1988 Edition

Boundary disputes

none; maritime dispute with UK; Northern Ireland question with UK; Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and UK

separated from Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria by 1949 Armistice Line; disputes with Egypt over Taba area and precise location of some individual boundary markers; West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli occupied with status to be determined; Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982

none; South Tyrol question with Austria; Trieste question with Yugoslavia

Climate

temperate marine; modified by Gulf Stream; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time

temperate; hot and dry in desert areas

temperate; Alpine in far north

Coastline

1,448 km

273 km (before 1967 war)

4,996 km

Comparative area

slightly larger than West Virginia

about the size of Massachusetts

slightly larger than Arizona

Continental shelf

to depth of exploitation

200 m or to depth of exploitation

Environment

deforestation

sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; limited arable land and natural water resources pose serious constraints; deforestation

regional risks include landslides, mudflows, snowslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding, pollution; land sinkage in Venice

Ethnic divisions

Celtic, with English minority

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

Exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

Infant mortality rate

11/1,000(1983)

11.3/1,000 (1984)

Labor force

about 1,299,400 (1985); 27.5% manufacturing and construction; 16.4% agriculture, forestry, fishing; 20.4% services; 6.6% government; 6.2% transportation; other 22.9%; 17.4% unemployment (1985 average)

22.20 million (1985); 30.5% industry, 10.5% agriculture, 48.6% services (1984); 10.8% unemployment

Land boundaries

1,036 km total (before 1967 war)

1,702 km total

Land boundary

360 km with United Kingdom

Land use

14% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 71% meadows and pastures; 5% forest and woodland; 10% other

17% arable land; 5% permanent crops; 40% meadows and pastures; 6% forest and woodland; 32% other; includes 11% irrigated

32% arable land; 10% permanent crops; 17% meadows and pastures; 22% forest and woodland; 19% other; includes 10% irrigated

Language

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

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

Life expectancy

73

73

Literacy

99%

93%

Nationality

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

noun — Italian(s); adjective — Italian

Organized labor

36% of labor force

40-45% (est.) of labor force

Population

3,534,553 (July 1987), average annual growth rate —0.08%

57,350,850 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 0.19%

Religion

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

almost 100% nominally Roman Catholic

Special notes

none

none

strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe

Terrain

mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains

mostly desert (Negev) in south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley

mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands

Territorial sea

3 nm

6 nm

12 nm

Total area

70,280 km2; land area: 68,890 km2

20,770 km2; land area: 20,330 km2

301,230 km2; land area: 294,020 km2

Total area

100km onaghan Irish Sea North Atlantic Ocean Sec regional map V

Ethnic divisions

83% Jewish, 17% nonJewish (mostly Arab)

Infant mortality rate

14.1/1,000 (1983)

Labor force

1,400,000 (1984 est.); 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 6.7% (1985)

Language

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

Life expectancy

72.1

Literacy

88% Jews, 70% Arabs

Nationality

noun — Israeli(s); adjective — Israeli

Organized labor

90% of labor force

Population

4,222,118, excluding West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem (July 1987), average annual growth rate 1.83%

Religion

83% Judaism, 13.1% Islam, 2.3% Christian, 1.6% Druze

Administrative divisions

26 counties

six administrative districts

20 regions; 95 provinces; 8,081 communes

Branches

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

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)

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

Capital

Dublin

Jerusalem; Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital in 1950; the United States, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv

Rome

Communists

under 500

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

1,673,751 members (1983)

Elections

Dail (lower house) elected every five years (last election February 1987); President elected for seven-year term (last election March 1987) Political parties and leaders: Fianna Fail, Charles Haughey; Labor Party, Richard Spring; Fine Gael, Alan Dukes; Communist Party of Ireland, Michael O'Riordan; Workers' Party, Tomas MacGiolla; Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams; Progressive Democrats, Desmond O'Malley; Democratic Socialist Party, Jim Kemmy

held every four years unless required by dissolution of Knesset; last election held in July 1984; next election must be held by November 1988 Political parties and leaders: Israel currently has a national unity government comprising eight parties that hold 97 of the Knesset's 120 seats; members of the unity government — Labor Alignment, Vice Premier and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres; Likud Bloc, Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir; Shinui Party, Minister of Communications Amnon Rubenstein; National Religious Party, Minister of Religious Affairs Zvulun Hammer; SHAS, Yitzhak Peretz; Agudat Israel, Avraham Shapira; Morasha-Po'aley Agudat Yisra'el, Avraham Verdiger; Ometz, Minister Without Portfolio Yigael Hurwitz; opposition parties — Tehiya-Tzomet, Yuval Ne'eman; MAPAM, Eliezer Granot; Citizens' Rights Movement, Shulamit Aloni; RAKAH (Communist party), Meir Wilner; Progressive List for Peace, Muhammad Mi'ari; TAMI, Aharon Abuhatzeira; Kakh, Meir Kahane

national election for Parliament every five years (last held June 1983); provincial and municipal elections every five years with some out of phase; regional elections every five years (last held May 1985) Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party (DC), Ciriaco DeMita (political secretary); Communist Party (PCI), Alessandro Natta (secretary general); Socialist Party (PSI), Bettino Craxi (party secretary); Social Democratic Party (PSDI), Franco Nicolazzi (party secretary); Liberal Party (PLI), Renato Altissimo (secretary general); Italian Social Movement (MSI), Giorgio Almirante (national secretary); Republican Party (PRI), Giovanni Spadolini (political secretary)

Government leaders

Dr. Patrick J. HILLERY, President (since 1976); Charles J. HAUGHEY, Prime Minister (since March 1987)

Chaim HERZOG, President (since May 1983); Yitzhak SHAMIR, Prime Minister (since October 1986), who replaced Shimon PERES under an agreement whereby the positions of Prime Minister and that of Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister would be traded in October 1986

Francesco COSSIGA, President (since July 1985); Bettino CRAXI, Premier (since August 1983)

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, British Mandatory regulations, 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; in December 1985 Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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

Member of

Council of Europe, EC, EMS, ESRO (observer), FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, 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

FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDE— 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

ADB, ASSIMER, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ECOWAS, EIB, ELDO, EMS, ESRO, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDE— Inter-American 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

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

Official name

Ireland, Eire (Gaelic)

State of Israel

Italian Republic

Other political or pressure groups

Black Panthers, a loosely organized youth group seeking more benefits for oriental Jews; Gush Emunim, Jewish nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now, critical of government's West Bank/Gaza Strip 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 (Confcoltivatori)

Suffrage

universal over age 18

universal over age 18

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

Type

republic

republic

republic

Voting strength

(1987 election) Dail— Fianna Fail, 81 seats (44.1%); Fine Gael, 51 seats (27.1); Progressive Democrats, 14 seats (11.8%), Labor Party, 12 seats (6.4%); Workers' Party, 4 seats (3.8%); independents, 3 seats; Democratic Socialist Party, 1 seat; Sinn Fein no seat (1.9%)

Labor Alignment, 40 seats; Likud, 41 seats; MAPAM, 6 seats; Tehiya-Tzomet, 5 seats; Citizens' Rights Movement, 4 seats; RAKAH, 4 seats; SHAS, 4 seats; National Religious Party, 5 seats; Shinui Party, 3 seats; MorashaPo'aley Agudat Yisra'el, 1 seat; Agudat Yisra'el, 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

Agriculture

livestock and dairy products, turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; 85% self-sufficient; food shortages — grains, fruits, vegetables

citrus and other fruits, vegetables, cotton, beef and dairy products, poultry products

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

Aid

donor — ODA and OOF economic aid commitments (1970-84), $9.0 billion

Budget

expenditures, $8.65 billion; revenues, $7.30 billion; deficit, $1.35 billion (1986 est.)

public revenues, $11.3 billion, expenditures, $14.8 billion (FY85/86)

Crude steel

330,000 metric ton capacity (1984); 203,000 metric tons produced, 55 kg per capita (1985)

23.7 million metric tons produced (1985), 415 kg per capita

Electric power

4,177,000 kW capacity; 12,630 million kWh produced, 3,490 kWh per capita (1986) Ireland (continued) Israel (West Bank and Gaza Strip entry on page 276)

4,284,000 kW capacity; 16,320 million kWh produced, 3,880 kWh per capita (1986)

52,068,000 kW capacity; 189,270 million kWh produced, 3,310 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$10.39 billion (f.o.b., 1985 converted at 0.93 IR pound=US$l); foodstuffs (primarily dairy and meat products), data processing equipment, live animals, machinery, chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, clothing

$6.3 billion (1985); polished diamonds, citrus and other fruits, textiles and clothing, processed foods, fertilizer and chemical products, electronics; tourism is important source of foreign exchange

$78.4 billion (f.o.b., 1985); textiles, chemicals, footwear

Fiscal year

calendar year

1 April-31 March

calendar year

Fishing

catch 179,700 metric tons; exports of fish and fish products $100 million, imports of fish and fish products $35 million (1985)

catch 478,350 metric tons (1983); exports $94 million, imports $709 million (1984)

GDP

$357.8 billion, $6,260 per capita; 63.5% private consumption, 18.0% gross fixed investment, 20.0% government, —2.1% net foreign balance, 0.7% change in stocks; growth rate —2.3% (constant market prices) (1985)

GNP

$14.3 billion, $4,040 per capita; 64.2% consumption, 23.6% investment, 21.5% government, 1.2% inventories; — 10.5% net foreign demand; 2.4% real GNP (1985)

$21.0 billion, $5,070 per capita; real GNP growth rate 1.6% (est. 1986),

Imports

$10.05 billion (c.i.f., 1985 converted at 0.93 IR pound=US$l); machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, semifinished goods, cereals

$9.4 billion (f.o.b., 1985); military equipment, rough diamonds, oil, chemicals, machinery, iron and steel, cereals, textiles, vehicles, ships, aircraft

$90.5 billion (c.i.f., 1985); petroleum, machinery and transport equipment, foodstuffs, ferrous and nonferrous metals, wool, cotton

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

exports — 67.5% EC (33.0% UK, 10.1% FRG, 8.4% France), 9.8% US, 0.9% Communist; imports— 64.7% EC (42.7% UK, 7.7% FRG, 4.8% France), 17.0% US, 1.8% Communist (1985)

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

(1985) 45.5% EC (16.4% FRG, 13.2% France, 5.9% UK, 3.9% Switzerland), 8.9% US, 8.3% Middle East (2.9% Libya), 2.7% USSR, 3% Eastern Europe

Monetary conversion rate

0.75 Irish pound = US$1 (December 1986)

1.5 new sheqalims=US$l (December 1986); exchange rate calculated from a basket of foreign currencies

1,337.0 lire=US$l (January 1987)

Natural resources

zinc, lead, natural gas, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver

copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur, bitumen, manganese

mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, dwindling natural gas reserves, fish

Shortages

coal, fuels, minerals

Airfields

42 total, 39 usable; 17 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

56 total, 53 usable; 27 with permanent-surface runways; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 11 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

147 total, 140 usable; 85 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m, 35 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 40 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Branches

Army, Naval Service, Army Air Corps

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

Army, Navy, Air Force

Civil air

23 major transport aircraft

26 major transport aircraft

132 major transport aircraft

Highways

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

4,500 km; majority is bituminous surfaced

294,410 km total; autostrada 5,900 km, state highways 45,170 km, provincial highways 101,680 km, communal highways 141,660 km; 260,500 km concrete, bituminous, or stone block, 26,900 km gravel and crushed stone, 7,010 km earth

Inland waterways

limited for commercial traffic

none

1,600 km for various types of commercial traffic

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1986, $256.955 million; 2.5% of central government budget 100km Haifa Nazar Mediterranean Sea Tal Aviv-Yaf Ashdod Boundary representation not necessarily authontat

for fiscal year ending 31 March 1987, $4.6 billion; about 24% of central government budget 300km Mediterranean Sea Sec regional map V alabria

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1986, $13.3 billion; about 4.6% of central government budget

Military manpower

males 15-49, 793,000; 635,000 fit for military service; 37,000 reach military age (17) annually

eligible 15-49, 2,015,000; of 1,014,000 males 15-49, 839,000 fit for military service; of 1,002,000 females 15-49, 826,000 fit for military service; 41,000 males and 39,000 females reach military age (18) annually; both sexes liable for military service

males 15-49, 14,474,000; 12,637,000 fit for military service; 449,000 reach military age (18) annually

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 entry); on 25 April 1982 Israel relinquished control of the Sinai to Egypt; statistics for the Israelioccupied Golan Heights are included in the Syria entry

Pipelines

natural gas, 225 km

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

crude oil, 1,703 km; refined products, 2,148 km; natural gas, 17,300 km

Ports

2 major, 6 secondary, 38 minor

3 major (Haifa, Ashdod, Elat), 5 minor Israel (continued) Italy

9 major, 11 secondary, 40 minor

Railroads

Irish National Railways (CIE) operates 1,940 km 1.602-meter gauge, government owned; 485 km double; 38 km electrified

516 km 1.435-meter gauge single track; diesel operated

20,011 km total; 16,066 km 1.435-meter government-owned standard gauge, 8,843 km electrified; 3,945 km privately owned — 2,100 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 1,155 km electrified, and 1,845 km 0. 950-meter narrow gauge, 380 km electrified

Telecommunications

small, modern system using cable and radio-relay circuits; 900,000 telephones (23.5 per 100 popl.); 47 AM, 33 FM, 86 TV stations; 4 coaxial submarine cables; 1 satellite ground station Defense Forces

most highly developed in the Middle East though not the largest; good system of coaxial cable and radio-relay; 1,500,000 telephones (35.6 per 100 popl.); 11 AM, 24 FM, 54 TV stations; 2 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT stations; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT station Defense Forces

well engineered, well constructed, and efficiently operated; 25.6 million telephones (44.8 per 100 popl.); 137 AM, 1,841 FM, 1,500 TV stations; 21 submarine cables; 2 communication satellite ground stations with a total of 10 antennas Defense Forces