ISRAEL
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ISRAEL
(also see separate Gaza Strip and West Bank entries) Note: 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. Outstanding territorial and other disputes
with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty
of Peace.
@Israel:Geography
Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt
and Lebanon
Map references: Middle East
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ISRAEL - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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JERUSALEM 469,000 31.47N, 35.13E 972-2 GMT+2
Tel Aviv 320,000 32.05N, 34.46E 972-3 GMT+2
Haifa 223,000 32.49N, 34.59E 972-4 GMT+2
Holon 140,000 32.02N, 34.47E 972-3 GMT+2
Petach-Tikva 131,000 32.05N, 34.55E 972-3 GMT+2
Ramat Gan 116,000 32.04N, 34.48E 972-3 GMT+2
Beersheba 115,000 31.15N, 34.47E 972-57 GMT+2
Bene Beraq 105,000 32.05N, 34.52E 972-3 GMT+2
Elat N/A 29.33N, 34.57E 972-59 GMT+2
Hebron N/A 31.32N, 35.06E 972-2 GMT+2
Bethlehem N/A 31.42N, 35.12E 972-2 GMT+2
Jericho N/A 31.51N, 35.27E 972-292 GMT+2
Nablus N/A 32.13N, 35.16E 972-53 GMT+2
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Area:
total area: 20,770 sq km
land area: 20,330 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than New Jersey
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
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: separated from Lebanon, Syria, and the West
Bank by the 1949 Armistice Line; the Gaza Strip and Jericho area,
formerly occupied by Israel, are now administered largely by the
Palestinian Authority; other areas of the West Bank outside Jericho
are administered jointly by Israel and the Palestinian Authority;
Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon
since June 1982
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
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 sq km (1989)
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
natural hazards: sandstorms may occur during spring and summer
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Desertification,
Marine Life Conservation
Note: there are 199 Jewish settlements and civilian land use sites in
the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 24 in the
Gaza Strip, and 25 in East Jerusalem (August 1994 est.)
@Israel:People
Population: 5,433,134 (July 1995 est.)
note: includes 122,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank, 14,500 in the
Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 4,800 in the Gaza Strip, and 149,000
in East Jerusalem (August 1994 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 29%
15-64 years: 61%
65 years and over: 10%
Population growth rate: 1.4% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 20.39 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.38 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 8.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.14 years
male: 76 years
female: 80.39 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.81 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Israeli(s)
adjective: Israeli
Ethnic divisions: Jewish 82% (Israel born 50%, Europe/Americas/Oceania
born 20%, Africa born 7%, Asia born 5%), non-Jewish 18% (mostly Arab)
(1993 est.)
Religions: Judaism 82%, Islam 14% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2%,
Druze and other 2%
Languages: Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab
minority, English most commonly used foreign language
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1992)
total population: 95%
male: 97%
female: 93%
Labor force: 1.9 million (1992)
by occupation: public services 29.3%, industry 22.1%, commerce 13.9%,
finance and business 10.4%, personal and other services 7.4%,
construction 6.5%, transport, storage, and communications 6.3%,
agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3.5%, other 0.6% (1992)
@Israel:Government
Names:
conventional long form: State of Israel
conventional short form: Israel
local long form: Medinat Yisra'el
local short form: Yisra'el
Digraph: IS
Type: republic
Capital: Jerusalem
note: Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital in 1950, but the US,
like nearly all other countries, does not recognize this status, and
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 (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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ezer WEIZMAN (since 13 May 1993) election
last held 24 March 1993 (next to be held NA March 1999); results -
Ezer WEIZMAN elected by Knesset
head of government: Prime Minister Yitzhak RABIN (since NA July 1992)
cabinet: Cabinet; selected from and approved by the Knesset
Legislative branch: unicameral
parliament (Knesset): elections last held NA June 1992 (next to be
held by NA 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (120
total) Labor 44, Likud 32, MERETZ 12, Tzomet 8, National Religious
Party 6, SHAS 6, United Torah Jewry 4, Democratic Front for Peace and
Equality (Hadash) 3, Moledet 3, Arab Democratic Party 2; note - in
1994 four legislators broke party ranks, resulting in the following
new distribution of seats - Labor Party 44, Likud bloc 32, MERETZ 12,
National Religious Party 6, SHAS 6, Tzomet 5, United Torah Jewry 4,
Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) 3, Moledet 2, Arab
Democratic Party 2, independents 4 (1 in coalition, 3 voting with
opposition)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
members of the government: Labor Party, Prime Minister Yitzhak RABIN;
MERETZ, Minister of Communications Shulamit ALONI; independent, Gonen
SEGEV
not in coalition, but voting with the government: Democratic Front for
Peace and Equality (Hadash), Hashim MAHAMID; Arab Democratic Party,
Abd al Wahab DARAWSHAH
opposition parties: Likud Party, Binyamin NETANYAHU; Tzomet, Rafael
EITAN; National Religious Party, Zevulun HAMMER; United Torah Jewry,
Avraham SHAPIRA; Moledet, Rehavam ZEEVI; Peace Guard (independent),
Shaul GUTMAN; SHAS, Arieh DERI
note: Israel currently has a coalition government comprising 2 parties
and an independent that hold 57 seats of the Knesset's 120 seats
Other political or pressure groups: Gush Emunim, Israeli nationalists
advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace
Now supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and is critical
of government's Lebanon policy
Member of: AG (observer), CCC, CE (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD,
ECE, FAO, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS
(observer), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Itamar RABINOVICH
chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 364-5500
FAX: [1] (202) 364-5610
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles,
Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Martin INDYK
embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv
mailing address: PSC 98, Box 100, Tel Aviv; APO AE 09830
telephone: [972] (3) 517-4338
FAX: [972] (3) 663-449
consulate(s) general: Jerusalem
Flag: 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 22% of Israeli
workers, construction 6.5%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3.5%,
and services most of 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 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
United States, 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, which topped 450,000 during the period 1990-94, increased
unemployment, intensified housing problems, and strained the
government budget. At the same time, the immigrants bring to the
economy valuable scientific and professional expertise.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $70.1 billion (1994
est.)
National product real growth rate: 6.8% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $13,880 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14.5% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 7.5% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $42.3 billion
expenditures: $45.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $11.1
billion (FY92/93)
Exports: $16.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: machinery and equipment, cut diamonds, chemicals,
textiles and apparel, agricultural products, metals
partners: US, EU, Japan
Imports: $22.5 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
commodities: military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds,
oil, other productive inputs, consumer goods
partners: EU, US, Japan
External debt: $25.9 billion (November 1994 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 8% (1994 est.); accounts for about
30% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 4,140,000 kW
production: 23 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 4,290 kWh (1993)
Industries: food processing, diamond cutting and polishing, textiles
and apparel, chemicals, metal products, military equipment, transport
equipment, electrical equipment, miscellaneous machinery, potash
mining, high-technology electronics, tourism
Agriculture: citrus and other fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef,
poultry, dairy products
Illicit drugs: increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse
and trafficking
Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $18.2 billion;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-89), $2.8 billion
Currency: 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 3.070 (December
1994), 3.0111 (1994), 2.8301 (1993), 2.4591 (1992), 2.2791 (1991),
2.0162 (1990), 1.9164 (1989)
Fiscal year: calendar year (since 1 January 1992)
@Israel:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 520 km (diesel operated; single track)
standard gauge: 520 km 1.435-m gauge
Highways:
total: 13,461 km
paved: 13,461 km
Pipelines: crude oil 708 km; petroleum products 290 km; natural gas 89
km
Ports: Ashdod, Ashqelon, Elat, Hadera, Haifa, Tel Aviv-Yafo
Merchant marine:
total: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 624,861 GRT/720,765 DWT
ships by type: cargo 7, container 22, refrigerated cargo 2,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 1
Airports:
total: 57
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 7
with paved runways under 914 m: 31
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3
@Israel:Communications
Telephone system: 1,800,000 telephones; most highly developed in the
Middle East although not the largest
local: NA
intercity: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay
international: 3 submarine cables; 3 INTELSAT (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1
Indian Ocean) earth stations
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 45, shortwave 0
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 20
televisions: NA
@Israel:Defense Forces
Branches: Israel Defense Forces (includes ground, naval, and air
components), Pioneer Fighting Youth (Nahal), Frontier Guard, Chen
(women); note - historically there have been no separate Israeli
military services
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,309,502; females age 15-49
1,283,923; males fit for military service 1,072,501; females fit for
military service 1,047,575; males reach military age (18) annually
47,950; females reach military age (18) annually 45,839 (1995 est.)
note: military service mandatory for men and women
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $6.5 billion, about
10% of GDP (1995)
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