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
Currency code:
ILS
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 Israel
Telephones - main lines in use:
3.006 million (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
6.334 million (2002)
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)