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.

Map reference: Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 20,770 km²
Land: 20,330 km²

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

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

Terrain:

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)

Population
Growth rate: 3.08% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Israeli(s)
Adjective: Israeli

Ethnic groups: Jewish 83%, non-Jewish 17% (mostly Arab)

Languages:

Religions:

Population growth rate: 3.08% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 20.72 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 6.45 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 16.51 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Environment
Current issues: sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; limited arable land: and natural water resources pose serious constraints; deforestation
Current issues note:

Infant mortality rate: 8.9 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.77 years
Male: 75.72 years
Female: 79.93 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.86 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1983)
Total population: 92%
Male: 95%
Female: 89%

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

Government type: republic

Capital: Jerusalem

Administrative divisions:

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) members of the
Government:
DERI opposition parties:

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:

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: president, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral parliament (Knesset)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

International organization participation:

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: (202) 364-5,500
In the us consulates general:
From the us chief of mission: Acting Ambassador William BROWN
From the us embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv
From the us mailing address: APO AE 9,830
From the us telephone: 972 (3) 654,338
From the us fax: 972 (3) 663,449
From the us consulate 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

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 20% of Israeli workers, agriculture 5%, and services most of the rest. Diamonds, high-technology equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are leading exports. Israel usually posts balance-of-payments deficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from abroad and by foreign loans. Roughly half of the government's $17 billion external debt is owed to the United States, which is its major source of scanning equipment. The influx of Jewish immigrants from the former USSR, which topped 400,000 during the period 1990-92, has increased unemployment, intensified housing problems, and widened the government budget deficit. At the same time, a considerable number of the immigrants bring to the economy valuable scientific and professional expertise.

Real gdp growth rate: 6.4% (1992 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $12,100 (1992 est.)

Agriculture products: accounts for about 3% of GDP; largely self-sufficient in food production, except for grains; principal products - citrus and other fruits, vegetables, cotton; livestock products - beef, dairy, poultry

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

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 9.4% (1992 est.), accounts for about 20% of GDP

Labor force: 1.4 million (1984 est.)
By occupation public services: 29.3%
By occupation industry andmanufacturing: 22.8%
By occupation commerce: 12.8%
By occupation finance and business: 9.5%
By occupation transport storage and communications: 6.8%
By occupation constructionandpublicworks: 6.5%
By occupation personal and other services: 5.8%
By occupation agriculture forestry and fishing: 5.5%
By occupation electricityandwater: 1.0% (1983)

Unemployment rate: 11% (1992 est.)

Budget: revenues $33.9 billion; expenditures $36.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $9.3 billion (FY93)

Fiscal year: calendar year (since 1 January 1992)

Exports: $11.8 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodoties: polished diamonds, citrus and other fruits, textiles and clothing, processed foods, fertilizer and chemical products, military hardware, electronics
Partners: US, EC, Japan, Hong Kong, Switzerland

Imports: $19.6 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
Commodoties: military equipment, rough diamonds, oil, chemicals, machinery, iron and steel, cereals, textiles, vehicles, ships, aircraft
Partners: US, EC, Switzerland, Japan, South Africa, Canada, Hong Kong

Electricity
Production: 5,835,000 kW capacity; 21,840 million kWh produced, 4,600 kWh per capita (1992)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $12.5 billion, 18% of GDP (1993 est.)

Airports: 53
Usable: 46
With permanentsurface runways: 28
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 7
With runways 1220-2439 m: 12

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

Merchant marine:

Disputes international: separated from Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank by the 1949 Armistice Line; differences with Jordan over the location of the 1949 Armistice Line that separates the two countries; West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli occupied with status to be determined; Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; water-sharing issues with Jordan