1985 Edition

Agriculture

70% of agricultural area used for permanent hay and pasture; main products—livestock and dairy products, turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; 85% selfsufficient; food shortages — grains, fruits, vegetables

main products — citrus and other fruits, vegetables, beef and dairy products, poultry products

important producer of fruits and vegetables; main crops — cereals, potatoes, olives; 95% self-sufficient; food shortages — fats, meat, fish, and eggs

Aid

donor — bilateral economic aid committed ODA and OOF, $8.2 billion (1970-82)

Airfields

103 total, 94 usable; 50 with permanent-surface runways; 5 with runways over 3,659 m, 50 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 11 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

40 total, 36 usable; 13 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,4403,659 m, 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

66 total, 56 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways; 6 with runways 2,4403,659 m, 11 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

elected President; bicameral parliament (Seanad, Dail) reflecting proportional and vocational representation; judiciary appointed by President on advice of government

Army, Naval Service, Army Air Corps

president has largely ceremonial functions, except for the authority to decide which political leader should try to form a ruling coalition following an election or the fall of a previous government; executive power vested in Cabinet; unicameral parliament (Knesset) of 120 members elected under a system of proportional representation; legislation provides fundamental laws in absence of a written constitution; two distinct court systems (secular and religious)

Israel Defense Forces; historically there have been no separate Israeli military services; ground, air, and naval components are part of Israel Defense Force*

executive — President empowered to dissolve Parliament and call national election; he is also Commander of the Armed Forces and presides over the Supreme Defense Council; otherwise, authority to govern invested in Council of Ministers; bicameral legislature — popularly elected Parliament (315-member Senate, 630member Chamber of Deputies); independent judicial establishment

Budget

(1984 est.) expenditures, $7. 19 billion; revenues, $6.08 billion; deficit, $1.11 billion

public revenue $10.4 billion, expenditure $15.2 billion (1981)

Capital

Dublin

Jerusalem; not recognized by US, which maintains Embassy in Tel Aviv

Rome

Civil air

16 major transport aircraft

23 major transport aircraft

25 major transport aircraft

CNP

$15 billion (1983), $4,263 per capita; 64.2% consumption, 24.8% investment, 21.9% government, 0.6% inventories; - 1 1.5% net foreign demand; 0.6% real GNP (1983)

Coastline

1,448 km People

273 km (before 1967 war) People

4,996 km People

Communist

RAKAH (predominantly Arab but with Jews in its leadership) has some 1,500 members

Communists

under 500

1,673,751 members (1983)

Crude steel

66,000 metric tons produced in

24 million metric tons produced (1983), 422 kg per capita

Elections

Dail (lower house) elected every five years — last election November 1982; President elected for seven-year term — last election October 1983 Political parties and leaders: Fianna Fail, Charles Haughey; Labor Party, Richard Spring; Fine Gael, Garret FitzGerald; Communist Party of Ireland, Michael O'Riordan; Workers' Party, Tomas MacGiolla; Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams

held every four years unless required by dissolution of Knesset; last election held in July 1984; next scheduled for November 1988 Political parties and leaders: Israel currently has a national unity government comprised of 8 parties that hold 97 of the Knesset's 120 seats; members of the unity government — Labor Alignment, Prime Minister Shimon Peres; Likud Bloc, Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir (in 1986 Shamir and Peres will trade government positions); Shinui Party, Minister of Communications Amnon Rubenstein; National Religious Party, Minister of Religious Affairs Yosef Burg; SHAS, Minister of Interior Yitzhak Peretz; opposition parties — Tehiya-Tzomet, Yuval Ne'eman; MAPAM, Eliezer Grant; Citizens' Rights Movement, Shulamit Aloni; RAKAH (Communist party), Meir Wilner; Progressive List for Peace, Muhammad Mi'ari

national election for Parliament held every five years (most recent, June 1983); provincial and municipal elections held every five years with some out of phase; regional elections every five years (held June 1980) Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party (DC), Ciriaco DeMita (political secretary); Communist party (PCI), Alessandro Natta (secretary general); Socialist Party (PSJ), Bettino Craxi (party secretary); Social Democratic Party (PSDI), Pietro Longo (party secretary); Liberal Party (PLI), Valerio Zanone (secretary general); Italian Social Movement (MSI), Giorgio Almirante (national secretary); Republican Party (PRI), Giovanni Spadolini (political secretary)

Electric power

3,335,000 kW capacity (1984); 11.422 billion kWh produced (1984), 3,210 kWh per capita

3,585,000 kW capacity (1984); 15.305 billion kWh produced (1984), 3,810 kWh per capita

50,561,000 kW capacity (1984); 186.332 billion kWh produced (1984), 3,269 kWh per capita

Ethnic divisions

Celtic, with English minority

85% Jewish, 15% non-Jewish (mostly Arab)

primarily Italian but population includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and of Albanian-Italians in the south

Exports

foodstuffs (primarily dairy products), $8.76 billion (f.o.b., February 1982); computers, live animals, machinery, chemicals, clothing

$5.5 billion (f.o.b., 1983); major items — polished diamonds, citrus and other fruits, textiles and clothing, processed foods, fertilizer and chemical products, electronics; tourism is important foreign exchange earner Israel (continued) Italy

$72.8 billion (f .o.b., 1983); principal items — machinery and transport equipment, textiles, foodstuffs, chemicals, footwear

Fiscal year

calendar year » Communications

1 April-31 March Communications

calendar year Communications

Fishing

catch 197,000 metric tons (1983); exports of fish and fish products $97 million (1982), imports of fish and fish products $36 million (1982)

catch 406,828 metric tons ( 1 982); exports $86 million ( 1 983), imports $697 million (1983)

GDP

$352.8 billion (1983), $6,208 per capita; 63.9% private consumption, 18.0% gross fixed investment, 20.0% government, net foreign balance —1.4%; 1982 growth rate — 1.2% (1970 constant prices)

GNP

$24.5 billion (1984, in 1984 prices), $6,093 per capita; 1984 growth of real GNP 0.0%

Government leaders

Dr. Patrick J. KILLER Y, President (since 1 976); Dr. Garret FITZGERALD, Prime Minister (since 1982); Richard SPRING, Deputy Prime Minister (since 1982)

Shimon PERES, Prime Minister (since September 1984); Chaim HERZOG, President (since May 1983)

Sandro PERTINI, President (since July 1978); Bettino CRAXI, Premier (since August 1983)

Highways

92,294 km total; 87,422 km surfaced, 4,872 km gravel or crushed stone

4,459 km; majority is bituminous surfaced

Imports

$9. 163 billion (c.i.f., 1983); machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, semifinished goods, cereals

$8.8 billion (f.o.b., 1983); major items — military equipment, rough diamonds, oil, chemicals, machinery, iron and steel, cereals, textiles, vehicles, ships, and aircraft

$80.3 billion (c.i.f., 1983); principal items — machinery and transport equipment, foodstuffs, ferrous and nonferrous metals, wool, cotton, petroleum

Inland waterways

limited for commercial traffic

none

Labor force

about 1,173,000(1981); 19.6% manufacturing; 17.8% agriculture, forestry, fishing; 16.2% commerce; 8.3% construction; 5.8% government; 5.5% transportation; 26.8% other; 10.9% unemployment (average 1981)

est. 1,400,000 (1984); 29.5% public services; 22.8% industry, mining, and manufacturing; 12.8% commerce; 9.5% finance and business; 6.8% transport, storage, and communications; 6.5% construction and public works; 5.5% agriculture, forestry, and fishing; 5.8% personal and other services; 1.0% electricity and water (1983); unemployment about 6% (1984 est.)

23,272,000 (October 1984); 29.9% industry, 10.6% agriculture, 49.3% services (October 1984); 10.2% unemployment (October 1984)

Land boundaries

360 km Water

1,036 km (before 1967 war) Water

1,702 km Water

Language

Irish (Gaelic) and English (official); English is generally spoken

Hebrew official; Arabic used officially for Arab minority; English most commonly used foreign language

Italian; parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region (for example, Bolzano) are predominantly German speaking; significant French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region; Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area

Legal system

based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts; constitution adopted 1937; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

mixture of English common law and, in personal area, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; commercial matters regulated substantially by codes adopted since 1948; no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the basic laws of the Knesset (legislature) — relating to the Knesset, Israeli lands, the president, the government — and the Israel citizenship law; no judicial review of legislative acts; legal education at Hebrew University of Jerusalem; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

based on civil law system, with ecclesiastical law influence; constitution came into effect 1 January 1948; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

3 nm (fishing 200 nm)

6 nm

12 nm

Literacy

99%

88% Jews, 70% Arabs

93%

Major ground units

4 infantry brigades and 2 independent battalions

Major industries

food products, brewing, textiles and clothing, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, machinery and transportation equipment

food processing, diamond cutting and polishing, textiles and clothing, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, electrical equipment, miscellaneous machinery, potash mining, high-technology electronics

machinery and transportation equipment, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles

Major trade partners

imports — 67.2% EC (45.3% UK, 8.0% FRG, 4.7% France), 14.7% US, 1.6% Communist (1983); exports— 68.6% EC (36.9% UK, 9.9% FRG, 8.3% France), 8.1% US, 1.3% Communist (1983)

exports — US, UK, FRG, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy; imports— US, FRG, UK, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg

(1981) 45% EC (17% FRG, 15% France, 6% UK, 3% Netherlands), 14% OPEC (4% Saudi Arabia), 8% US, 3% USSR, 1% Eastern Europe

Member of

Council of Europe, EC, EMS, ESRO (observer), FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, Ireland (continued) Israel (West Bank and Gaza Strip listed at end of table) ICAO, ICES, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC— International Wheat Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG Economy

FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB— Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOOC, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC — International Wheat Council, OAS (observer), UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO Economy

ADB, ASSIMER, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ECOWAS, EIB, ELDO, EMS, ESRO, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB— InterAmerican Development Bank, IFAD, IEA, IFC, IHO, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU, NATO, OAS (observer), OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG Economy

Military budget

estimated for fiscal year ending 31 December 1983, $14.0 billion North Atlantic Ocean Irish Saa Land 70,282 km2; larger than West Virginia; 51% meadow and pasture, 27% waste or urban, 17% arable, 3% forest, 2% inland water

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1984, $250 million; about 2.5% of the central government budget 100km Nazararth Tel Aviv-Yafo Mediterranean Sea Boundary representation not necessarily authonut S« regional map VI Dead Sea

for fiscal year ending 31 March 1984, $3.7 billion; 32% of central government budget Sardinia See rtf ional map V Land 301,223 km2; slightly larger than Arizona; 50% cultivated, 21% forest, 17% meadow and pasture, 9% waste or urban; 3% unused but potentially productive

Military manpower

males 15-49, 3,545,000; 2,038,000 fit for military service; about 171,000 reach military age (18) annually

males 15-49, 844,000; 691,000 fit for military service; about 27,000 reach military age (17) annually

eligible 15-49, 1,941,000; of 979,000 males 15-49, 616,000 fit for military service; of 962,000 females 1549, 603,000 fit for military service; 37,000 males and 35,000 females reach military age (18) annually; both sexes liable for military service

Monetary conversion rate

0.9818 Irish pound=US$l (October 1984)

the Israeli pound was allowed to float on 31 October 1977; the shekel became the unit of account on 1 October 1980 (1 shekel=10 Israeli pounds); 56.21 shekels=US$l (average conversion rate for 1983)

1,944.0 lire=US$l (3 January 1985)

National holiday

St. Patrick's Day, 17 March

Anniversary of the Republic, 2 June

National holidays

Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948; because the Jewish calendar is lunar, however, the holiday varies from year to year; all major Jewish religious holidays are also observed as national holidays •

Nationality

noun — Irishman(men), Irish (collective pi.); adjective — Irish

noun — Israeli(s); adjective — Israeli

noun — Italian(s); adjective — Italian

NOTE

The Arab territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the data below; as stated in the 1978 Camp David Accords and reaffirmed by the President's 1 September 1982 peace initiative, the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the concerned parties; Camp David further specifies that these negotiations will resolve the location of the respective boundaries; pending the completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has yet to be determined (see West Bank and Gaza Strip "Factsheet"); on 25 April 1982 Israel relinquished control of the Sinai to Egypt; statistics for the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights are included in the Syria "Factsheet." Land 20,720 km2; the size of Massachusetts; 40% pasture and meadow; 29% unsurveyed (mostly desert); 20% cultivated; 4% forest; 4% desert, waste, or urban; 3% inland water

Official name

Ireland, Eire (Gaelic)

State of Israel

Italian Republic

Organized labor

36% of labor force Government

90% of labor force Government

50-55% (est.) of labor force Government

Other political or pressure groups

Black Panthers, a loosely organized youth group seeking more benefits for oriental Jews; Gush Emunim, Jewish rightwing nationalists pushing for freedom for Jews to settle anywhere on the West Bank; Peace Now critical of government's West Bank and Lebanon policies

the Vatican; three major trade union confederations (CGIL — Communist dominated, CISL — Christian Democratic, and UIL — Social Democratic, Socialist, and Republican); Italian manufacturers association (Confindustria); organized farm groups

Pipelines

crude oil, 3,821 km; 725 km refined products; 1,360 km natural gas

natural gas, 225 km

crude oil, 708 km; refined products, 290 km; natural gas, 89 km

Political subdivisions

26 counties

six administrative districts

constitution provides for establishment of 20 regions; five with special statute (Sicilia, Sardegna, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Ciulia, and Valle d'Aosta) have been functioning for some time, and the remaining 15 regions with regular statute were instituted on 1 April 1972; 95 provinces, 8,081 communes

Population

3,590,000 (July 1985), average annual growth rate 1.0%

4,085,000, excluding West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem (July 1985), average annual growth rate 1.6%

57,149,000 (July 1985), average annual growth rate 0.3%

Ports

3 major (Basra, Umm Qasr, Al-Faw), none in operation due to war

2 major, 6 secondary, 38 minor

3 major (Haifa, Ashdod, Elat), 5 minor

Railroads

2,190 km 1.600-meter gauge, government owned; 485 km double track

647 km 1.435-meter single track standard gauge; diesel operated

20,085 km total; 16,140 km 1.435meter government-owned standard gauge, 8,585 km electrified; 3,945 km privately owned — 2,100km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 1,155 km electrified, and 1,845 km 0.950-meter narrow gauge, 380 km electrified

Religion

94% Roman Catholic, 4% Anglican, 2% other

85% Judaism, 1 1 % Islam, 4% Christian and other

almost 100% nominally Roman Catholic

Shortages

coal, fuels, minerals

Suffrage

universal over age 18

universal over age 18

universal over age 18 (except in senatorial elections, where minimum age of voter is 25)

Supply

UK and France are the principal suppliers of army materiel; UK provides 105mm light guns and Scorpion light tanks, and France provides MILAN antitank missiles and Panhard reconnaissance vehicles; Sweden also provides weapon systems, including RBS-70 surface-to-air missiles, recoilless rifles, and armored personnel carriers

Telecommunications

good network consists of coaxial cables, radio-relay links, and radiocommunication stations; about 500,000 telephones (3.9 per 100 popl.); 9 AM, no FM, 81 TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean, and 1 Intersputnik satellite station; coaxial cable and radio-relay to Kuwait, Jordan, Syria, and Turkey Defense Forces

small, modern system using cable and radio-relay circuits; 779,000 telephones (22.2 per 100 popl.); 24 AM, 14 FM, 74 TV stations; 2 coaxial submarine cables; planned satellite station Defense Forces

most highly developed in the Middle East though not the largest; good system of coaxial cable and radio relay; 1,302, 000 telephones (32.1 per 100 popl.); 11 AM, 24 FM, 54 TV stations; 2 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean satellite stations; 1 Indian Ocean satellite station Defense Forces

Type

republic

republic

republic

Voting strength

(1982 election) Dail — Fianna Fail, 75 seats; Fine Gael, 70 seats; Labor Party, 16 seats; independents, 3 seats; Workers' Party, 2 seats

Labor Alignment, 40 seats; Likud, 41 seats; MAPAM, 6 seats; TehiyaTzomet, 5 seats; Citizens' Rights Movement, 4 seats; RAKAH, 4 seats; SHAS, 4 seats; National Religious Party, 4 seats; Shinui Party, 3 seats; Morasha, 2 seats; Agudat Yisrael, 2 seats; Progressive List for Peace, 2 seats; Ometz, 1 seat; Kakh, 1 seat; TAMI, 1 seat

(1983 election) 32.5% DC, 30.5% PCI, 11.3% PSI, 6.6% MSI, 5.2% PRI, 4.0% PSDI, 3.0% PLI