1989 Edition

Climate

temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time

temperate; hot and dry in desert areas

Coastline

1,448 km

273 km

Comparative area

slightly larger than West Virginia

slightly larger than New Jersey

Continental shelf

no precise definition

to depth of exploitation

Disputes

maritime boundary with the UK; Northern Ireland question with the UK; Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)

separated from Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank by the 1949 Armistice Line; differences with Jordan over the location of the 1949 Armistice Line which separates the two countries; 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; water-sharing issues with Jordan

Environment

deforestation

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

Exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

Land boundaries

1 ,006 km total; Egypt 255 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307, Gaza Strip 51 km

Land boundary

360 km with UK

Land use

14% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 7 1 % 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

Natural resources

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

copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur, asphalt, manganese, small amounts of natural gas and crude oil

Note

defense is the joint responsibility of Iraq and Saudi Arabia 100 km onaghan Irish DUBLIN. J Sea Atlantic Ocean See regional maf

there are 1 73 Jewish settlements in the West Bank, 35 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 18 in the Gaza Strip, and 14 Israeli-built Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem

Terrain

mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast

Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley

Territorial sea

1 2 nm

6 nm

Total area

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

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

Birth rate

15 births/ 1,000 population (1990)

22 births/ 1,000 population (1990)

Death rate

9 deaths/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

6 deaths/ 1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic divisions

Celtic, with English minority

83% Jewish, 17% nonJewish (mostly Arab)

Infant mortality rate

6 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990)

9 deaths/ 1,000 live births (July 1990)

Labor force

1,310,000; 57.3% services, 19.1% manufacturing and construction, 14.8% agriculture, forestry, and fishing (1988)

1,400,000 (1984 est.); 29.5% public services; 22.8% industry, mining, and manufacturing; 1 2.8% 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)

Language

Irish (Gaelic) and English; English is the language generally used, with Gaelic spoken in a few areas, mostly along the western seaboard

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

Life expectancy at birth

72 years male, 78 years female (1990)

76 years male, 79 years female (July 1990)

Literacy

99%

88% Jews, 70% Arabs

Nationality

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

noun — Israeli(s); adjective — Israeli

Net migration rate

— 1 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

0 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

Organized labor

36% of labor force

90% of labor force

Population

3,500,212 (July 1990), growth rate -0.4% (1990)

4,409,218 (July 1990), growth rate 1.5% (1989); includes 70,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank, 10,500 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 2,500 in the Gaza Strip, and 1 10,000 in East Jerusalem (1989 est.)

Religion

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

83% Judaism, 13.1% Islam (mostly Sunni Muslim), 2.3% Christian, 1.6% Druze

Total fertility rate

2.1 children born/ woman (1990)

2.9 children born/ woman (1990)

Administrative divisions

26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, WickJow

6 districts (mehozot, singular — mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv

Capital

Dublin

Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv

Communists

under 500

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

Constitution

29 December 1937; adopted

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

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Padraic N. MACKERNAN; Chancery at 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 4623939; there are Irish Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco; US — Ambassador Richard A. MOORE; Embassy at 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin; telephone [353] (1)

Ambassador Moshe ARAD; Chancery at 3514 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 364-5500; there are Israeli Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco; US — Ambassador William A. BROWN; Embassy at 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv (mailing address is APO New York 09672); telephone [972] (3) 654338; there is a US Consulate General in Jerusalem

Elections

President — last held 21 October 1983 (next to be held October 1990); results— Dr. Patrick Hillery reelected; Senate— last held on 17 February 1987 (next to be held February 1992); resultspercent of vote by party NA; seats — (60 total, 49 elected) Fianna Fail 30, Fine Gael 1 6, Labor 3, Independents 1 1 ; House of Representatives — last held on 1 2 July 1989 (next to be held NA June 1994); results— Fianna Fail 44.0%, Fine Gael 29.4%, Labor Party 9.3%, Progressive Democrats 5.4%, Workers' Party 4.9%, Sinn Fein 1.1%, independents 5.9%; seats — (166 total) Fianna Fail 77, Fine Gael 55, Labor Party 15, Workers' Party 7, Progressive Democrats 6, independents

President — last held 23 February 1988 (next to be held February 1994); results — Gen. Chaim Herzog reelected by Knesset; Parliament — last held 1 November 1 988 (next to be held by November 1992); seats— (120 total) Likud bloc 40, Labor Party 39, SHAS 6, National Religious Party 5, Agudat Yisrael 5, Citizens' Rights Movement 5, RAKAH 4, Tehiya Party 3, MAPAM 3, Tzomet Party 2, Moledet Party 2, Degel HaTorah 2, Center Movement-Shinui 2, Progressive List for Peace 1 , Arab Democratic Party 1

Executive branch

president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

president, prime ir.in's ter, vice prime minister, Cabinet

Flag

three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; similar to the flag of the Ivory Coast which is shorter and has the colors reversed — orange (hoist side), white, and green; also similar to the flag of Italy which is shorter and has colors of green (hoist side), white, and red

white with a blue hexagram (sixpointed 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

Independence

6 December 1921 (from UK)

14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State — President Dr. Patrick J. HILLERY (since 3 December 1976); Head of Government — Prime Minister Charles J. HAUGHEY (since 12 July 1989, the fourth time elected as prime minister) 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, Proinsias DeRossa; Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams; Progressive Democrats, Desmond O'Malley; note — Prime Ireland (continued) Minister Haughey heads a coalition consisting of the Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats

Chief of State — President Gen. Chaim HERZOG (since 5 May 1983); Head of Government — Prime Minister Yitzhak SHAMIR (since 20 October 1986); Vice Prime Minister Shimon PERES (Prime Minister from 13 September 1984 to 20 October 1986, when he rotated to Vice Prime Minister) Political parties and leaders: Israel currently has a national unity government comprising five parties that hold 95 of the Knesset's 1 20 seats; Members of the unity government — Likud bloc, Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir; Labor Party, Vice Prime Minister and Finance Minister Shimon Peres; Sephardic Torah Guardians (SHAS), Minister of Immigrant Absorption Yitzhak Peretz; National Religious Party, Minister of Religious Affairs Zevulun Hammer; Agudat Yisrael, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Moshe Zeev Feldman; Opposition parties — Tehiya Party, Yuval Ne'eman; Tzomet Party, 'Rafael Eytan; Moledet Party, Rehavam Ze'evi; Degel HaTorah, Avraham Ravitz; Citizens' Rights Movement, Shulamit Aloni; United Workers' Party (MAPAM), Yair Tzaban; Center Movement-Shinui, Israel (continued) Amnon Rubenstein; New Communist Party of Israel (RAKAH), Meir Wilner; Progressive List for Peace, Muhammad Mi'ari; Arab Democratic Party, 'Abd Al Wahab Darawshah

Legal system

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

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

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament (Oireachtas) consists of an upper house or Senate (Seanad Eireann) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Dail Eireann)

unicameral Knesset

Long-form name

Republic cf Ireland

State of Israel

Member of

CCC, Council of Europe, EC, EMS, ESA, 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

CCC, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB— InterAmerican 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

National holiday

St. Patrick's Day, 17 March

Independence Day, 10 May 1989; Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May

Other political or pressure groups

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

Suffrage

universal at age 18

universal at age 1 8

Type

republic

republic

Agriculture

accounts for 11% of GNP and 14.8% of the labor force; principal crops — turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; livestock — meat and dairy products; 85% self-sufficient in food; food shortages include bread grain, fruits, vegetables

accounts for 5% of GNP; largely self-sufficient in food production, except for bread grains; principal products— citrus and other fruits, vegetables, cotton; livestock products — beef, dairy, and poultry

Aid

NA

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $15.8 billion; Western (nonUS) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $2.2 billion

Budget

revenues $10.9 billion; expenditures $11.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.5 billion (1989)

revenues $24.2 billion; expenditures $26.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $7 billion (FY89 est.)

Currency

Irish pound (plural — pounds); 1 Irish pound (Ir) = 100 pence

new Israeli shekel (plural — shekels); 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot

Electricity

4,957,000 kW capacity; 14,480 million kWh produced, 4,080 kWh per capita (1989)

4,392,000 kW capacity; 17,500 million kWh produced, 4,000 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

Irish pounds (Ir) per US$1— 0.6399 (January 1990), 0.7047 (1989), 0.6553 (1988), 0.6720 (1987), 0.7454 (1986), 0.9384 (1985)

new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1— 1.9450 (January 1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989(1988), 1.5946(1987), 1.4878(1986), 1.1788(1985) Fiscal year 1 April-3 1 March

Exports

$20.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities— live animals, animal products, chemicals, data processing equipment, industrial machinery; partners — EC 74% (UK 35%, FRG 11%, France 9%), US 8%

$10.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities — polished diamonds, citrus and other fruits, textiles and clothing, processed foods, fertilizer and chemical products, military hardware, electronics; partners—US, UK, FRG, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy

External debt

$16.1 billion (1988)

$16.4 billion (March 1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

$31.4 billion, per capita $8,900; real growth rate 4.3% (1989 est.)

GNP

$38 billion, per capita $8,700; real growth rate 1%(1989)

Imports

$17.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities— food, animal feed, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, textiles, clothing; partners — EC 66% (UK 42%, FRG 9%, France 4%), US 16%

$12.4 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities — military equipment, rough diamonds, oil, chemicals, machinery, iron and steel, cereals, textiles, vehicles, ships, aircraft; partners— US, FRG, UK, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg

Industrial production

growth rate 9.5% (1989 est.)

growth rate — 1 .5% (1989)

Industries

food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.2% (1989)

20% (1989)

Overview

The economy is small, open, and trade dependent. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 35% of GNP and about 80% of exports and employs 20% of the labor force. The government has successfully reduced the rate of inflation from double-digit figures in the late 1970s to about 4% in 1989. In 1987, after years of deficits, the balance of payments was brought into the black. Unemployment, however, is a serious problem. A 1989 unemployment rate of 17.7% placed Ireland along with Spain as the countries with the worst jobless records in Western Europe.

Israel has a market economy with substantial government participation. It depends on imports for crude oil, food, grains, raw materials, and military equiplent. Despite limited natural resources, rael has developed its agriculture and \ustry sectors on an intensive scale over past 20 years. Industry accounts for about 23% of the labor force, agriculture for 6%, and services for most of the balance. Diamonds, high-technology machinery, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the biggest export earners. The balance of payments has traditionally been negative, but is offset by large transfer payments and foreign loans. Nearly two-thirds of Israel's $16 billion external debt is owed to the US, which is its major source for economic and military aid. To earn needed foreign exchange, Israel must continue to exploit high-technology niches in the international market, such as medical scanning equipment. In 1987 the economy showed a 5.2% growth in real GNP, the best gain in nearly a decade; in 198889 the gain was only 1% annually, largely because of the economic impact of the Palestinian uprising (intifadah). Inflation dropped from an annual rate of over 400% in 1984 to about 16% in 1987-88 without any major increase in unemployment.

Unemployment rate

17.7% (1989)

9% (December 1989)

Airports

40 total, 37 usable; 1 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1, 220-2,439 m

55 total, 52 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 11 with runways 1,2202,439 m

Branches

Army, Naval Service, Army Air Corps Military manpower males 15-49, 870,161; 705,765 fit for military service; 33,259 reach military age (17) annually

Israel Defense Forces; historically there have been no separate Israeli military services; ground, air, and naval components are branches of Israel Defense Forces Military manpower eligible 1 5-49, 2,159,462; of the 1,089,346 males 15-49, 898,272 are fit for military service; of the 1,070,1 16 females 15-49, 878,954 are fit for military service; 43,644 males and 41,516 females reach military age (18) annually; both sexes are liable for military service

Civil air

27 major transport aircraft

Defense expenditures

1.6% of GDP, or $500 million (1989 est.) Israel (also see separate Gaza Strip and West Bank entries) 100km Nazarl Mediterranean Sea Set regional map VI

8.5% of GNP, or $3.2 billion (1989 est.); note— does not include an estimated $1.8 billion in US military aid

Highways

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

4,500 km; majority is bituminous surfaced

Inland waterways

limited for commercial traffic

Merchant marine

67 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 113,569 GRT/ 139,681 DWT; includes 3 short-sea passenger, 29 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 2 container, 23 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 5 bulk Civil air 23 major transport aircraft

31 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 483,424 GRT/560,085 DWT; includes 9 cargo, 20 container, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo

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 President Reagan'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. The Camp David Accords further specify 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 entries). On 25 April 1982 Israel relinquished control of the Sinai to Egypt. Statistics for the Israeli-occupied 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

Ports

Cork, Dublin, Shannon Estuary, Waterford

Ashdod, Haifa, Elat

Railroads

Irish National Railways (CIE) operates 1 ,947 km 1 .602-meter gauge, government owned; 485 km double track; 38 km electrified

594 km 1 .435-meter gauge, single track; diesel operated

Telecommunications

small, modern system using cable and radio relay circuits; 900,000 telephones; stations — 45 AM, 16 (29 relays) FM, 18 (68 relays) TV; 5 coaxial submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations Defense Forces

most highly developed in the Middle East though not the largest; good system of coaxial cable and radio relay; 1,800,000 telephones; stations— 1 1 AM, 24 FM, 54 TV; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations — 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT Defense Forces