 Definition  Field Listing  Rank
Order
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Background: |
Following World War II, the British withdrew from
their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into
Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs.
Subsequently, the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars
without ending the deep tensions between the two sides. The
territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included
in the Israel country profile, unless otherwise noted. 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. In addition, on 25 May 2000, Israel
withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied
since 1982. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid
Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted
between Israel and Palestinian representatives (from the
Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip) and Syria to achieve a
permanent settlement. On 24 June 2002, US President Bush laid out a
"road map" for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which
envisions a two-state solution. However, progress toward a permanent
status agreement has been undermined by Palestinian-Israeli violence
ongoing since September 2000. Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
|
Location: |
Middle East,
bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon |
|
Geographic coordinates: |
31 30 N, 34
45 E |
|
Map references: |
Middle
East |
|
Area: |
total:
20,770 sq km
land: 20,330 sq km
water: 440 sq
km |
|
Area - comparative: |
slightly
smaller than New Jersey |
|
Land boundaries: |
total: 1,017 km
border countries: Egypt 266
km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km,
West Bank 307 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
highest point: Har Meron 1,208
m |
|
Natural resources: |
timber,
potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide,
clays, sand |
|
Land use: |
arable
land: 16.39%
permanent crops: 4.17%
other:
79.44% (2001) |
|
Irrigated land: |
1,990 sq km
(1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards: |
sandstorms
may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes
|
|
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 |
|
Environment - international agreements: |
party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Marine Life Conservation |
|
Geography - note: |
there are
242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West
Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 25 in the Gaza
Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (February 2002 est.); Sea of Galilee
is an important freshwater source Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
|
Population: |
6,199,008
note: includes about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West
Bank, about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, more than
5,000 in the Gaza Strip, and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem
(July 2004 est.) |
|
Age structure: |
0-14
years: 26.7% (male 847,591; female 808,399)
15-64
years: 63.4% (male 1,976,539; female 1,954,782)
65 years
and over: 9.9% (male 262,781; female 348,916) (2004 est.) |
|
Median age: |
total: 29.2 years
male: 28.3 years
female: 30 years (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate: |
1.29% (2004
est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
18.45
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Death rate: |
6.19
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Net migration rate: |
0.68
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Sex ratio: |
at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05
male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65
years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population:
0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate: |
total:
7.21 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.96 deaths/1,000
live births
female: 6.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2004
est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 79.17 years
male: 77.08 years
female: 81.37 years (2004 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate: |
2.47 children
born/woman (2004 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
0.1% (2001
est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
2,400 (1999
est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
100 (2001
est.) |
|
Nationality: |
noun:
Israeli(s)
adjective: Israeli |
|
Ethnic groups: |
Jewish 80.1%
(Europe/America-born 32.1%, Israel-born 20.8%, Africa-born 14.6%,
Asia-born 12.6%), non-Jewish 19.9% (mostly Arab) (1996 est.) |
|
Religions: |
Jewish
80.1%, Muslim 14.6% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2.1%, other
3.2% (1996 est.) |
|
Languages: |
Hebrew
(official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most
commonly used foreign language |
|
Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.4%
male: 97.3%
female: 93.6% (2003 est.) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
|
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: |
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 |
|
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; 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 |
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Suffrage: |
18 years of
age; universal |
|
Executive branch: |
chief of
state: President Moshe KATSAV (since 31 July 2000)
head
of government: Prime Minister Ariel SHARON (since 7 March 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved
by the Knesset
elections: president is largely a
ceremonial role and is elected by the Knesset for a seven-year term;
election last held 31 July 2000 (next to be held NA 2007); following
legislative elections, the president assigns a Knesset member -
traditionally the leader of the largest party - the task of forming
a governing coalition; election last held 28 January 2003 (next to
be held fall of 2007)
election results: Moshe KATSAV
elected president by the 120-member Knesset with a total of 60
votes, other candidate, Shimon PERES, received 57 votes (there were
three abstentions); Ariel SHARON continues as prime minister after
Likud Party victory in January 2003 Knesset elections; Likud won 38
seats and then formed coalition government with Shinui, the National
Religious Party, and the National Union |
|
Legislative branch: |
unicameral
Knesset or parliament (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 28 January
2003 (next to be held fall of 2007)
election results:
percent of vote by party - Likud Party 29.4%, Labor 14.5%, Shinui
12.3%, Shas 8.2%, National Union 5.5%, Meretz 5.2%, United Torah
Judaism 4.3%, National Religious Party 4.2%, Democratic Front for
Peace and Equality 3.0%, One Nation 2.8%, National Democratic
Assembly 2.3%, Yisra'el Ba'Aliya (YBA) 2.2%, United Arab List 2.1%,
Green Leaf Party 1.2%, Herut 1.2%, other 1.6%; seats by party -
Likud 38, Labor 19, Shinui 15, Shas 11, National Union 7, Meretz 6,
National Religious Party 6, United Torah Judaism 5, Democratic Front
for Peace and Equality 3, One Nation 3, National Democratic Assembly
3, YBA 2, United Arab List 2 |
|
Judicial branch: |
Supreme
Court (justices appointed for life by the president) |
|
Political parties and leaders: |
Democratic
Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) [Muhammad BARAKA]; Green Leaf
Party (no longer active) [Boaz WACHTEL and Shlomi SANDAK]; Herut (no
longer active) [Michael KLEINER]; Labor Party [Shimon PEREZ]; Likud
Party [Ariel SHARON]; Meretz (merged with YAHAD) [Zahava GALON];
National Democratic Assembly (Balad) [Azmi BISHARA]; National
Religious Party [Efie EITAM]; National Union (Haichud Haleumi)
[Avigdor LIBERMAN] (includes Tekuma Moledet and Yisra'el Beiteinu);
One Nation [Amir PERETZ]; Shas [Eliyahu YISHAI]; Shinui [Tommy
LAPID]; United Arab List [Abd al-Malik DAHAMSHAH]; United Torah
Judaism [Yaakov LITZMAN]; YAHAD [Yossi BEILIN]; Yisra'el Ba'Aliya or
YBA (merged with Likud) [Natian SHARANSKY] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders: |
Israeli
nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza
Strip; Peace Now supports territorial concessions in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip; Yesha (settler) Council promotes settler interests
and opposes territorial compromise; B'Tselem monitors human rights
abuses |
|
International organization participation: |
BIS, BSEC
(observer), CE (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS
(observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS
(observer), OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Daniel AYALON
chancery: 3514
International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 364-5500
FAX: [1] (202) 364-5607
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston,
Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Daniel C. KURTZER
embassy: 71
Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv
mailing address: PSC 98, Box
29, APO AE 09830
telephone: [972] (3)
519-7369/7453/7454/7457/7458/7551/7575
FAX: [972] (3)
516-4390
consulate(s) 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 Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
|
Economy - 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. Israel imports
substantial quantities of grain but is largely self-sufficient in
other agricultural products. Cut diamonds, high-technology
equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the
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. The bitter Israeli-Palestinian conflict; difficulties
in the high-technology, construction, and tourist sectors; and
fiscal austerity in the face of growing inflation led to small
declines in GDP in 2001 and 2002. The economy grew at 1% in 2003,
with improvements in tourism and foreign direct investment. In 2004,
rising business and consumer confidence - as well as higher demand
for Israeli exports - are forecast to boost GDP by 2.5%. |
|
GDP: |
purchasing
power parity - $120.9 billion (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
1.3% (2003
est.) |
|
GDP - per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $19,800 (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 2.8%
industry: 37.7%
services: 59.5% (2003 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed): |
17.2% of GDP
(2003) |
|
Population below poverty line: |
18% (2001
est.) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest
10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 28.3% (1997) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini
index: |
35.5 (2001)
|
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
0.7% (2003
est.) |
|
Labor force: |
2.61 million
(2003 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture,
forestry, and fishing 2.6%, manufacturing 20.2%, construction 7.5%,
commerce 12.8%, transport, storage, and communications 6.2%, finance
and business 13.1%, personal and other services 6.4%, public
services 31.2% (1996) |
|
Unemployment rate: |
10.7% (2003
est.) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $44.98 billion
expenditures: $51.07
billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003) |
|
Public debt: |
108.6% of GDP
(2003) |
|
Agriculture - products: |
citrus,
vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products |
|
Industries: |
high-technology projects (including aviation, communications,
computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics), wood
and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages, and
tobacco, caustic soda, cement, diamond cutting |
|
Industrial production growth rate: |
-0.6% (2003
est.) |
|
Electricity - production: |
42.24 billion
kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - consumption: |
37.82 billion
kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - exports: |
1.457
billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2001)
|
|
Oil - production: |
80 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption: |
260,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - exports: |
NA (2001)
|
|
Oil - imports: |
NA (2001)
|
|
Oil - proved reserves: |
1.92 million
bbl (1 January 2002) |
|
Natural gas - production: |
10 million cu
m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption: |
10 million cu
m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2001
est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports: |
0 cu m (2001
est.) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves: |
20.81 billion
cu m (1 January 2002) |
|
Current account balance: |
$-174 million
(2003) |
|
Exports: |
$29.32
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities: |
machinery
and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products,
chemicals, textiles and apparel |
|
Exports - partners: |
US 37.3%,
Belgium 5.3%, UK 4.1% (2003 est.) |
|
Imports: |
$32.27
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities: |
raw
materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds,
fuels, grain, consumer goods |
|
Imports - partners: |
US 19.7%,
Belgium 7.8%, Germany 7.6%, UK 6.5%, Switzerland 6.4% (2003 est.)
|
|
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: |
$26.32
billion (2003) |
|
Debt - external: |
$70.97
billion (2003 est.) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
$662 million
from US (2003 est.) |
|
Currency: |
new Israeli
shekel (ILS); note - NIS is the currency abbreviation; ILS is the
International Organization for Standarization (ISO) code for the NIS
|
|
Currency code: |
ILS |
|
Exchange rates: |
new Israeli
shekels per US dollar - 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001),
4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999) |
|
Fiscal year: |
calendar
year Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
|
Railways: |
total:
640 km
standard gauge: 640 km 1.435-m gauge (2003) |
|
Highways: |
total:
16,281 km
paved: 16,281 km (including 56 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
|
Pipelines: |
gas 100 km;
oil 1,509 km (2003) |
|
Ports and harbors: |
Ashdod,
Ashqelon, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa, Tel Aviv-Yafo |
|
Merchant marine: |
total: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 752,873 GRT/881,711
DWT
by type: container 18
registered in other
countries: 40 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports: |
51 (2003
est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 28
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to
3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523
m: 10
under 914 m: 4 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 23
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to
1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 20 (2003 est.) |
|
Heliports: |
3 (2003
est.) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
|
Military branches: |
Israel
Defense Forces (IDF): Ground Corps (including Pioneer Fighting Youth
(Nahal)), Navy, Air Force(including Air Defense Forces); note -
historically there have been no separate Israeli military services
|
|
Military manpower - military age: |
18 years of
age (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 1,581,883
females age 15-49: 1,532,234
note: both sexes are liable for military service (2004
est.) |
|
Military manpower - fit for military
service: |
males age
15-49: 1,294,742
females age 15-49: 1,250,969 (2004
est.) |
|
Military manpower - reaching military age
annually: |
males: 51,054
females: 53,515 (2004 est.)
|
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Military expenditures - dollar figure: |
$9.11 billion
(FY03) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
8.7% (FY02)
Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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