Natural resources:
timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium
bromide, clays, sand
Land use: arable land: 16.39% permanent crops: 4.17% other: 79.44% (2001)
Irrigated land:
1,990 sq km (1998 est.)
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, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: 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 Israel
Population:
6,276,883
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
2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.5% (male 851,415/female 812,095)
15-64 years: 63.7% (male 2,010,888/female 1,986,256)
65 years and over: 9.8% (male 264,708/female 351,521) (2005 est.)