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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 the outbreak of
Palestinian-Israeli violence since September 2000. |
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Location:
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Middle East,
bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon |
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Map references:
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Middle
East |
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Area:
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total:
20,770 sq km
water: 440 sq km
land: 20,330 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller
than New Jersey |
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Land boundaries:
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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 |
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Coastline:
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273 km |
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Climate:
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temperate; hot
and dry in southern and eastern desert areas |
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Terrain:
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Negev desert in
the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift
Valley |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m |
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Natural resources:
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timber, potash,
copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide,
clays, sand |
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Land use:
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arable land:
17.02%
permanent crops: 4.17%
other: 78.81% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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1,990 sq km (1998
est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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sandstorms may
occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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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 |
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Population:
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6,199,008 (July
2002 est.)
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.) |
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Age structure:
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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.) |
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Median age:
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total:
29.2 years
male: 28.3 years
female: 30 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.29% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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18.45
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.19 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0.68 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
7.21 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 7.96 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 79.17 years
male: 77.08 years
female: 81.37 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.1% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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2,400 (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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100 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Israeli(s)
adjective: Israeli |
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Ethnic groups:
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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.) |
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Religions:
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Jewish 80.1%,
Muslim 14.6% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2.1%, other 3.2%
(1996 est.) |
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Languages:
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Hebrew
(official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English
most commonly used foreign language |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.4%
male: 97.3%
female: 93.6% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: State of Israel
conventional short form: Israel
local short form: Yisra'el
local long form: Medinat Yisra'el |
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Government type:
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parliamentary
democracy |
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Capital:
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Jerusalem; note -
Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but the
US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in
Tel Aviv |
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Administrative divisions:
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6 districts (mehozot,
singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern,
Southern, Tel Aviv |
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Independence:
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14 May 1948 (from
League of Nations mandate under British administration) |
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National holiday:
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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 |
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Constitution:
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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 |
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Legal system:
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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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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: President Moshe KATSAV (since 31 July 2000)
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)
head of government: Prime Minister Ariel SHARON (since
7 March 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and
approved by the Knesset
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 |
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Legislative branch:
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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 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court
(justices appointed for life by the president) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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] |
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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 |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Daniel AYALON
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago,
Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San
Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 364-5607
telephone: [1] (202) 364-5500
chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC
20008 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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 |
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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 - $120.6 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
|
1% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $19,700 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
2.6%
industry: 36.2%
services: 61.2% (2001 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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18% (2001 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1.1% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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2.6 million (2003
est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
|
public services
31.2%, manufacturing 20.2%, finance and business 13.1%,
commerce 12.8%, construction 7.5%, personal and other services
6.4%, transport, storage, and communications 6.2%,
agriculture, forestry, and fishing 2.6% (1996) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
10.7% (2003 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$38.5 billion
expenditures: $45.1 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2002 est.) |
|
Industries:
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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 |
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Industrial production growth rate:
|
0.7% (2003 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
42.24 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel:
99.9%
hydro: 0.1%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
37.82 billion kWh
(2001) |
|
Oil - production:
|
80 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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260,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - production:
|
10 million cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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10 million cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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citrus,
vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products |
|
Exports:
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$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 40.3%, Belgium
6.3%, Hong Kong 4.7%, UK 4% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$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 18.5%, Belgium
9.1%, Germany 7.1%, UK 6.7%, Switzerland 6.3%, Italy 4.6%
(2002) |
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Debt - external:
|
$68.9 billion
(2003 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
|
$662 million from
US (2003 est.) |
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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 - 4.55 (2003), 4.74 (2002), 4.21 (2001),
4.08 (2000), 4.14 (1999) |
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Fiscal year:
|
calendar year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
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3.1 million
(2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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6.334 million
(2002) |
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Telephone system:
|
general
assessment: most highly developed system in the Middle
East although not the largest
domestic: good system of coaxial cable and microwave
radio relay; all systems are digital
international: country code - 972; 3 submarine cables;
satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1
Indian Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 23, FM 15,
shortwave 2 (1998) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
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17 (plus 36
low-power repeaters) (1995) |
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Internet country code:
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.il |
|
Internet hosts:
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146,791 (2002) |
|
Internet users:
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2 million (2002) |
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Railways:
|
total: 640
km
standard gauge: 640 km 1.435-m gauge (2002) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
16,281 km
paved: 16,281 km (including 56 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
|
Waterways:
|
none |
|
Pipelines:
|
gas 100 km; oil
1,509 km (2003) |
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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
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 4 (2003 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 |
|
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.) |
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Heliports:
|
3 (2003 est.) |
|
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
note: both sexes are liable for military service (2004
est.)
females age 15-49: 1,532,234 |
|
Military manpower - fit for military service:
|
males age
15-49: 1,294,742
females age 15-49: 1,250,969 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
|
males:
51,054
females: 53,515 (2004 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$9.11 billion
(FY03) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
8.7% (FY02) |
|
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; Golan Heights is
Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of
Golan Heights) |
|
Illicit drugs:
|
increasingly
concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in
country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan;
money-laundering center |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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