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Israel |
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Current issues: The territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the data below, unless otherwise noted. 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.
Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
Area—comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
total: 1,006 km
border countries: 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
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
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, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography—note: there are 207 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 24 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 1997 est.)
Area, Climate and Environment Statistics from Israeli Government
Population: 5,643,966 (July 1998 est.)
note: includes 155,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank,
17,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 6,000 in the Gaza
Strip, and 164,000 in East Jerusalem (August 1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 5.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 8.02 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.41 years
male: 76.52 years
female: 80.39 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.71 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Israeli(s)
adjective: Israeli
Ethnic groups: 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:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95%
male: 97%
female: 93% (1992 est.)
Population Statistics from Government of Israel
Country name:
conventional long form: State of Israel
conventional short form: Israel
local long form: Medinat Yisra'el
local short form: Yisra'el
Data code: IS
Government type: republic
National 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
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)
head of government: Prime
Minister Ehud Barach
cabinet: Cabinet selected from and approved by the Knesset
elections: president elected by the Knesset for a
five-year term; election last held 4 March 1998 (next to be held
NA March 2003); prime minister elected by popular vote for a
four-year term; election last held 29 May 1996 (next to be held
NA 2000); note—in March 1992, the Knesset approved
legislation, effective in 1996, which allowed for the direct
election of the prime minister; under the new law, each voter
casts two ballots—one for the direct election of the prime
minister and one for the party in the Knesset; the candidate that
receives the largest percentage of the popular vote then works to
form a coalition with other parties to achieve a parliamentary
majority of 61 seats; finally, the candidate must submit his or
her cabinet to the Knesset for approval and this must be done
within 45 days of the election; in contrast to the old system,
under the new law, the prime minister's party need not be the
single-largest party in the Knesset
Election results
Legislative branch: unicameral Knesset or parliament (120 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 29 May 1996 (next to be held NA 2000)
Election results
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, appointed for life by the president
Political parties:
Likud Party, Tzomet, SHAS, National Religious Party, Yisra'el
Ba'Aliya, United Jewish Torah, Third Way, Labor Party, MERETZ,
United Arab List, Moledet, Gesher
Political pressure groups and leaders: 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
Yahoo Guide to Israeli Politics and Elections
Diplomatic
representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Zalman SHOVAL
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 Edward WALKER
embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv
mailing address: PSC 98, Box 100, APO AE 09830
telephone: [972] (3) 519-7575
FAX: [972] (3) 517-3227
consulate(s) general: Jerusalem; note—an independent
US mission, established in 1928, whose members are not accredited
to a foreign government
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.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$96.7 billion (1997 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 1.9% (1997 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$17,500 (1997 est.)
GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 17%
services: 81% (1997 est.)
Inflation rate—consumer price index: 9% (1997)
Labor force:
total: 2.3 million (1997)
by occupation: public services 31.3%, 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: 7.7% (1997)
Budget:
revenues: $55 billion
expenditures: $58 billion, including capital expenditures
of $NA (1998 est.)
Industries: food processing, diamond cutting and polishing, textiles and apparel, chemicals, metal products, military equipment, transport equipment, electrical equipment, potash mining, high-technology electronics, tourism
Exports:
total value: $20.7 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
commodities: machinery and equipment, cut diamonds,
chemicals, textiles and apparel, agricultural products, metals
partners: EU 32%, US 31%, Japan 7% (1996)
Imports:
total value: $28.6 billion (c.i.f., 1997)
commodities: military equipment, investment goods, rough
diamonds, oil, consumer goods
partners: EU 52%, US 20%, Japan (1996)
Debt—external: $18.7 billion (1997)
Economic aid:
recipient: $1.2 billion (1997) from the US
Currency: 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1—3.5340 (December 1997)
Statistical Abstract of Israel
Military 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
Military manpower—military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower—availability:
males age 15-49: 1,446,634
females age 15-49: 1,414,898 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $9.3 billion (1997)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 9.5% (1997)
Disputes—international:
Illicit drugs: increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse and trafficking