Background:

Geographic coordinates: 31 30 N 34 45 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 20,770 km²
Land: 20,330 km²
Water: 440 km²
Rank: 154
Comparative: slightly larger than New Jersey

Land boundaries
Total: 1068 km
Border countries: (6) Egypt 208 km; Gaza Strip 59 km; Jordan 307 km; Lebanon 81 km; Syria 83 km; West Bank 330 km

Coastline: 273 km

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

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
Extremes lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
Extremes highest point: Har Meron 1208 m

Natural resources: timber potash copper ore natural gas phosphate rock magnesium bromide clays sand

Land use
Agricultural land: 23.8%
Forest: 7.1%
Other: 69.1%

Irrigated land: 2,250 km² (2004)

Total renewable water resources: 1.78 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes

Geography
Note: Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) is an important freshwater source; the Dead Sea is the second saltiest body of water in the world (after Lake Assal in Djibouti); in 2014 there were 423 settlements in the Israeli-occupied territories - 42 settlements in the Golan Heights 381 sites in the occupied Palestinian territories to include 212 settlements and 134 outposts in the West Bank and 35 settlements in East Jerusalem; there are no Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip – all were evacuated in 2005 (2014 est.)

Population: 8,049,314 (includes populations of the Golan Heights of Golan Sub-District and East Jerusalem which was annexed by Israel after 1967) (July 2014 est.)
Note: approximately 19,400 Israeli settlers live in the Golan Heights; approximately 200,000 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 99
Growth rate: 1.56% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 78
Below poverty line: 21%
Below poverty line note: Israel's poverty line is $7.30 per person per day

Nationality
Noun: Israeli
Adjective: Israeli

Ethnic groups: Jewish 75% (of which Israel-born 74.4% Europe/America/Oceania-born 17.4% Africa-born 5.1% Asia-born 3.1%) non-Jewish 25% (mostly Arab) (2013 est.)

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

Religions: Jewish 75% Muslim 17.5% Christian 2% Druze 1.6% other 3.9% (2013 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 27.95%
15-24 years: 15.5%
25-54 years: 37.13%
55-64 years: 8.57%
65 years and over: 10.85% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 64.1%
Youth dependency ratio: 45.7%
Elderly dependency ratio: 18.4%
Potential support ratio: 5.4%

Median age
Total: 39.6 years
Male: 28.9 years
Female: 30.2 years

Population growth rate: 1.56% (2015 est.)
Rank: 78

Birth rate: 18.48 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 96

Death rate: 5.15 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 183

Net migration rate: 2.24 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 46

Urbanization
Urban population: 92.1% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.37% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: Tel Aviv-Yafo 3.608 million; Haifa 1.097 million; JERUSALEM (capital) 839,000 (2015)

Environment
Current issues: limited arable land: and natural freshwater 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 Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Wetlands Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male/female
25-54 years: 1.05 male/female
55-64 years: 0.95 male/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male/female
Total population: 1.01 male/female

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.55 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 3.51 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.58 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 204

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 82.27 years
Male: 80.43 years
Female: 84.21 years
Rank: 11

Total fertility rate: 2.68 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 72

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 3.34 physicians/1000 population (2012)

Hospital bed density: 3.3 beds/1000 population (2012)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 25.8% (2014)
Rank: 49

Education expenditures: 5.6% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 57

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97.8%
Male: 98.7%
Female: 96.8%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 16 years
Male: 15 years
Female: 16 years

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: parliamentary democracy

Capital
Name: Jerusalem: note - Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950 but the US like all other countries maintains its embassy in Tel Aviv
Geographic coordinates: 31 46 N 35 14 E
Time difference: UTC+2
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins Friday before the last Sunday in March; ends the last Sunday in October

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

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

National holiday: Independence Day 14 May (1948); note - 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; the Declaration of Establishment (1948) the Basic Laws of Israel enacted by the Knesset beginning in 1958 the Nationality Law (1952) and the Law of Return (1950) have constitutional law status; note - several of the Basic Laws and the latter two laws have been amended (2015)

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law British Mandate regulations and Jewish Christian and Muslim religious laws

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2002

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Reuven RIVLIN
Head of government: Prime Minister Binyamin NETANYAHU
Cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset
Electionsappointments: president indirectly elected by the Knesset for a 7-year term ; election last held on 10 June 2014 (next to be held in 2021 but can be called earlier); following legislative elections the president in consultation with party leaders selects a Knesset member as prime minister most likely to form a new government
Election results: Reuven RIVLIN elected president in second round; Knesset vote - Reuven RIVLIN 63 Meir SHEETRIT (The Movement) 53 other/invalid 4

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Knesset
Elections: last held on 17 March 2015
Election results: percent of vote by party - Likud 23.4% Zionist Camp 18.7% Joint List 10.5% Yesh Atid 8.8% Kukanu 7.5% Bayit Yehudi 6.7% Shas 5.7% Israel Beitenu 5.1% United Torah Judaism 5% Meretz 3.9% Yachad 3% other 1.7%; seats by party - Likud 30 Zionist Camp 24 Joint List 13 Yesh Atid 11 Kulanu 10 Bayit Yehudi 8 Shas 7 Yisrael Beitenu 6 United Torah Judaism 6 Meretz 5

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court
Judge selection and term of office: judges selected by the Judicial Selection Committee made up of all 3 branches of the government and chaired by the Minister of Justice; judges can serve up to mandatory retirement at age 70
Subordinate courts: district and magistrate courts; national and regional labor courts; special and religious courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: BIS BSEC (observer) CE (observer) CERN CICA EBRD FAO IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA OAS (observer) OECD OPCW (signatory) OSCE (partner) Pacific Alliance (observer) Paris Club PCA SELEC (observer) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ron DERMER
In the us chancery: 3,514 International Drive NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] 364-5,500
In the us FAX: [1] 364-5,607
In the us consulate general: Atlanta Boston Chicago Houston Los Angeles Miami New York Philadelphia San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel B. SHAPIRO
From the us embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street Tel Aviv 6,343,229
From the us telephone: [972] 519-7,475
From the us FAX: [972] 516-4,390

Flag description: white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Star of David or Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag; the basic design resembles a traditional Jewish prayer shawl (tallit) which is white with blue stripes; the hexagram as a Jewish symbol dates back to medieval times

National symbols: Star of David (Magen David) menorah (seven-branched lampstand); national colors: blue white

National anthem
Name: 'Hatikvah'
Lyrics and music: Naftali Herz IMBER/traditional arranged by Samuel COHEN
Note: adopted 2004 unofficial since 1948; used as the anthem of the Zionist movement since 1897; the 1888 arrangement by Samuel COHEN is thought to be based on the Romanian folk song 'Carul cu boi'

Economy overview: Israel has a technologically advanced market economy. Cut diamonds high-technology equipment and pharmaceuticals are among the leading exports. Its major imports include crude oil grains raw materials and military equipment. Israel usually posts sizable trade deficits which are covered by tourism and other service exports as well as significant foreign investment inflows. Between 2004 and 2013 growth averaged nearly 5% per year led by exports. The global financial crisis of 2008-09 spurred a brief recession in Israel but the country entered the crisis with solid fundamentals following years of prudent fiscal policy and a resilient banking sector. Israel's economy also has weathered the Arab Spring because strong trade ties outside the Middle East have insulated the economy from spillover effects. Slowing demand domestically and internationally and reduced investment due to uncertainties caused by the Gaza conflict in summer 2014 have reduced GDP growth to about 2% during 2014. Natural gas fields discovered off Israel's coast since 2009 have brightened Israel's energy security outlook. The Tamar and Leviathan fields were some of the world's largest offshore natural gas finds this past decade. The massive Leviathan field is expected to come online no sooner than 2017 but production from Tamar provided a one percentage point boost to Israel's GDP in 2013 and a 0.5% boost in 2014. In mid-2011 public protests arose around income inequality and rising housing and commodity prices. Israel's income inequality and poverty rates are among the highest of OECD countries and there is a broad perception among the public that a small number of 'tycoons' have a cartel-like grip over the major parts of the economy. The government formed committees and has started splitting up the oligopolies to address some of the grievances but has maintained that it will not engage in deficit spending to satisfy populist demands. Over the long term Israel faces structural issues including low labor participation rates for its fastest growing social segments - the ultra-orthodox and Arab-Israeli communities. Also Israel's progressive globally competitive knowledge-based technology sector employs only 9% of the workforce with the rest employed in manufacturing and services - sectors which face downward wage pressures from global competition.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 56

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 130

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 50

Gross national saving:
Rank: 66

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 57%
Government consumption: 22.6%
Investment in fixed capital: 18.9%
Investment in inventories: 0.5%
Exports of goods and services: 31.8%
Imports of goods and services: -30.7%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.4%
Industry: 25.7%
Services: 71.9%

Agriculture products: citrus vegetables cotton; beef poultry dairy products

Industries: high-technology products (including aviation communications computer-aided design and manufactures medical electronics fiber optics) wood and paper products potash and phosphates food beverages and tobacco caustic soda cement construction metal products chemical products plastics cut diamonds textiles footwear

Industrial production growth rate: -4.6% (2014 est.)
Rank: 191

Labor force: 3.784 million (2014 est.)
Rank: 95
By occupation agriculture: 1.6%
By occupation industry: 18.1%
By occupation services: 80.3%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 69

Population below poverty line: 21%
Note: Israel's poverty line is $7.30 per person per day

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.5%
Highest 10: 24.3%

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 74

Budget
Revenues: $73.44 billion
Expenditures: $81.82 billion
Surplus or deficit: -2.7% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 103

Taxes and other revenues: 24.1% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 128

Public debt:
Rank: 43

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 44

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 148

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 170

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 52

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 47

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 42

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 39

Current account balance:
Rank: 25

Exports:
Rank: 53
Commodities: machinery and equipment software cut diamonds agricultural products chemicals textiles and apparel
Partners: US 26.9% Hong Kong 8.9% UK 5.8% Belgium 4.8% China 4% Turkey 4% (2014)

Imports:
Rank: 44
Commodities: raw materials military equipment investment goods rough diamonds fuels grain consumer goods
Partners: US 11.8% China 8.3% Switzerland 7.2% Germany 6.4% Belgium 5.3% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 26

Debt external:
Rank: 48

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 44

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 33

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 64.44 billion kWh (2014 est.)
Production rank: 43
Consumption: 59.83 billion kWh (2014 est.)
Consumption rank: 41
Exports: 4.2 billion kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 32
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 159
Installed generating capacity: 16.25 million kW (2014 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 46
Generation sources fossil fuels: 97.4% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 60
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 111
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 177
Generation sources other renewable sources: 2.6% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 55

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 490 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 106
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 132
Crude oil imports: 268,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 28
Crude oil proven reserves: 11.5 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 91

Refined petroleum
Products production: 275,600 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products production rank: 46
Products consumption: 238,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 53
Products exports: 83,700 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products exports rank: 47
Products imports: 143,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 37

Natural gas
Production: 6.35 billion m³ (2014 est.)
Production rank: 49
Consumption: 7.538 billion m³ (2014 est.)
Consumption rank: 54
Exports: 0 m³ (2014 est.)
Exports rank: 117
Imports: 510 million m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 66
Proven reserves: 285 billion m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 38

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 62.5 million Mt (2014 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 56

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 2.9 million
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37
Fixed lines rank: 50
Mobile cellular total: 9.5 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 120
Mobile cellular rank: 88

Telephone system
General assessment: most highly developed system in the Middle East
Domestic: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; all systems are digital; four privately owned mobile-cellular service providers with countrywide coverage
International: country code - 972; submarine cables provide links to Europe Cyprus and parts of the Middle East; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2011)

Broadcast media: state broadcasting network operated by the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) broadcasts on 2 channels one in Hebrew and the other in Arabic; 5 commercial channels including a channel broadcasting in Russian a channel broadcasting Knesset proceedings and a music channel supervised by a public body; multi-channel satellite and cable TV packages provide access to foreign channels; IBA broadcasts on 8 radio networks with multiple repeaters and Israel Defense Forces Radio broadcasts over multiple stations; about 15 privately owned radio stations; overall more than 100 stations and repeater stations (2008)

Internet
Country code: .il
Users total: 6 million
Users percent of population: 75.8%
Users rank: 58

Military expenditures:
Rank: 5

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory (Jews Druzes) military service; 17 years of age for voluntary (Christians Muslims Circassians) military service; both sexes are obligated to military service; conscript service obligation - 36 months for enlisted men 21 months for enlisted women 48 months for officers; pilots commit to 9 years service; reserve obligation to age 41-51 (men) 24 (women) (2013)

Airports: 47 (2013)
Rank: 94
With paved runways total: 29
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 6
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 11
With paved runways under 914 m: 5
With unpaved runways total: 18
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways: 14 (2013)

Heliports: 3 (2013)

Pipelines: gas 763 km; oil 442 km; refined products 261 km (2013)

Railways
Total: 1250 km
Standard gauge: 1250 km 1.435-m gauge
Rank: 89

Roadways
Total: 18,566 km
Paved: 18,566 km (2011)
Rank: 115

Merchant marine
Total: 8
By type: cargo 1 container 7
Registered in other countries: 48 (2010)
Rank: 120

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Ashdod Elat Hadera Haifa
Container port TEUs): Ashdod : /span>span class=category_data>Ashdod (1,176,000) Haifa (1,238,000)

Disputes 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; Israel continues construction of a 'seam line' separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew its settlers and military from the Gaza Strip and from four settlements in the West Bank in August 2005; Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan Heights); since 1948 about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization headquartered in Jerusalem monitor ceasefires supervise armistice agreements prevent isolated incidents from escalating and assist other UN personnel in the region

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 32,668 (Eritrea); 6,588 (Sudan) (2014)
Stateless persons: 10

Illicit drugs: increasingly concerned about ecstasy cocaine and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and increasingly from Jordan; money-laundering center