2010 Edition

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. 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. 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 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. In the summer of 2005, Israel unilaterally disengaged from the Gaza Strip, evacuating settlers and its military while retaining control over most points of entry into the Gaza Strip. The election of HAMAS to head the Palestinian Legislative Council froze relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Ehud OLMERT became prime minister in March 2006 and presided over a 34-day conflict with Hizballah in Lebanon in June-August 2006 and a 23-day conflict with HAMAS in the Gaza Strip during December 2008 and January 2009. OLMERT, who in June 2007 resumed talks with PA President Mahmoud ABBAS, resigned in September 2008. Prime Minister Binyamin NETANYAHU formed a coalition in March 2009 following a February 2009 general election. Direct talks launched in September 2010 collapsed following the expiration of Israel's 10-month partial settlement construction moratorium in the West Bank. Diplomatic initiatives to revive the negotiations through proximity talks began at the end of 2010.

Area

land

21,642 sq km

total

22,072 sq km

water

430 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Climate

temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas

Coastline

273 km

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

305 cu m/yr (2000)

total

2.05 cu km/yr (31%/7%/62%)

Geographic coordinates

31 30 N, 34 45 E

Geography - note

Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) is an important freshwater source; there are about 355 Israeli civilian sites including about 145 small outpost communities in the West Bank, 41 sites in the Golan Heights, and 32 in East Jerusalem (2010 est.)

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%

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

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

Terrain

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

Total renewable water resources

1.7 cu km (2001)

Age structure

0-14 years: 27.9% (male 1,031,629/female 984,230) 15-64 years: 62.3% (male 2,283,034/female 2,221,301) 65 years and over: 9.9% (male 311,218/female 402,289) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

19.51 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

5.45 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

6.4% of GDP (2007)

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)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 200 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

5,100 (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

3.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

4.34 deaths/1,000 live births

total

4.17 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

83.12 years (2010 est.)

male

78.7 years

total population

80.86 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

95.9% (2004 est.)

male

98.5%

total population

97.1%

Median age

female

30 years (2010 est.)

male

28.6 years

total

29.3 years

Nationality

adjective

Israeli

noun

Israeli(s)

Net migration rate

2.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Population

7,353,985 (July 2010 est.) note: approximately 296,700 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank (2009 est.); approximately 19,100 Israeli settlers live in the Golan Heights (2008 est.); approximately 192,800 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem (2008 est.)

Population growth rate

1.628% (2010 est.)

Religions

Jewish 75.5%, Muslim 16.8%, Christian 2.1%, Druze 1.7%, other 3.9% (2008)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

16 years (2008)

male

15 years

total

15 years

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.72 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

92% of total population (2008)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Friday in March; ends the Sunday between the holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur note: Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but the US, like all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv

geographic coordinates

31 46 N, 35 14 E

name

Jerusalem

time difference

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

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; note - since May 2003 the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee of the Knesset has been working on a draft constitution

Country name

conventional long form

State of Israel

conventional short form

Israel

local long form

Medinat Yisra'el

local short form

Yisra'el

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador James B. CUNNINGHAM

consulate(s) general

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

embassy

71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 63903

FAX

[972] (3) 516-4390

telephone

[972] (3) 519-7575

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Michael OREN

consulate(s) general

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

FAX

[1] (202) 364-5607

telephone

[1] (202) 364-5500

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

President Shimon PERES (since 15 July 2007)

election results

Shimon PERES elected president; number of votes in first round - Shimon PERES 58, Reuven RIVLIN 37, Colette AVITAL 21; PERES elected president in second round with 86 votes (unopposed)

elections

president largely a ceremonial role and is elected by the Knesset for a seven-year term (one-term limit); election last held 13 June 2007 (next to be held in 2014 but can be called earlier); following legislative elections, the president, in consultation with party leaders, assigns the task of forming a governing coalition to a Knesset member who he or she determines is most likely to accomplish that task

head of government

Prime Minister Binyamin NETANYAHU (since 31 March 2009)

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; the basic design resembles a Jewish prayer shawl (tallit), which is white with blue stripes; the hexagram as a Jewish symbol dates back to medieval times

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

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

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

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

Legal system

mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and in personal matters Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral Knesset (120 seats; political parties are elected by popular vote and assigned seats for members on a proportional basis; members serve four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - Kadima 23.2%, Likud-Ahi 22.3%, YB 12.1%, Labor 10.2%, SHAS 8.8%, United Torah Judaism 4.5%, United Arab List 3.5%, National Union 3.4%, Hadash 3.4%, The Jewish Home 3%, The New Movement-Meretz 3%, Balad 2.6%; seats by party - Kadima 28, Likud-Ahi 27, YB 15, Labor 13, SHAS 11, United Torah Judaism 5, United Arab List 4, National Union 4, HADASH 4, The Jewish Home 3, The New Movement-Meretz 3, Balad 3

elections

last held on 10 February 2009 (next scheduled election to be held in 2013)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Naftali Herz IMBER/traditional, arranged by Samuel COHEN note: adopted 2004, unofficial since 1948; used as the anthem of the Zionist movement since 1897; the 1888 arrangement by Shmuel COHEN is thought to be based on the Romanian folk song "Carul cu boi" (The Ox Driven Cart)

name

"Hatikvah" (The Hope)

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

Political parties and leaders

Balad [Jamal ZAHALKA]; Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (HADASH) [Muhammad BARAKEH]; Kadima [Tzipora "Tzipi" LIVNI]; Labor Party [Ehud BARAK]; Likud [Binyamin NETANYAHU]; National Union [Yaakov KATZ]; SHAS [Eliyahu YISHAI]; The Jewish Home (HaBayit HaYehudi) [Daniel HERSCHKOWITZ]; The New Movement-Meretz [Haim ORON]; United Arab List-Ta'al [Ibrahim SARSUR]; United Torah Judaism or UTJ [Yaakov LITZMAN]; Yisrael Beiteinu or YB [Avigdor LIEBERMAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders

B'Tselem [Jessica MONTELL, Executive Director] monitors human rights abuses; Peace Now [Yariv OPPENHEIMER, Secretary General] supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; YESHA Council of Settlements [Danny DAYAN, Chairman] promotes settler interests and opposes territorial compromise; Breaking the Silence [Yehuda SHAUL, Executive Director] collects testimonies from soldiers who served in the West Bank and Gaza Strip

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Central bank discount rate

1% (31 December 2009) 2.5% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

3.73% (31 December 2009 est.) 6.06% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

$6.269 billion (2010 est.) $7.637 billion (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$89.68 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $86.78 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

39.2 (2008) 35.5 (2001)

Economy - overview

Israel has a technologically advanced market economy. 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. 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, its major source of economic and military aid. Israel's GDP, after contracting slightly in 2001 and 2002 due to the Palestinian conflict and troubles in the high-technology sector, grew about 5% per year from 2004-07. The global financial crisis of 2008-09 spurred a brief recession in Israel, but the country entered the crisis with solid fundamentals - following years of prudent fiscal policy and a series of liberalizing reforms - and a resilient banking sector, and the economy has shown signs of an early recovery. Following GDP growth of 4% in 2008, Israel's GDP slipped to 0.2% in 2009, but reached 3.4% in 2010, as exports rebounded. The global economic downturn affected Israel's economy primarily through reduced demand for Israel's exports in the United States and EU, Israel's top trading partners. Exports account for about 25% of the country's GDP. The Israeli Government responded to the recession by implementing a modest fiscal stimulus package and an aggressive expansionary monetary policy - including cutting interest rates to record lows, purchasing government bonds, and intervening in the foreign currency market. The Bank of Israel began raising interest rates in the summer of 2009 when inflation rose above the upper end of the Bank's target and the economy began to show signs of recovery.

Electricity - consumption

46.38 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

2.081 billion kWh (2007)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2008)

Electricity - production

54.5 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Exchange rates

new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - 3.7461 (2010), 3.9326 (2009), 3.588 (2008), 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006)

Exports

$54.31 billion (2010 est.) $45.9 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

US 35.05%, Hong Kong 6.02%, Belgium 4.95% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

2.4%

industry

32.6%

services

65% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$29,500 (2010 est.) $29,000 (2009 est.) $29,500 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

3.4% (2010 est.) 0.2% (2009 est.) 4.4% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$201.3 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$217.1 billion (2010 est.) $210 billion (2009 est.) $209.6 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.5% highest 10%: 24.3% (2008)

Imports

$55.6 billion (2010 est.) $45.99 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

US 12.35%, China 7.43%, Germany 7.1%, Switzerland 6.94%, Belgium 5.42%, Italy 4.49%, UK 4.03%, Netherlands 3.98% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

5.7% (2010 est.)

Industries

high-technology products (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)

2.6% (2010 est.) 3.3% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

16.7% of GDP (2010 est.)

Labor force

3.08 million (2010 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

2%

industry

16%

services

82% (September 2008)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$182.1 billion (31 December 2009) $134.5 billion (31 December 2008) $236.4 billion (31 December 2007)

Natural gas - consumption

1.19 billion cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.19 billion cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

30.44 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

231,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

69,580 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

318,900 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

3,806 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

1.94 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

23.6% note: Israel's poverty line is $7.30 per person per day (2007)

Public debt

77.3% of GDP (2010 est.) 77.7% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$66.98 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $60.61 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$208.8 billion (31 December 2009 est.) $195.7 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$58.42 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $55.02 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$64.82 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $58.82 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$169.9 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $148.5 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$27.58 billion (31 December 2010 est) $25.16 billion (31 December 2009 est)

Unemployment rate

6.4% (2010 est.) 7.6% (2009 est.)

Broadcast media

state broadcasting network, operated by the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA), broadcasts on 2 channels, one in Hebrew and the other in Arabic; 5 commercial channels including a channel broadcasting in Russian, a channel broadcasting Knesset proceedings, and a music channel supervised by a public body; multi-channel satellite and cable TV packages provide access to foreign channels; IBA broadcasts on 8 radio networks with multiple repeaters and Israel Defense Forces Radio broadcasts over multiple stations; about 15 privately-owned radio stations; overall more than 100 stations and repeater stations operating (2008)

Internet country code

.il

Internet hosts

1.689 million (2010)

Internet users

4.525 million (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; all systems are digital; four privately-owned mobile-cellular service providers with countrywide coverage

general assessment

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

international

country code - 972; submarine cables provide links to Europe, Cyprus, and parts of the Middle East; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2008)

Telephones - main lines in use

3.25 million (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

9.022 million (2009)

Airports

48 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

30 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 6 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

18 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 14 (2010)

Heliports

3 (2010)

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 2, container 8

registered in other countries

51 (Bermuda 3, Cyprus 1, Georgia 1, Honduras 1, Liberia 31, Malta 5, Marshall Islands 1, Moldova 4, Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3) (2010)

total

10

Pipelines

gas 176 km; oil 442 km; refined products 261 km (2009)

Ports and terminals

Ashdod, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa

Railways

standard gauge

949 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)

total

949 km

Roadways

paved

18,096 km (includes 146 km of expressways) (2008)

total

18,096 km

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 1,771,661 females age 16-49: 1,687,698 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 1,496,542 females age 16-49: 1,425,537 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

58,679 (2010 est.)

male

61,613

Military branches

Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel Naval Forces (IN), Israel Air Force (IAF) (2010)

Military expenditures

7.3% of GDP (2006)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory (Jews, Druzes) and voluntary (Christians, Muslims, Circassians) military service; both sexes are obligated to military service; conscript service obligation - 36 months for enlisted men, 21 months for enlisted women, 48 months for officers; pilots commit to 9 years service; reserve obligation to age 41-51 (men), 24 (women) (2010)

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

Illicit drugs

increasingly concerned about ecstasy, cocaine, and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan; money-laundering center page last updated on January 19, 2011 ======================================================================

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

150,000-420,000 (Arab villagers displaced from homes in northern Israel) (2007)