Israel

State of IsraelMedinat Yisra'el

parliamentary democracy

Israel as the 2004 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 129 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
Position31 30 N, 34 45 E
Area20,770 sq km
LocationMiddle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
2004

Every edition of Israel

Populationas each edition published it
6.2 million July 2004 est. · 4.41m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.29% 2004 est. · 3.08% in 1993
Median ageyears
29.2 years 2004 est. · 28.9 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
79.17 years 2004 est. · 77.77 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.47 children per woman 2004 est. · 2.9 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
7.21 deaths per 1,000 live births 2004 est. · 9 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$19,800 2003 est. · $12,100 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
1.3% 2003 est. · 6.4% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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 occupied by Israel 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. On 24 June 2002, US President BUSH laid out a "road map" for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which envisions a two-state solution. However, progress toward a permanent status agreement has been undermined by Palestinian-Israeli violence ongoing since September 2000. The conflict may have reached a turning point with the election in January 2005 of Mahmud ABBAS as the new Palestinian leader following the November 2004 death of Yasir ARAFAT.

Geography

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

18 fields

Land useshare of 20,770 sq km

arable land 16.39%permanent crops 4.17%other 79.44% (2001)irrigated 1,990 sq km (1998 est.)
Area
20,770sq km
land: 20,330 sq kmwater: 440 sq kmslightly smaller than New Jersey
Coastline
273km
territorial sea: 12 nmcontinental shelf: to depth of exploitation
Highest point
1,208m
Har Meronlowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
Land boundaries
1,017km
border countries: Egypt 266 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

Geographic coordinates

31 30 N, 34 45 E

Map references

Middle East

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

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

Natural hazards

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

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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note

  • there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 25 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (February 2002 est.);
  • Sea of Galilee is an important freshwater source

People

19 fields
Population
6,199,008
growth rate: 1.29% (2004 est.)
Note
note: includes about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, more than 5,000 in the Gaza Strip, and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2004 est.)

Birth
18.45Death
6.19Net migration
0.68

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2004 est.)79.17
77.08 · 81.37Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)7.21
7.96 · 6.42
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)95.4%
97.3% · 93.6%Median age years (2004 est.)29.2
28.3 · 30
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Religions(1996 est.)

Jewish 80.1%Muslim 14.6% (mostly Sunni Muslim)Christian 2.1%other 3.2% (1996 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:
26.7% (male 847,591; female 808,399)
15-64 years:
63.4% (male 1,976,539; female 1,954,782)
65 years and over:
9.9% (male 262,781; female 348,916) (2004 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
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
total population:
0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.47 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

100 (2001 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Israeli(s)
adjective:
Israeli

Ethnic groups

Jewish 80.1% (Europe/America-born 32.1%, Israel-born 20.8%, Africa-born 14.6%, Asia-born 12.6%), non-Jewish 19.9% (mostly Arab) (1996 est.)

Languages

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

Government

Parliamentary democracy; President Moshe KATZAV (since 31 July 2000); Prime Minister Ariel SHARON (since 7 March 2001)

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

29.4%
Likud Party 29.4%Labor 14.5%Shinui 12.3%Shas 8.2%Meretz 5.2%United Torah Judaism 4.3%Democratic Front for Peace and Equality 3.0%One Nation 2.8%Yisra'el Ba'Aliya (YBA) 2.2%United Arab List 2.1%Green Leaf Party 1.2%Herut 1.2%other 1.6%last held 28 January 2003 (next scheduled to be held fall of 2006)

Knesset or parliament, 104 seats, elected 28 January 2003one dot, one seat

Likud 38Labor 19Shinui 15Shas 11Meretz 6United Torah Judaism 5Democratic Front for Peace and Equality 3One Nation 3YBA 2United Arab List 2

Percent of vote

Likud Party 29.4%Labor 14.5%Shinui 12.3%Shas 8.2%Meretz 5.2%United Torah Judaism 4.3%Democratic Front for Peace and Equality 3.0%One Nation 2.8%Yisra'el Ba'Aliya (YBA) 2.2%United Arab List 2.1%Green Leaf Party 1.2%Herut 1.2%other 1.6%

Country name

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

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

Independence

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

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

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:
President Moshe KATZAV (since 31 July 2000)
head of government:
Prime Minister Ariel SHARON (since 7 March 2001)
cabinet:
Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset
elections:
  • president is largely a ceremonial role and is elected by the Knesset for a seven-year term;
  • election last held 31 July 2000 (next to be held mid-2007);
  • following legislative elections, the president assigns a Knesset member - traditionally the leader of the largest party - the task of forming a governing coalition;
  • election last held 28 January 2003 (next schedulde to be held fall of 2006)
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);
  • Ariel SHARON continues as prime minister after Likud Party victory in January 2003 Knesset elections;
  • Likud won 38 seats and then formed coalition government with Shinui, the National Religious Party, and the National Union

Legislative branch

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

elections:
last held 28 January 2003 (next scheduled to be held fall of 2006)
election results:
  • percent of vote by party - Likud Party 29.4%, Labor 14.5%, Shinui 12.3%, Shas 8.2%, National Union 5.5%, Meretz 5.2%, United Torah Judaism 4.3%, National Religious Party 4.2%, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality 3.0%, One Nation 2.8%, National Democratic Assembly 2.3%, Yisra'el Ba'Aliya (YBA) 2.2%, United Arab List 2.1%, Green Leaf Party 1.2%, Herut 1.2%, other 1.6%;
  • seats by party - Likud 38, Labor 19, Shinui 15, Shas 11, National Union 7, Meretz 6, National Religious Party 6, United Torah Judaism 5, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality 3, One Nation 3, National Democratic Assembly 3, YBA 2, United Arab List 2

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (justices appointed for life by the president)

Political parties and leaders

  • Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) [Muhammad BARAKA];
  • Green Leaf Party (no longer active) [Boaz WACHTEL and Shlomi SANDAK];
  • Herut (no longer active) [Michael KLEINER];
  • Labor Party [Shimon PERES];
  • Likud Party [Ariel SHARON];
  • Meretz (merged with YAHAD) [Zahava GALON];
  • National Democratic Assembly (Balad) [Azmi BISHARA];
  • National Religious Party [Ephraim "Efie" EITAM];
  • National Union (Haichud Haleumi) [Avigdor LIBERMAN] (includes Tekuma Moledet and Yisra'el Beiteinu);
  • One Nation [David TAL];
  • Shas [Eliyahu YISHAI];
  • Shinui [Yosef "Tommy" LAPID];
  • United Arab List [Abd al-Malik DAHAMSHAH];
  • United Torah Judaism [Yaakov LITZMAN];
  • YAHAD [Yossi BEILIN];
  • Yisra'el Ba'Aliya or YBA (merged with Likud) [Natan SHARANSKY]

Political pressure groups and leaders

  • Israeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip;
  • Peace Now supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip;
  • Yesha (settler) Council promotes settler interests and opposes territorial compromise;
  • B'Tselem monitors human rights abuses

International organization participation

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Daniel AYALON
chancery:
3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 364-5578
FAX:
[1] (202) 364-5560
consulate(s) general:
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Daniel C. KURTZER
embassy:
71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 63903
mailing address:
PSC 98, Box 29, APO AE 09830
telephone:
[972] (3) 519-7369/7453/7454/7457/7458/7551/7575
FAX:
[972] (3) 516-4390
consulate(s) general:
Jerusalem; note - an independent US mission, established in 1928, whose members are not accredited to a foreign government

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 has a technologically advanced market economy with substantial government participation.

46 fields
Real growth rate
1.3%
(2003 est.)industrial production growth: -0.6% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate
10.7%
(2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2003 est.)

agriculture 2.8%industry 37.7%services 59.5% (2003 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

38.4%
US
15.6%
7.4%
Belgium
9.3%
Germany
8%
UK
6.7%
Switzerland
6.1%
4.8%
Hong Kong
Italy
4.1%
Exports $29.32 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)Imports $32.27 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)(2003)

Budget

Revenues
$44.98 billionExpenditures
$51.07 billion (2003)
expenditures including capital expenditures of NA

Electricity

Electricity production
42.24 billion (2001)Electricity consumption
37.82 billion (2001)Electricity exports
1.457 billion (2001)

Economy - overview

Israel has a technologically advanced 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.

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 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. 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 grew at 1% in 2003, with improvements in tourism and foreign direct investment. In 2004, rising business and consumer confidence - as well as higher demand for Israeli exports - boosted GDP by 2.7%.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $120.9 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $19,800 (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

17.2% of GDP (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
2.4%
highest 10%:
28.3% (1997)

Labor force

2.61 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture, forestry, and fishing 2.6%, manufacturing 20.2%, construction 7.5%, commerce 12.8%, transport, storage, and communications 6.2%, finance and business 13.1%, personal and other services 6.4%, public services 31.2% (1996)

Public debt

108.6% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products

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

Industries

high-technology projects (including aviation, communications, computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, diamond cutting

Oil - production

80 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption

260,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves

1.92 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production

10 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

10 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

20.81 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance

$-174 million (2003)

Exports

$29.32 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Imports

$32.27 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Debt - external

$70.97 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$662 million from US (2003 est.)

Currency

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

Exchange rates

new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001), 4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
6.334 million
(2002)
Internet users
437,516
(2004)
Fixed lines
3.006 million
(2002) · country code .il

Telephone system

general assessment:
most highly developed system in the Middle East although not the largest
domestic:
good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; all systems are digital
international:
  • country code - 972;
  • 3 submarine cables;
  • satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 2 (1998)

Television broadcast stations

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

Internet users

2 million (2002)

Transportation

9 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

2
over 3,047 m
4
2,438 to 3,047 m
8
1,524 to 2,437 m
1
10
914 to 1,523 m
2
4
under 914 m
20
Paved 28Unpaved 23

Networkskm

Highways
16,281Railways
640
Highways: paved: 16,281 km (including 56 km of expressways) · unpaved: NA (2000) · Railways: standard gauge: 640 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)

Railways

total:
640 km
standard gauge:
640 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)

Highways

total:
16,281 km
paved:
16,281 km (including 56 km of expressways)
unpaved:
NA (2000)

Pipelines

gas 140 km; oil 1,509 km (2004)

Ports and harbors

Ashdod, Ashqelon, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa, Tel Aviv-Yafo

Merchant marine

total:
18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 752,873 GRT/881,711 DWT
by type:
container 18
registered in other countries:
40 (2004 est.)

Airports

51 (2003 est.)

Heliports

3 (2003 est.)

Military

7 fields

Military branches

Israel Defense Forces (IDF):
  • Ground Corps (including
    • Pioneer Fighting Youth (Nahal)),
    • Navy,
    • Air Force(including Air Defense Forces)
    ;
  • note - historically there have been no separate Israeli military services

Military manpower - military 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)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49:
1,581,883
females age 15-49:
1,532,234 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49:
1,294,742
females age 15-49:
1,250,969 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males:
51,054
females:
53,515 (2004 est.)

Transnational Issues

3 fields

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;
  • Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan Heights)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs: 276,000 (Arab villagers displaced from homes in northern Israel) (2004)

Illicit drugs

  • increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse;
  • drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan;
  • money-laundering center

Central Intelligence Agency. “Israel.” The World Factbook 2004. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/israel/2004.

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