 7%
Forests and woodland: 6%
Other: 66% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,800 km² (1993 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: sandstorms may occur during spring and summer
GeographyNote: there are 207 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 24 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 1997 est.)
top of pagePopulation: 5,643,966 (July 1998 est.)
Note: includes 155,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, 17,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 6,000 in the Gaza Strip, and 164,000 in East Jerusalem (August 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 1.91% (1998 est.)
NationalityNoun: 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 profileAge structure0-14 years: 28% (male 814,558; female 776,630)
15-64 years: 62% (male 1,751,111; female 1,745,499)
65 years and over: 10% (male 239,658; female 316,510) (July 1998 est.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 1.91% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 19.99 births/1000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 6.19 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 5.25 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent 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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 8.02 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 78.41 years
Male: 76.52 years
Female: 80.39 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.71 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracyDefinition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 95%
Male: 97%
Female: 93% (1992 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional 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 as its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv
Administrative divisions: 6 districts (mehozot, singular_mehoz; Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
Dependent areasIndependence: 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 participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branchChief of state: President Ezer WEIZMAN (since 13 May 1993): ead of
Government: Prime Minister Binyamin NETANYAHU (since 18 June 1996)
Cabinet: Cabinet selected from and approved by the Knesset
Elections: president elected by the Knesset for a five-year term; election last held 4 March 1998 (next to be held NA March 2003); prime minister elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 29 May 1996 (next to be held NA 2000); note_in March 1992, the Knesset approved legislation, effective in 1996, which allowed for the direct election of the prime minister; under the new law, each voter casts two ballots_one for the direct election of the prime minister and one for the party in the Knesset; the candidate that receives the largest percentage of the popular vote then works to form a coalition with other parties to achieve a parliamentary majority of 61 seats; finally, the candidate must submit his or her cabinet to the Knesset for approval and this must be done within 45 days of the election; in contrast to the old system, under the new law, the prime minister's party need not be the single-largest party in the Knesset
Election results: Ezer WEIZMAN elected president by the Knesset with a total of 63 votes, other candidate, Shaul AMOR, received 49 votes (there were seven abstentions and one absence); Binyamin NETANYAHU elected prime minister; percent of vote - Binyamin NETANYAHU 50.4%, Shimon PERES 49.5%
Legislative branch: unicameral Knesset or parliament (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 29 May 1996 (next to be held NA 2000)
Election results: percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_Labor Party 34, Likud Party 32, SHAS 10, MERETZ 9, National Religious Party 9, Yisra'el Ba'Aliya 7, Hadash-Balad 5, Third Way 4, United Arab List 4, United Jewish Torah 4, Moledet 2; note_Likud, Tzomet, and Gesher candidates ran on a joint list
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, appointed for life by the president
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: AG (observer), BSEC (observer), CCC, CE (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer), OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Zalman SHOVAL
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) 364-5,607
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 Edward WALKER
From the us embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv
From the us mailing address: PSC 98, Box 100, APO AE 9,830
From the us telephone: [972] (3) 519-7,575
From the us fax: [972] (3) 517-3,227
From the us consulates general: Jerusalem; note_an independent US mission, established in 1928, whose members are not accredited to a foreign government
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 symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: Israel has a technologically advanced 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. Manufacturing and construction employ about 28% of Israeli workers; agriculture, forestry, and fishing only 2.6%; and services 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 sizable 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 US, 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 topped 750,000 during the period 1989-97, bringing the population of Israel from the former Soviet Union to one million, or one-sixth of the total population. Initially this great influx increased unemployment, intensified housing problems, and strained the government budget. At the same time, the immigrants bring to the economy scientific and professional expertise of substantial value for the future.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 1.9% (1997 est.)
Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $17,500 (1997 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: 2%
Industry: 17%
Services: 81% (1997 est.)
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, potash mining, high-technology electronics, tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 5.4% (1996)
Labor forceTotal: 2.3 million (1997)
By occupation public services: 31.3%
By occupation manufacturing: 20.2%
By occupation finance and business: 13.1%
By occupation commerce: 12.8%
By occupation construction: 7.5%
By occupation personal and other services: 6.4%
By occupation transport storage and communications: 6.2%
By occupation agriculture forestry and fishing: 2.6% (1996)
Unemployment rate: 7.7% (1997)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $55 billion
Expenditures: $58 billion, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1998 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year (since 1 January 1992)
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: total value:$20.7 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Commodoties: machinery and equipment, cut diamonds, chemicals, textiles and apparel, agricultural products, metals
Partners: EU 32%, US 31%, Japan 7% (1996)
Imports: total value:$28.6 billion (c.i.f., 1997)
Commodoties: military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, oil, consumer goods
Partners: EU 52%, US 20%, Japan (1996)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $18.7 billion (1997)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1_3.5340 (December 1997), 3.4494 (1997), 3.1917 (1996), 3.0113 (1995), 3.0111 (1994), 2.8301 (1993)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 7.736 million kW (1996)
Production: 32.5 billion kWh (1996)
Consumption per capita: 5,387 kWh (1995)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephones: 2.6 million (1996)
Telephone system: most highly developed system in the Middle East although not the largest
Domestic: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay
International: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations_3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Broadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $9.3 billion (1997)
Percent of gdp: 9.5% (1997)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 54 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 31
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 8
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 9
With paved runways under 914 m: 7 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 23
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 18 (1997 est.)
Heliports: 2 (1997 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 708 km; petroleum products 290 km; natural gas 89 km
RailwaysTotal: 610 km
Standard gauge: 610 km 1.435-m gauge (1996)
RoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marineTotal: 27 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 803,383 GRT/947,678 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 2, container 24, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1997 est.)
Ports and terminalsIsrael - Transnational issues 1998
top of pageDisputes international: West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement_permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse and trafficking