Israel

State of IsraelMedinat Yisra'el

republic

Israel as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 81 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalJerusalem

Area20,770 sq km

LocationMiddle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt

Populationas each edition published it

5.43 million July 1995 est. · 4.41m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.4% 1995 est. · 3.08% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 28.9 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

78.14 years 1995 est. · 77.77 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.81 children per woman 1995 est. · 2.9 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

8.4 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 9 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$13,880 1994 est. · $12,100 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

6.8% 1994 est. · 6.4% in 1993

Geography

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

14 fields

Land useshare of 20,770 sq km

arable land 17%permanent crops 5%meadows and pastures 40%forest and woodland 6%other 32%irrigated 2,140 sq km (1989)

Area

20,770sq km

land area: 20,330 sq kmcomparative area: slightly larger than New Jersey

Coastline

273km

continental shelf: to depth of exploitationterritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

1,006km

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

Location

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

International disputes

separated from Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank by the 1949 Armistice Line;
the Gaza Strip and Jericho area, formerly occupied by Israel, are now administered largely by the Palestinian Authority;
other areas of the West Bank outside Jericho are administered jointly by Israel and the Palestinian Authority;
Golan Heights is Israeli occupied;
Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982

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

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
natural hazards:: sandstorms may occur during spring and summer
international agreements:: party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution;
signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Desertification, Marine Life Conservation

Note

there are 199 Jewish settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 24 in the Gaza Strip, and 25 in East Jerusalem (August 1994 est.)

People

15 fields

Population

5,433,134

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 1.4% (1995 est.)

Note

note: includes 122,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank, 14,500 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 4,800 in the Gaza Strip, and 149,000 in East Jerusalem (August 1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

20.39Death

6.38Net migration

Male · female(1995 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years78.14

76 · 80.39

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy95%

97% · 93%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1992)

Religions

Judaism 82%Islam 14% (mostly Sunni Muslim)Christian 2%Druze and other 2%

Labor force

1.9million

(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)

Age structure

0-14 years:: 29%
15-64 years:: 61%
65 years and over:: 10%

Infant mortality rate

8.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.81 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Israeli(s)
adjective:: Israeli

Ethnic divisions

Jewish 82% (Israel born 50%, Europe/Americas/Oceania born 20%, Africa born 7%, Asia born 5%), non-Jewish 18% (mostly Arab) (1993 est.)

Languages

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

Government

Republic; President Ezer WEIZMAN (since 13 May 1993) election last held 24 March 1993 (next to be held NA March 1999); Prime Minister Yitzhak RABIN (since NA July 1992)

21 fields

Names

conventional long form:: State of Israel
conventional short form:: Israel
local long form:: Medinat Yisra'el
local short form:: Yisra'el

Digraph

Type

republic

Capital

Jerusalem note: Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, does not recognize this status, and 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 44, Likud 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 four legislators broke party ranks, resulting in the following new distribution of seats - Labor Party 44, 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, Moledet 2, Arab Democratic Party 2, independents 4 (1 in coalition, 3 voting with opposition)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

members of the government:: Labor Party, Prime Minister Yitzhak RABIN;
MERETZ, Minister of Communications Shulamit ALONI;
independent, Gonen SEGEV
not in coalition, but voting with the government:: Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash), Hashim MAHAMID; Arab Democratic Party, Abd al Wahab DARAWSHAH
opposition parties:: Likud Party, Binyamin NETANYAHU;
Tzomet, Rafael EITAN;
National Religious Party, Zevulun HAMMER;
United Torah Jewry, Avraham SHAPIRA;
Moledet, Rehavam ZEEVI;
Peace Guard (independent), Shaul GUTMAN;
SHAS, Arieh DERI

note: Israel currently has a coalition government comprising 2 parties and an independent that hold 57 seats of the Knesset's 120 seats

Other political or pressure groups

Gush Emunim, Israeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip;
Peace Now supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and is critical of government's Lebanon policy

Member of

AG (observer), CCC, CE (observer), CERN (observer), 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:: [1] (202) 364-5500

FAX

[1] (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 Martin INDYK
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; consulate(s) general: Jerusalem

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

Israel has a market economy with substantial government | participation.

19 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$13,880

(1994 est.)

Real growth rate

6.8%

(1994 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 8% (1994 est.); accounts for about 30% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

14.5%

(1994)

Unemployment rate

7.5%

(1994 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$42.3 billionExpenditures

$45.4 billion

expenditures including capital expenditures of $11.1 billion (FY92/93)

Installed generating capacity, 4,140,000 kW

Electricity production

23 billionElectricity consumption per capita

4,290 (1993)

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. Israel is largely self-sufficient in food production except for grains. 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 1990-94, 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.

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $70.1 billion (1994 est.)

Exports

$16.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

commodities:: machinery and equipment, cut diamonds, chemicals, textiles and apparel, agricultural products, metals
partners:: US, EU, Japan

Imports

$22.5 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)

commodities:: military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, oil, other productive inputs, consumer goods
partners:: EU, US, Japan

External debt

$25.9 billion (November 1994 est.)

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

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

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 - 3.070 (December 1994), 3.0111 (1994), 2.8301 (1993), 2.4591 (1992), 2.2791 (1991), 2.0162 (1990), 1.9164 (1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year (since 1 January 1992)

Transportation

6 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 57 in all

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

13,461Railroads

520

Highways: paved: 13,461 km · Railroads: (diesel operated; single track) · standard gauge: 520 km 1.435-m gauge

Railroads

total:: 520 km (diesel operated; single track)
standard gauge:: 520 km 1.435-m gauge

Highways

total:: 13,461 km
paved:: 13,461 km

Pipelines

crude oil 708 km;
petroleum products 290 km;
natural gas 89 km

Ports

Ashdod, Ashqelon, Elat, Hadera, Haifa, Tel Aviv-Yafo

Merchant marine

total:: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 624,861 GRT/720,765 DWT
ships by type:: cargo 7, container 22, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1

Communications

3 fields

Telephone system

1,800,000 telephones; most highly developed in the Middle East although not the largest

local:: NA
intercity:: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay
international:: 3 submarine cables; 3 INTELSAT (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth stations

Radio

broadcast stations:: AM 9, FM 45, shortwave 0
radios:: NA

Television

broadcast stations:: 20
televisions:: NA

Defense Forces

3 fields

Branches

Israel Defense Forces (includes ground, naval, and air components), Pioneer Fighting Youth (Nahal), Frontier Guard, Chen (women);
note - historically there have been no separate Israeli military services