Names:
conventional long form:
State of Israel
conventional short form:
Israel
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
@Israel, 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)
@Israel, 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
@Israel, 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)
@Italy, Geography
Location:
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean
Sea
Map references:
Africa, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
301,230 sq km
land area:
294,020 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than Arizona
note:
includes Sardinia and Sicily
Land boundaries:
total 1,899.2 km, Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican
City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 199 km, Switzerland 740 km
Coastline:
4,996 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
Climate:
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
Terrain:
mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
Natural resources:
mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, dwindling natural gas and crude oil
reserves, fish, coal
Land use:
arable land:
32%
permanent crops:
10%
meadows and pastures:
17%
forest and woodland:
22%
other:
19%
Irrigated land:
31,000 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide;
coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial and agricultural
effluents; acid rain damaging lakes
natural hazards:
regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice
international agreements:
party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur, Antarctic Treaty, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands;
signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of
the Sea
Note:
strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as
southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe
@Italy, People