Axion 3D Atlas/ATLAS.iso/stats/115.txt

Text File | 1998-01-23 | 15KB | 361 lines

{bitmap= 26,50,"flags\israel.bmp"}
{bigtext=150,120,"Israel"}
{4}(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, and Israel and
Syria, to achieve a permanent settlement between them. 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.


{1}Geography{4}
{4}To see a map of Israel, click {z,"31.594229,29.806378,38.398329,34.986240",here}{4}!

{2}Location:{4} Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon

{2}Area:{4}
{3}total area:{4} 20,770 sq km
{3}land area:{4} 20,330 sq km
{3}comparative area:{4} slightly larger than New Jersey

{2}Land boundaries:{4}
{3}total:{4} 1,006 km
{3}border countries:{4} Egypt 255 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km,
West Bank 307 km

{2}Coastline:{4} 273 km

{2}Maritime claims:{4}
{3}continental shelf:{4} to depth of exploitation
{3}territorial sea:{4} 12 nm

{2}International disputes:{4} 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; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982

{2}Climate:{4} temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas

{2}Terrain:{4} Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley
{3}lowest point:{4} Dead Sea -408 m
{3}highest point:{4} Har Meron 1,208 m

{2}Natural resources:{4} copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur, asphalt, manganese,
small amounts of natural gas and crude oil

{2}Land use:{4}
{3}arable land:{4} 17%
{3}permanent crops:{4} 5%
{3}meadows and pastures:{4} 40%
{3}forest and woodland:{4} 6%
{3}other:{4} 32%

{2}Irrigated land:{4} 2,140 sq km (1989)

{2}Environment:{4}
{3}current issues:{4} 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

{2}natural hazards:{4} sandstorms may occur during spring and summer

{2}international agreements:{4} 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

{2}Geographic note:{4} there are 202 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42
in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 24 in the Gaza Strip, and 26 in East Jerusalem (August
1995 est.)


{1}People{4}

{2}Population:{4} 5,421,995 (July 1996 est.)
{3}note:{4} includes 127,600 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, 14,800 in the Israeli-occupied Golan
Heights, 5,000 in the Gaza Strip, and 153,700 in East Jerusalem (August 1995 est.)

{2}Age structure:{4}
{3}0-14 years:{4} 29% (male 793,712; female 756,735)
{3}15-64 years:{4} 62% (male 1,670,082; female 1,669,481)
{3}65 years and over:{4} 9% (male 230,082; female 301,903) (July 1996 est.)

{2}Population growth rate:{4} 2.11% (1996 est.)

{2}Birth rate:{4} 20.31 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Death rate:{4} 6.26 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Net migration rate:{4} 7.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Sex ratio:{4}
{3}at birth:{4} 1.05 male(s)/female
{3}under 15 years:{4} 1.05 male(s)/female
{3}15-64 years:{4} 1 male(s)/female
{3}65 years and over:{4} 0.76 male(s)/female
{3}all ages:{4} 0.99 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

{2}Infant mortality rate:{4} 8.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

{2}Life expectancy at birth:{4}
{3}total population:{4} 78.01 years
{3}male:{4} 76.16 years
{3}female:{4} 79.96 years (1996 est.)

{2}Total fertility rate:{4} 2.77 children born/woman (1996 est.)

{2}Nationality:{4}
{3}noun:{4} Israeli(s)
{3}adjective:{4} Israeli

{2}Ethnic divisions:{4} Jewish 82% (Israel-born 50%, Europe/Americas/Oceania-born 20%, Africa-born
7%, Asia-born 5%), non-Jewish 18% (mostly Arab) (1993 est.)

{2}Religions:{4} Judaism 82%, Islam 14% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2%, Druze and other 2%

{2}Languages:{4} Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly
used foreign language

{2}Literacy:{4} age 15 and over can read and write (1992 est.)
{3}total population:{4} 95%
{3}male:{4} 97%
{3}female:{4} 93%


{1}Government{4}

{2}Name of country:{4}
{3}conventional long form:{4} State of Israel
{3}conventional short form:{4} Israel
{3}local long form:{4} Medinat Yisra'el
{3}local short form:{4} Yisra'el

{2}Type of government:{4} republic

{2}Capital:{4} Jerusalem
{3}note:{4} Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries,
maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv

{2}Administrative divisions:{4} 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem,
Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv

{2}Independence:{4} 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)

{2}National holiday:{4} 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)

{2}Constitution:{4} 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

{2}Legal system:{4} 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

{2}Suffrage:{4} 18 years of age; universal

{2}Executive branch:{4}
{3}chief of state:{4} President Ezer WEIZMAN (since 13 May 1993) was elected for a five-year term by
the Knesset; election last held 24 March 1993 (next to be held NA March 1998); results - Ezer
WEIZMAN elected by Knesset
{3}head of government:{4} Prime Minister Shimon PERES (since 15 November 1995) was appointed by
the president following the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak RABIN
{3}cabinet:{4} Cabinet was selected from and approved by the Knesset

{2}Legislative branch:{4} unicameral
parliament (Knesset): elections last held NA June 1992 (next to be held 29 May 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 - the distribution of seats as of
January 1996 is as follows - Labor Party 45, Likud bloc 33, 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, Yi'ud 1 (in coalition), Right of Israel 1

{2}Judicial branch:{4} Supreme Court

{2}Political parties and leaders:{4}
members of the government: Labor Party, Prime Minister Shimon PERES; MERETZ, Minister of
Environment Yossi SARID; Yi'ud, 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; Right of Israel, leader
NA
{3}note:{4} Israel currently has a coalition government comprising three parties that hold 58 seats of the
Knesset's 120 seats

{2}Other political or pressure groups:{4} 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

{2}International organization participation:{4} AG (observer), BSEC (observer), CCC, CE (observer),
CERN (observer), EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer), OSCE (partner), PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

{2}Diplomatic representation in US:{4}
{3}chief of mission:{4} Ambassador Itamar RABINOVICH
{3}chancery:{4} 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
{3}telephone:{4} [1] [phone]
{3}FAX:{4} [1] [phone]
{3}consulate(s) general:{4} Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York,
Philadelphia, and San Francisco

{2}US diplomatic representation:{4}
{3}chief of mission:{4} Ambassador Martin S. INDYK
{3}embassy:{4} 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv
{3}mailing address:{4} PSC 98, Box 100, APO AE 09830
{3}telephone:{4} [972] (3) 519-7575
{3}FAX:{4} [972] (3) 517-3227
{3}consulate(s) general:{4} Jerusalem

{2}Flag:{4} 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


{1}Economy{4}

{2}Economic overview:{4} 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, agriculture, forestry, and fishing
3.5%, and services 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 US, 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 525,000 during the period 1990-95, 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.

{2}GDP:{4} purchasing power parity - $80.1 billion (1995 est.)

{2}GDP real growth rate:{4} 7.1% (1995 est.)

{2}GDP per capita:{4} $15,500 (1995 est.)

{2}GDP composition by sector:{4}
{3}agriculture:{4} 3.5%
{3}industry:{4} 22%
{3}services:{4} 74.5%

{2}Inflation rate (consumer prices):{4} 10.1% (1995)

{2}Labor force:{4} 1.9 million (1992)
{3}by occupation:{4} 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)

{2}Unemployment rate:{4} 6.3% (1995 est.)

{2}Budget:{4}
{3}revenues:{4} $41 billion
{3}expenditures:{4} $53 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996)

{2}Industries:{4} food processing, diamond cutting and polishing, textiles and apparel, chemicals, metal
products, military equipment, transport equipment, electrical equipment, potash mining, high-
technology electronics, tourism

{2}Industrial production growth rate:{4} 10.3% (1995 est.)

{2}Electricity:{4}
{3}capacity:{4} 4,140,000 kW
{3}production:{4} 23 billion kWh
{3}consumption per capita:{4} 4,290 kWh (1993)

{2}Agriculture:{4} citrus and other fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products

{2}Illicit drugs:{4} increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse and trafficking

{2}Exports:{4} $28.4 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
{3}commodities:{4} machinery and equipment, cut diamonds, chemicals, textiles and apparel,
agricultural products, metals
{3}partners:{4} US, EU, Japan

{2}Imports:{4} $40.1 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
{3}commodities:{4} military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, oil, other productive inputs,
consumer goods
{3}partners:{4} EU, US, Japan

{2}External debt:{4} $18.5 billion (1995 est.)

{2}Economic aid:{4}
{3}recipient:{4} total receipts $12.14 billion of which $11.38 billion from the US (1990-93)

{2}Currency:{4} 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot

{2}Exchange rates:{4} new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 3.1295 (January 1996), 3.0113 (1995),
3.0111 (1994), 2.8301 (1993), 2.4591 (1992), 2.2791 (1991)

{2}Fiscal year:{4} calendar year (since 1 January 1992)


{1}Transportation{4}

{2}Railways:{4}
{3}total:{4} 526 km
standard gauge: 526 km 1.435-m gauge

{2}Highways:{4}
{3}total:{4} 13,461 km
{3}paved:{4} 13,461 km (including 56 km of expressways)
{3}unpaved:{4} 0 km (1992 est.)

{2}Pipelines:{4} crude oil 708 km; petroleum products 290 km; natural gas 89 km

{2}Ports:{4} Ashdod, Ashqelon, Elat, Hadera, Haifa, Tel Aviv-Yafo

{2}Merchant marine:{4}
{3}total:{4} 28 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 577,747 GRT/701,459 DWT
{3}ships by type:{4} cargo 5, container 20, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1995 est.)

{2}Airports:{4}
{3}total:{4} 50
{3}with paved runways over 3,047 m:{4} 2
{3}with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:{4} 6
{3}with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:{4} 7
{3}with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m:{4} 8
{3}with paved runways under 914 m:{4} 22
{3}with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:{4} 2
{3}with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:{4} 3 (1995 est.)
Heliports: 2 (1995 est.)


{1}Communications{4}

{2}Telephones:{4} 2.425 million (1990 est.)

{2}Telephone system:{4} most highly developed system in the Middle East although not the largest
{3}domestic:{4} good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay
{3}international:{4} 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1
Indian Ocean)

{2}Radio broadcast stations:{4} AM 9, FM 45, shortwave 0

{2}Radios:{4} 2.25 million (1993 est.)

{2}Television broadcast stations:{4} 20

{2}Televisions:{4} 1.5 million (1993 est.)


{1}Defense{4}

{2}Branches:{4} 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

{2}Manpower availability:{4}
{3}males age 15-49:{4} 1,390,603
females age 15-49: 1,363,986
{3}males fit for military service:{4} 1,139,137
females fit for military service: 1,112,947
{3}males reach military age (18) annually:{4} 50,508
females reach military age (18) annually: 48,176 (1996 est.)

{2}Defense expenditures:{4} exchange rate conversion - $9.2 billion, about 9.8% of GDP (1996)