Israel




                                  Header


Affiliation:
     (also see separate Gaza Strip and West Bank entries)
Note:
     The territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included
     in the data below. In keeping with the framework established at the
     Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations are being
     conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives, Syria, and
     Jordan to determine the final status of the occupied territories. On
     25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979
     Israel-Egypt Peace treaty.


                                 Geography


Location:
     Middle East, bordering the eastern Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt
     and Lebanon
Map references:
     Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     20,770 sq km
land area:
     20,330 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly larger than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
     total 1,006 km, Egypt 255 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon
     79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km
Coastline:
     273 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
     to depth of exploitation
territorial sea:
     12 nm
International disputes:
     separated from Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank by the 1949 Armistice
     Line; differences with Jordan over the location of the 1949 Armistice
     Line that separates the two countries; the Gaza Strip and Jericho,
     formerly occupied by Israel, are now administered by the Palestinian
     Authority; other areas of the West Bank outside Jericho are Israeli
     occupied; Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Israeli troops in
     southern Lebanon since June 1982; water-sharing issues with Jordan
Climate:
     temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
Terrain:
     Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains;
     Jordan Rift Valley
Natural resources:
     copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur, asphalt,
     manganese, small amounts of natural gas and crude oil




Land use:
arable land:
     17%
permanent crops:
     5%
meadows and pastures:
     40%
forest and woodland:
     6%
other:
     32%
Irrigated land:
     2,140 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues:
     limited arable land and freshwater resources pose serious constraints;
     deforestation; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions;
     groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical
     fertilizers, and pesticides
natural hazards:
     sandstorms may occur during spring and summer
international agreements:
     party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
     Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Climate
     Change, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation
Note:
     there are 200 Jewish settlements and civilian land use sites in the
     West Bank, 40 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 24 in the Gaza
     Strip, and 25 in East Jerusalem (April 1994)


                                  People


Population:
     5,050,850 (July 1994 est.)
note:
     includes 110,500 Jewish settlers in the West Bank, 14,000 in the
     Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 4,500 in the Gaza Strip, and 144,100
     in East Jerusalem (1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     2.22% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     20.55 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     6.43 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     8.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     8.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     77.96 years
male:
     75.86 years
female:
     80.16 years (1994 est.)




Total fertility rate:
     2.83 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Israeli(s)
adjective:
     Israeli
Ethnic divisions:
     Jewish 83%, non-Jewish 17% (mostly Arab)
Religions:
     Judaism 82%, Islam 14% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2%, Druze and
     other 2%
Languages:
     Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English
     most commonly used foreign language
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1983)
total population:
     92%
male:
     95%
female:
     89%
Labor force:
     1.9 million (1992)
by occupation:
     public services 29.3%, industry 22.1%, commerce 13.9%, finance and
     business 10.4%, personal and other services 7.4%, construction 6.5%,
     transport, storage, and communications 6.3%, agriculture, forestry,
     and fishing 3.5%, other 0.6% (1992)


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     State of Israel
conventional short form:
local long form:
     Medinat Yisra'el
local short form:
     Yisra'el
Digraph:
     IS
Type:
     republic
Capital:
     Jerusalem
note:
     Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital in 1950, but the US, like
     nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv
Administrative divisions:
     6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem,
     Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv


Independence:
     14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British
     administration)
National holiday:
     Independence Day, 14 May 1948 (Israel declared independence on 14 May
     1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in
     April or May)
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
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
Suffrage:
     18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
     President Ezer WEIZMAN (since 13 May 1993) election last held 24 March
     1993 (next to be held NA March 1999); results - Ezer WEIZMAN elected
     by Knesset
head of government:
     Prime Minister Yitzhak RABIN (since NA July 1992)
cabinet:
     Cabinet; selected from and approved by the Knesset
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
parliament (Knesset):
     elections last held NA June 1992 (next to be held by NA 1996); results
     - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (120 total) Labor Party 44,
     Likud bloc 32, Meretz 12, Tzomet 8, National Religious Party 6, Shas
     6, United Torah Jewry 4, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality
     (Hadash) 3, Moledet 3, Arab Democratic Party 2; note - in 1994 three
     new parties were formed, Yi'ud (from Tzomet), Histadrut List (from the
     Labor Party), and Peace Guard (from Moledet), resulting in the
     following new distribution of seats - Labor Party 41, Likud bloc 32,
     Meretz 12, National Religious Party 6, Shas 6, Tzomet 5, United Torah
     Jewry 4, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) 3, Yi'ud 3,
     Histadrut List 3, Moledet 2, Arab Democratic Party 2, Peace Guard 1
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
members of the government:
     Labor Party, Prime Minister Yitzhak RABIN; MERETZ, Minister of
     Communications Shulamit ALONI
not in coalition, but voting with the government:
     SHAS, Arieh DERI; Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash),
     Hashim MAHAMID; Arab Democratic Party, Abd al Wahab DARAWSHAH;
     Histadrut List, Haim RAMON
opposition parties:
     Likud Party, Binyamin NETANYAHU; Tzomet, Rafael EITAN; National
     Religious Party, Zevulun HAMMER; United Torah Jewry, Avraham SHAPIRA;
     Moledet, Rehavam ZEEVI; Yi'ud, Gonen SEGEV; Peace Guard, Shoul GUTMAN




note:
     Israel currently has a coalition government comprising 3 parties that
     hold 56 seats of the Knesset's 120 seats
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
Member of:
     AG (observer), CCC, CE (observer), CERN (oberver), EBRD, ECE, FAO,
     GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
     IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer),
     PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Itamar RABINOVICH
chancery:
     3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
     (202) 364-5500
FAX:
     (202) 364-5610
consulate(s) general:
     Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York,
     Philadelphia, and San Francisco
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Edward DJEREJIAN (expected to resign in August 1994)
embassy:
     71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv
mailing address:
     PSC 98, Box 100, Tel Aviv; APO AE 09830
telephone:
     [972] (3) 517-4338
FAX:
     [972] (3) 663-449
Flag:
     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




Overview:
     Israel has a market economy with substantial 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. Industry employs about 22% of Israeli workers,
     construction 6.5%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3.5%, and
     services most of the rest. Diamonds, high-technology equipment, and
     agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are leading exports.
     Israel usually posts current account 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 United States, which
     is its major source of economic and military aid. To earn needed
     foreign exchange, Israel has been targeting high-technology niches in
     international markets, such as medical scanning equipment. The influx
     of Jewish immigrants from the former USSR, which topped 450,000 during
     the period 1990-93, increased unemployment, intensified housing
     problems, and strained the government budget. At the same time, the
     immigrants bring to the economy valuable scientific and professional
     expertise. Economic problems have eased as immigration has declined,
     but activity has slowed as the economy shifts from housing to
     export-driven growth.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $65.7 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     3.5% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
     $13,350 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     11.3% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
     10.4% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
     $33.4 billion
expenditures:
     $36.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $9.4 billion (FY93)
Exports:
     $14.1 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
     machinery and equipment, cut diamonds, chemicals, textiles and
     apparel, agricultural products, metals
partners:
     US, EC, Japan
Imports:
     $20.3 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.)
commodities:
     military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, oil, other
     productive inputs, consumer goods
partners:
     US, EC
External debt:
     $24.8 billion (December 1993 est.)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 6.5% (1993 est.); accounts for about 30% of GDP




Electricity:
capacity:
     5,835,000 kW
production:
     21.84 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
     4,600 kWh (1992)
Industries:
     food processing, diamond cutting and polishing, textiles and apparel,
     chemicals, metal products, military equipment, transport equipment,
     electrical equipment, miscellaneous machinery, potash mining,
     high-technology electronics, tourism
Agriculture:
     accounts for about 7% of GDP; largely self-sufficient in food
     production, except for grains; principal products - citrus and other
     fruits, vegetables, cotton; livestock products - beef, dairy, poultry
Illicit drugs:
     increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse and trafficking
Economic aid:
recipient:
     US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $18.2 billion; Western
     (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.8
     billion
Currency:
     1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
Exchange rates:
     new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 2.9760 (February 1994), 2.8301
     (1993), 2.4591 (1992), 2.2791 (1991), 2.0162 (1990), 1.9164 (1989)
Fiscal year:
     calendar year (since 1 January 1992)


                              Communications


Railroads:
     600 km 1.435-meter gauge, single track; diesel operated
Highways:
total:
     13,300 km
paved:
     13,300 km
Pipelines:
     crude oil 708 km; petroleum products 290 km; natural gas 89 km
Ports:
     Ashdod, Haifa
Merchant marine:
     33 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 637,097 GRT/737,762 DWT, cargo
     8, container 22, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1
note:
     Israel also maintains a significant flag of convenience fleet, which
     is normally at least as large as the Israeli flag fleet; the Israeli
     flag of convenience fleet typically includes all of its oil tankers
Airports:
total:
     55




usable:
     48
with permanent-surface runways:
     30
with runways over 3,659 m:
     1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     6
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     13
Telecommunications:
     most highly developed in the Middle East although not the largest;
     good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; 1,800,000
     telephones; broadcast stations - 14 AM, 21 FM, 20 TV; 3 submarine
     cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1
     Indian Ocean INTELSAT


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Israel Defense Forces (including ground, naval, and air components)
note:
     historically, there have been no separate Israeli military services
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 1,257,345; females age 15-49 1,280,899; males fit for
     military service 1,026,699; females fit for military service
     1,049,998; males reach military age (18) annually 47,297 (1994 est.);
     females reach military age (18) annually 45,214 (1994 est.); both
     sexes are liable for military service
Defense expenditures:
     exchange rate conversion - $12.5 billion, 18% of GDP (1993)