Israel
State of IsraelMedinat Yisra'el
republic
Israel as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 88 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between | Egypt and Lebanon
15 fieldsLand useshare of 20,770 sq km
International disputes
- 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;
- Golan Heights is Israeli occupied;
- Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982
Terrain
- Negev desert in the south;
- low coastal plain;
- central mountains;
- Jordan Rift Valley
- lowest point:
- Dead Sea -408 m
- highest point:
- Har Meron 1,208 m
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
Geographic note
there are 202 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 24 in the Gaza Strip, and 26 in East Jerusalem (August 1995 est.)
People
15 fieldsNote
Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)
Male · female(1996 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 29% (male 793,712; female 756,735)
- 15-64 years:
- 62% (male 1,670,082; female 1,669,481)
- 65 years and over:
- 9% (male 230,082; female 301,903) (July 1996 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.76 male(s)/female
- all ages:
- 0.99 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
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) was elected for a five-year term by the Knesset; Prime Minister Shimon PERES (since 15 November 1995) was appointed by the president following the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak RABIN
21 fieldsName of country
- conventional long form:
- State of Israel
- conventional short form:
- Israel
- local long form:
- Medinat Yisra'el
- local short form:
- Yisra'el
Capital
Jerusalem note: Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as 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
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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Ezer WEIZMAN (since 13 May 1993) was elected for a five-year term by the Knesset;
- election last held 24 March 1993 (next to be held NA March 1998);
- results - Ezer WEIZMAN elected by Knesset
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Shimon PERES (since 15 November 1995) was appointed by the president following the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak RABIN
- cabinet:
- Cabinet was selected from and approved by the Knesset
Legislative branch
unicameral
- parliament (Knesset):
- elections last held NA June 1992 (next to be held 29 May 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 - the distribution of seats as of January 1996 is as follows - Labor Party 45, Likud bloc 33, 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, Yi'ud 1 (in coalition), Right of Israel 1
Political parties and leaders
- members of the government:
- Labor Party, Prime Minister Shimon PERES;
- MERETZ, Minister of Environment Yossi SARID;
- Yi'ud, 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;
- Right of Israel, leader NA
note: Israel currently has a coalition government comprising three parties that hold 58 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
International organization participation
AG (observer), BSEC (observer), CCC, CE (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer), OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
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 S. INDYK
- embassy:
- 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv
- mailing address:
- PSC 98, Box 100, APO AE 09830
- telephone:
- [972] (3) 519-7575
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.
21 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 4,140,000 kW
Economic 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, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3.5%, and services 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 US, 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 525,000 during the period 1990-95, 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.
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)
Industries
food processing, diamond cutting and polishing, textiles and apparel, chemicals, metal products, military equipment, transport equipment, electrical equipment, potash mining, high-technology electronics, tourism
Exports
$28.4 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
- commodities:
- machinery and equipment, cut diamonds, chemicals, textiles and apparel, agricultural products, metals
- partners:
- US, EU, Japan
Imports
$40.1 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
- commodities:
- military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, oil, other productive inputs, consumer goods
- partners:
- EU, US, Japan
Exchange rates
new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 3.1295 (January 1996), 3.0113 (1995), 3.0111 (1994), 2.8301 (1993), 2.4591 (1992), 2.2791 (1991)
Transportation
7 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 50 in all
Networkskm
Merchant marine
- total:
- 28 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 577,747 GRT/701,459 DWT
- ships by type:
- cargo 5, container 20, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1995 est.)
Communications
9 fieldsTelephone system
most highly developed system in the Middle East although not the largest
- domestic:
- good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay
- international:
- 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
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
Manpower availability
- males age 15-49:
- 1,390,603
- females age 15-49:
- 1,363,986
- males fit for military service:
- 1,139,137
- females fit for military service:
- 1,112,947
- males reach military age (18) annually:
- 50,508
- females reach military age (18) annually:
- 48,176 (1996 est.)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Israel.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/israel/1996.