Israel

republic

Israel as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 126 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalJerusalem
LocationMiddle East, bordering the eastern Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt
1994

Every edition of Israel

Populationas each edition published it
5.05 million July 1994 est. · 4.41m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.22% 1994 est. · 3.08% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 28.9 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 77.77 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.83 children per woman 1994 est. · 2.9 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
8.6 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 9 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$13,350 1993 est. · $12,100 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
3.5% 1993 est. · 6.4% in 1993

Geography

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

23 fields
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
Irrigated land
2,140sq km
(1989)

Location

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

Map references

Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

20,770 sq km

land area

20,330 sq km

comparative area

slightly larger than New Jersey

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

arable land

17%

permanent crops

5%

meadows and pastures

40%

forest and woodland

6%

other

32%

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

22 fields
Population
5,050,850
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 2.22% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
20.55Death
6.43Net migration
8.04

Religions

Judaism 82%Islam 14% (mostly Sunni Muslim)Christian 2%Druze and other 2%
Labor force
1.9million
(1992)
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1983)

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.)

Infant mortality rate

8.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

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.)

noun

Israeli(s)

adjective

Israeli

Ethnic divisions

Jewish 83%, non-Jewish 17% (mostly Arab)

Languages

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

total population

92%

male

95%

female

89%

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

Republic

37 fields

Legislature, 120 seatsone dot, one seat

Labor Party 44Likud bloc 32Meretz 12Tzomet 8Shas 6United Torah Jewry 4Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) 3Moledet 3Arab Democratic Party 2

conventional long form

State of Israel

conventional short form

Israel

local long form

Medinat Yisra'el

local short form

Yisra'el

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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

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

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

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

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

Israel has a market economy with substantial government participation. | It depends on imports of crude oil, grains, raw materials, and | military equipment.

26 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$13,350
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
3.5%
(1993 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 6.5% (1993 est.); accounts for about 30% of GDP
Unemployment rate
10.4%
(1993 est.)

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.)

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.)

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

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

14 fields

Railroads

600 km 1.435-meter gauge, single track; diesel operated

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

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

Israel Defense Forces (including ground, naval, and air components)

4 fields

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)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Israel.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/israel/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →