2007 Edition

Administrative divisions

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 26.3% (male 855,054/female 815,619) 15-64 years: 63.9% (male 2,044,135/female 2,016,647) 65 years and over: 9.8% (male 266,671/female 353,991) (2006 est.)

Area

land

20,330 sq km

total

20,770 sq km

water

440 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Background

Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides. The territories Israel occupied since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country profile, unless otherwise noted. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. Israel and Palestinian officials signed on 13 September 1993 a Declaration of Principles (also known as the "Oslo Accords") guiding an interim period of Palestinian self-rule. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. In addition, on 25 May 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives and Syria to achieve a permanent settlement. In April 2003, US President BUSH, working in conjunction with the EU, UN, and Russia - the "Quartet" - took the lead in laying out a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005, based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. However, progress toward a permanent status agreement was undermined by Israeli-Palestinian violence between September 2003 and February 2005. An Israeli-Palestinian agreement reached at Sharm al-Sheikh in February 2005, along with an internally-brokered Palestinian ceasefire, significantly reduced the violence. In the summer of 2005, Israel unilaterally disengaged from the Gaza Strip, evacuating settlers and its military. The election of HAMAS in January 2006 to head the Palestinian Legislative Council froze relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Ehud OLMERT became prime minister in March 2006; following an Israeli military operation in Gaza in June-July 2006, he shelved plans to unilaterally evacuate from most of the West Bank. The kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Lebanese Hizballah led to a 34-day conflict in Lebanon in June-August 2006. Geography Israel

Birth rate

17.97 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Friday in March; ends the Sunday between the holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur

geographic coordinates

32 05 N, 34 48 E

name

Jerusalem

note

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

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas

Coastline

273 km

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

Country name

conventional long form

State of Israel

conventional short form

Israel

local long form

Medinat Yisra'el

local short form

Yisra'el

Death rate

6.18 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Har Meron 1,208 m

lowest point

Dead Sea -408 m

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

Marine Life Conservation

Ethnic groups

Jewish 76.4% (of which Israel-born 67.1%, Europe/America-born 22.6%, Africa-born 5.9%, Asia-born 4.2%), non-Jewish 23.6% (mostly Arab) (2004)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset

chief of state

President Moshe KATZAV (since 31 July 2000)

election results

Moshe KATZAV elected president by the 120-member Knesset with a total of 60 votes, other candidate, Shimon PERES, received 57 votes (there were three abstentions); Ehud OLMERT won the right to lead the government when his Kadima Party won 29 seats in elections held on 28 March 2006; in May 2006 OLMERT formed a coalition government with the Labor, GIL (Pensioners), and SHAS parties. In October 2006 the Yisrael Beiteinu party joined the

elections

president is largely a ceremonial role and is elected by the Knesset for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held 28 March 2006 (next to be held in 2010, but can be called earlier); following legislative elections, the president assigns a Knesset member - traditionally the leader of the largest party - the task of forming a governing coalition

head of government

Prime Minister Ehud OLMERT (since May 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Tzipora "Tzipi" LIVNI (since May 2006)

Geographic coordinates

31 30 N, 34 45 E

Geography - note

there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 0 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 2005 est.); Sea of Galilee is an important freshwater source People Israel

Government type

parliamentary democracy

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

100 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

3,000 (1999 est.)

Independence

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

Infant mortality rate

female

6.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

7.61 deaths/1,000 live births

total

6.89 deaths/1,000 live births

Irrigated land

1,940 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries

Egypt 266 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km

total

1,017 km

Land use

arable land

15.45%

other

80.67% (2005)

permanent crops

3.88%

Languages

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

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

81.7 years (2006 est.)

male

77.33 years

total population

79.46 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

93.6% (2003 est.) Government Israel

male

97.3%

total population

95.4%

Location

Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

continental shelf

to depth of exploitation

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

30.5 years (2006 est.)

male

28.8 years

total

29.6 years

National holiday

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

Nationality

adjective

Israeli

noun

Israeli(s)

Natural hazards

sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes

Natural resources

timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Population

6,352,117

note

includes about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate

1.18% (2006 est.)

Religions

Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Terrain

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

Total fertility rate

2.41 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products

Airports

53 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 10

total

30

under 914 m

6 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

23 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2

under 914 m

20 (2006)

Budget

expenditures

$49.57 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

revenues

$47.57 billion

Currency (code)

new Israeli shekel (ILS); note - NIS is the currency abbreviation; ILS is the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) code for the NIS

Currency code

ILS

Current account balance

$1.463 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$81.98 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Richard H. JONES

embassy

71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 63903

mailing address

PSC 98, Box 29, APO AE 09830

telephone

[972] (3) 519-7575

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Salai MERIDOR

telephone

[1] (202) 364-5500

Disputes - international

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; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew its settlers and military from the Gaza Strip and from four settlements in the West Bank in August 2005; Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan Heights); since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) headquartered in Jerusalem monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region

Distribution of family income - Gini index

34 (2005)

Economic aid - recipient

$240 million from US (FY06)

Economy - overview

Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with substantial, though diminishing, 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. Israel imports substantial quantities of grain, but is largely self-sufficient in other agricultural products. Cut diamonds, high-technology equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the leading exports. Israel usually posts sizable trade 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. The bitter Israeli-Palestinian conflict; difficulties in the high-technology, construction, and tourist sectors; and fiscal austerity in the face of growing inflation led to small declines in GDP in 2001 and 2002. The economy rebounded in 2003-05, growing at a 4% rate each year, as the government tightened fiscal policy and implemented structural reforms to boost competition and efficiency in the markets. The conflict with Lebanon in summer 2006 dampened slightly GDP growth estimates for the year, but continuing strong foreign investment, tax revenue, and private consumption levels helped the economy recover quickly.

Electricity - consumption

41.38 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

1.47 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

46.07 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

99.9%

hydro

0.1%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Exchange rates

new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.5 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002)

Exports

$42.86 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel

Exports - partners

US 36.5%, Belgium 8.7%, Hong Kong 5.6% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 364-5607

[972] (3) 516-4390

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco

consulate(s) general

Jerusalem; note - an independent US mission, established in 1928, whose members are not accredited to a foreign

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Israel

Flag description

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 Economy Israel

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

2.6%

industry

30.8%

services

66.6% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$26,200 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.8% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$121.6 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$166.3 billion (2006 est.)

Heliports

3 (2006)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

32% (2004)

lowest 10%

1.4%

IDPs

150,000-420,000 (Arab villagers displaced from homes in northern Israel) (2006)

Illicit drugs

increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan; money-laundering center This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Imports

$47.8 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods

Imports - partners

US 13.4%, Belgium 10.1%, Germany 6.4%, UK 5.7%, Switzerland 5.5%, China 4.2% (2005)

Industrial production growth rate

4.7% (2006 est.)

Industries

high-technology projects (including aviation, communications, computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics, fiber optics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, construction, metals products, chemical products, plastics, diamond cutting, textiles, footwear

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.9% (2006 est.)

International organization participation

BIS, BSEC (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OAS (observer), OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Internet country code

.il

Internet hosts

1,251,881 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

21 (2000)

Internet users

3.7 million (2006) Transportation Israel

Investment (gross fixed)

17.3% of GDP (2006 est.)

Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

Army Headquarters, Israel Navy, Israeli Air and Space Force (ISAF, includes air defense forces); historically there have been no separate Israeli military services (2005)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (justices appointed by Judicial Selection Committee - made up of all three branches of the government; mandatory retirement age is 70)

Labor force

2.6 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture, forestry, and fishing 1.8%, manufacturing 1.8%, construction 5.3%, wholesale and retail trade 15.7%, transport, storage, and communications 6.3%, finance and business 5.3%, personal and other services 11.5%, public services 28.6% (1996)

Legislative branch

unicameral Knesset (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - Kadima 22%, Labor 15.1%, Likud 9%, SHAS 9.5%, Yisrael Beiteinu 9%, NU/NRP 7.1%, GIL 5.9%, Torah and Shabbat Judaism 4.7%, Meretz-YAHAD 3.8%, United Arab List 3%, Balad 2.3%, HADASH 2.7%; seats by party - Kadima 29, Labor 19, Likud 12, SHAS 12, Yisrael Beiteinu 11, NU/NRP 9, GIL 7, Torah and Shabbat Judaism 6, Meretz-YAHAD 5, United Arab List 4, Balad 3, HADASH 3

elections

last held 28 March 2006 (next scheduled to be held in 2010)

Manpower available for military service

females age 17-49

1,443,916 (2005 est.)

males age 17-49

1,492,125

Manpower fit for military service

females age 17-49

1,212,394 (2005 est.)

males age 17-49

1,255,902

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females

51,293 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

53,760

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 2, container 16

registered in other countries

51 (Bahamas 1, Bermuda 3, Cyprus 3, Honduras 1, Liberia 5, Malta 23, Panama 6, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Slovakia 7) (2006)

total

18 ships (1000 GRT or over) 716,382 GRT/845,053 DWT

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$9.45 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

7.7% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Israel

Military service age and obligation

17 years of age for compulsory (Jews, Druzes) and voluntary (Christians, Muslims, Circassians) military service; both sexes are eligible for military service; conscript service obligation - 36 months for men, 21 months for women (2004)

Natural gas - consumption

780 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

780 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

38.94 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

248,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - production

3,209 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

1.92 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Pipelines

gas 193 km; oil 442 km; refined products 261 km (2006)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (HADASH) [Muhammad BARAKA]; GIL (Pensioners) [Rafael EITAN]; Kadima [Ehud OLMERT]; Labor Party [Amir PERETZ]; Likud Party [Binyamin NETANYAHU]; Meretz-YAHAD [Yossi BEILIN]; National Democratic Assembly (Balad) [Azmi BISHARA]; National Union (NU)/National Religious Party (NRP) [Binyamin ELON]; SHAS [Eliyahu YISHAI]; Torah and Shabbat Judaism [Yaakov LITZMAN]; United Arab List [Ibrahim SARSOUR]; Yisrael Beiteinu [Avigdor LIEBERMAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Israeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now [Yariv OPPENHEIMER, Secretary General]supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Yesha Council of Settlements [Bentzi LIEBERMAN, Chairman] promotes settler interests and opposes territorial compromise; B'Tselem monitors human rights abuses

Population below poverty line

22.6% (2005)

Ports and terminals

Ashdod, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa Military Israel

Public debt

91% of GDP (2006 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios

3.07 million (1997)

Railways

standard gauge

853 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

total

853 km

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$28.2 billion (2006 est.)

Roadways

paved

17,446 km (including 144 km of expressways) (2004)

total

17,446 km

Telephone system

domestic

good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; all systems are digital

general assessment

most highly developed system in the Middle East although not the largest

international

country code - 972; 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

2,936,300 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

7.757 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

17 (plus 36 low-power repeaters) (1995)

Televisions

1.69 million (1997)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Israel is a destination country for low-skilled workers from Eastern Europe and Asia who migrate voluntarily for contract labor in the construction, agriculture, and health care industries, some of whom are subsequently subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude; many labor recruitment agencies in source countries and in Israel require workers to pay large up-front fees that often lead to debt bondage and vulnerability to forced labor; Israel is also a destination country for women trafficked from Eastern Europe for the purpose of sexual exploitation

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List - Israel is placed on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to address trafficking, namely the conditions of involuntary servitude allegedly facing thousands of foreign migrant workers

Unemployment rate

8.5% (2006 est.)