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Compare Bahrain (2007) - Israel (2007)

Compare Bahrain (2007) z Israel (2007)

 Bahrain (2007)Israel (2007)
 BahrainIsrael
Administrative divisions 5 governorates; Asamah, Janubiyah, Muharraq, Shamaliyah, Wasat


note: each governorate administered by an appointed governor
6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
Age structure 0-14 years: 26.9% (male 96,217/female 94,275)


15-64 years: 69.5% (male 284,662/female 207,555)


65 years and over: 3.7% (male 13,451/female 12,413) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 26.1% (male 858,246/female 818,690)


15-64 years: 64.2% (male 2,076,649/female 2,046,343)


65 years and over: 9.8% (male 269,483/female 357,268) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products
Airports 3 (2007) 53 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


over 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
total: 30


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 5


1,524 to 2,437 m: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 10


under 914 m: 6 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 23


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 20 (2007)
Area total: 665 sq km


land: 665 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 20,770 sq km


land: 20,330 sq km


water: 440 sq km
Area - comparative 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than New Jersey
Background In 1782, the Al Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in 1971. Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. Facing declining oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has transformed itself into an international banking center. King HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa, after coming to power in 1999, pushed economic and political reforms to improve relations with the Shi'a community and Shi'a political societies participated in 2006 parliamentary and municipal elections. Al Wifaq, the largest Shi'a political society, won the largest number of seats in the elected chamber of the legislature. However, Shi'a discontent has resurfaced in recent years with street demonstrations and occasional low-level violence. 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 Israel occupied 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. In April 2003, US President BUSH, working in conjunction with the EU, UN, and Russia - the "Quartet" - took the lead in laying out a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005, based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. However, progress toward a permanent status agreement was undermined by Israeli-Palestinian violence between September 2003 and February 2005. An Israeli-Palestinian agreement reached at Sharm al-Sheikh in February 2005, along with an internally-brokered Palestinian ceasefire, significantly reduced the violence. In the summer of 2005, Israel unilaterally disengaged from the Gaza Strip, evacuating settlers and its military. The election of HAMAS in January 2006 to head the Palestinian Legislative Council froze relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Ehud OLMERT became prime minister in March 2006; following an Israeli military operation in Gaza in June-July 2006, he shelved plans to unilaterally evacuate from most of the West Bank. The kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Lebanese Hizballah led to a 34-day conflict in Lebanon in June-August 2006.
Birth rate 17.53 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 17.71 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $4.894 billion


expenditures: $4.516 billion (2006 est.)
revenues: $48.38 billion


expenditures: $49.62 billion (2006 est.)
Capital name: Manama


geographic coordinates: 26 14 N, 50 34 E


time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Jerusalem


geographic coordinates: 31 46 N, 35 14 E


time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in March; ends the Sunday between the holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur


note: Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv
Climate arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
Coastline 161 km 273 km
Constitution adopted 14 February 2002 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; note - since May 2003 the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee of the Knesset has been working on a draft constitution
Country name conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain


conventional short form: Bahrain


local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn


local short form: Al Bahrayn


former: Dilmun
conventional long form: State of Israel


conventional short form: Israel


local long form: Medinat Yisra'el


local short form: Yisra'el
Death rate 4.21 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 6.17 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $7.159 billion (2006 est.) $83.01 billion (2006 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador J. Adam ERELI


embassy: Building #979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Block 331, Zinj District, Manama


mailing address: PSC 451, Box 660, FPO AE 09834-5100; international mail: American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama


telephone: [973] 1724-2700


FAX: [973] 1727-0547
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard H. JONES


embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 63903


mailing address: PSC 98, Box 29, APO AE 09830


telephone: [972] (3) 519-7575


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
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Nasir bin Muhammad al-BALUSHI


chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 342-1111


FAX: [1] (202) 362-2192


consulate(s) general: New York
chief of mission: Ambassador Salai MERIDOR


chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 364-5500


FAX: [1] (202) 364-5607


consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco
Disputes - international none 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; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew its settlers and military from the Gaza Strip and from four settlements in the West Bank in August 2005; Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan Heights); since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) headquartered in Jerusalem monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region
Economic aid - recipient $103.9 million; note - $50 million annually since 1992 from the UAE and Kuwait (2004) $240 million from US (FY06)
Economy - overview With its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. Petroleum production and refining account for over 60% of Bahrain's export receipts, over 70% of government revenues, and 11% of GDP (exclusive of allied industries), underpinning Bahrain's strong economic growth in recent years. Other major segments of Bahrain's economy are the financial and construction sectors. Bahrain is actively pursuing the diversification and privatization of its economy to reduce the country's dependence on oil. As part of this effort, in August 2006 Bahrain and the US implemented a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the first FTA between the US and a Gulf state. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of oil and underground water resources are major long-term economic problems. Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with substantial, though diminishing, 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 trade 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 rebounded in 2003-05, growing at a 4% to 5.2% rate each year, as the government tightened fiscal policy and implemented structural reforms to boost competition and efficiency in the markets. The conflict with Lebanon in summer 2006 slightly dampened GDP growth, but continuing strong foreign investment, tax revenue, and private consumption levels helped the economy recover quickly.
Electricity - consumption 7.614 billion kWh (2005) 43.28 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 1.663 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 8.187 billion kWh (2005) 46.85 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m


highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m
Environment - current issues desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable land, periods of drought, and dust storms; coastal degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation) resulting from oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil refineries, and distribution stations; lack of freshwater resources, groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all water needs 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, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups Bahraini 62.4%, non-Bahraini 37.6% (2001 census) Jewish 76.4% (of which Israel-born 67.1%, Europe/America-born 22.6%, Africa-born 5.9%, Asia-born 4.2%), non-Jewish 23.6% (mostly Arab) (2004)
Exchange rates Bahraini dinars per US dollar - 0.376 (2006), 0.376 (2005), 0.376 (2004), 0.376 (2003), 0.376 (2002) new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002)
Executive branch chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad (son of the monarch, born 21 October 1969)


head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman al-Khalifa (since 1971); Deputy Prime Ministers ALI bin Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, MUHAMMAD bin Mubarak al-Khalifa, Jawad al-ARAIDH


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch


elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch
chief of state: President Shimon PERES (since 15 July 2007)


head of government: Prime Minister Ehud OLMERT (since May 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Tzipora "Tzipi" LIVNI (since May 2006); Ehud OLMERT won the right to lead the government when his Kadima Party won 29 seats in elections held on 28 March 2006


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 (no term limits); election last held 13 June 2007 (next to be held in 2014 but can be called earlier); following legislative elections, the president assigns a Knesset member - traditionally the leader of the largest party - the task of forming a governing coalition


note: government coalition - Kadima, Labor Party, GIL (Pensioners), Shas,and Yisrael Beiteinu


election results: Shimon PERES elected president; number of votes in first round - Shimon PERES 58, Reuven RIVLIN 37, Colette AVITAL 21; PERES elected president in second round with 86 votes (unopposed)
Exports NA bbl/day NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
Exports - partners Saudi Arabia 3.2%, US 3%, Japan 2.3%


note: excludes oil exports (2006)
US 38.4%, Belgium 6.5%, Hong Kong 5.9% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description red, the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states, with a white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist side; the five points represent the five pillars of Islam 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
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 0.3%


industry: 45%


services: 54.6% (2006 est.)
agriculture: 2.5%


industry: 30.3%


services: 67.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 7.1% (2006 est.) 5.1% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 26 00 N, 50 33 E 31 30 N, 34 45 E
Geography - note close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 0 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 2005 est.); Sea of Galilee is an important freshwater source
Heliports 1 (2007) 3 (2007)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 2.4%


highest 10%: 28.3% (2005)
Illicit drugs - increasingly concerned about ecstasy, cocaine, and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan; money-laundering center
Imports NA bbl/day NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities crude oil, machinery, chemicals raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods
Imports - partners Saudi Arabia 37.6%, Japan 6.8%, US 6.2%, UK 6.2%, Germany 5.1%, UAE 4.2% (2006) US 12.4%, Belgium 8.2%, Germany 6.7%, Switzerland 5.9%, UK 5.1%, China 5.1% (2006)
Independence 15 August 1971 (from UK) 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Industrial production growth rate 2% (2000 est.) 8.6% (2006 est.)
Industries petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizers, offshore banking, insurance, ship repairing, tourism high-technology projects (including aviation, communications, computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics, fiber optics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, construction, metals products, chemical products, plastics, diamond cutting, textiles, footwear
Infant mortality rate total: 16.18 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 18.89 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 13.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 6.75 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 7.45 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 6.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.1% (2006 est.) 2.1% (2006 est.)
International organization participation ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO BIS, BSEC (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OAS (observer), OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land 40 sq km (2003) 1,940 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch High Civil Appeals Court Supreme Court (justices appointed by Judicial Selection Committee - made up of all three branches of the government; mandatory retirement age is 70)
Labor force 352,000


note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2006 est.)
2.81 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 1%


industry: 79%


services: 20% (1997 est.)
agriculture, forestry, and fishing 1.8%, manufacturing 15.7%, construction 5.3%, wholesale and retail trade 12.9%, transport, storage, and communications 6.3%, finance and business 16.9%, personal and other services 11.5%, public services 28.6% (1996)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 1,017 km


border countries: Egypt 266 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km
Land use arable land: 2.82%


permanent crops: 5.63%


other: 91.55% (2005)
arable land: 15.45%


permanent crops: 3.88%


other: 80.67% (2005)
Languages Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
Legal system based on Islamic law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction 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
Legislative branch bicameral legislature consists of the Consultative Council (40 members appointed by the King) and the Council of Representatives or Chamber of Deputies (40 seats; members directly elected to serve four-year terms)


elections: Council of Representatives - last held November-December 2006 (next election to be held in 2010)


election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - al Wifaq (Shia) 17, al Asala (Sunni Salafi) 5, al Minbar (Sunni Muslim Brotherhood) 7, independents 11; note - seats by party as of February 2007 - al Wifaq 17, al Asala 8, al Minbar 7, al Mustaqbal (Moderate Sunni pro-government) 4, unassociated independents (all Sunni) 3, independent affiliated with al Wifaq (Sunni oppositionist) 1
unicameral Knesset (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 28 March 2006 (next scheduled to be held in 2010)


election results: percent of vote by party - Kadima 22%, Labor 15.1%, SHAS 9.5%, Likud 9%, Yisrael Beiteinu 9%, NU/NRP 7.1%, GIL 5.9%, Torah and Shabbat Judaism 4.7%, Meretz-YAHAD 3.8%, United Arab List 3%, Balad 2.3%, HADASH 2.7%, other 5.9%; seats by party - Kadima 29, Labor 19, Likud 12, SHAS 12, Yisrael Beiteinu 11, NU/NRP 9, GIL 7, Torah and Shabbat Judaism 6, Meretz-YAHAD 5, United Arab List 4, Balad 3, HADASH 3
Life expectancy at birth total population: 74.68 years


male: 72.18 years


female: 77.25 years (2007 est.)
total population: 79.59 years


male: 77.44 years


female: 81.85 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 86.5%


male: 88.6%


female: 83.6% (2001 census)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.1%


male: 98.5%


female: 95.9% (2004 est.)
Location Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
Map references Middle East Middle East
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined
territorial sea: 12 nm


continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
Merchant marine total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 220,264 GRT/314,289 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 1, container 2, petroleum tanker 1


foreign-owned: 3 (Kuwait 3) (2007)
total: 18 ships (1000 GRT or over) 716,382 GRT/845,053 DWT


by type: cargo 2, container 16


registered in other countries: 51 (Bermuda 3, Cyprus 4, Honduras 1, North Korea 1, Liberia 9, Malta 21, Panama 2, Slovakia 6, St Vincent and The Grenadines 4) (2007)
Military branches Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF): Ground Force (includes Air Defense), Naval Force, Air Force, National Guard Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel Naval Forces (INF), Israel Air Force (IAF) (2007)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 4.5% (2006) 7.3% (2006)
National holiday National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 was the date of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 was the date of independence from British protection 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
Nationality noun: Bahraini(s)


adjective: Bahraini
noun: Israeli(s)


adjective: Israeli
Natural hazards periodic droughts; dust storms sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes
Natural resources oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand
Net migration rate 0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines gas 20 km; oil 52 km (2006) gas 193 km; oil 442 km; refined products 261 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders political parties prohibited but political societies were legalized per a July 2005 law Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (HADASH) [Muhammad BARAKA]; GIL (Pensioners) [Rafael EITAN]; Kadima [Ehud OLMERT]; Labor Party [Ehud BARAK]; The Likud [Binyamin NETANYAHU]; Meretz-YAHAD [Yossi BEILIN]; National Democratic Assembly (Balad) [Azmi BISHARA]; National Union (NU)/National Religious Party (NRP) [Binyamin ELON]; SHAS [Eliyahu YISHAI]; Torah and Shabbat Judaism [Yaakov LITZMAN]; United Arab List [Ibrahim SARSOUR]; Yisrael Beiteinu [Avigdor LIEBERMAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders Shi'a activists fomented unrest sporadically in 1994-97 and have recently engaged in protests with occasional low-level violence; protests related to a host of issues, including the 2002 constitution, elections, unemployment, and release of detainees; Sunni Islamist legislators support a greater role for Shari'a in daily life; several small leftist and other groups are active Israeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now [Yariv OPPENHEIMER, Secretary General] supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Yesha Council of Settlements [Bentzi LIEBERMAN, Chairman] promotes settler interests and opposes territorial compromise; B'Tselem monitors human rights abuses
Population 708,573


note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2007 est.)
6,426,679


note: includes about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 21.6% (2005)
Population growth rate 1.392% (2007 est.) 1.154% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 2 (1998)
Railways - total: 853 km


standard gauge: 853 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)
Religions Muslim (Shi'a and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001 census) Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.021 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.372 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.084 male(s)/female


total population: 1.255 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.048 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.015 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.754 male(s)/female


total population: 0.994 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 20 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: modern system


domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile-cellular telephones


international: country code - 973; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and US; tropospheric scatter to Qatar and UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 1 (2007)
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; four privately-owned mobile-cellular service providers with countrywide coverage; mobile-cellular teledensity is more than 130 per 100 persons


international: country code - 972; submarine cables provide links to Europe, Cyprus, and parts of the Middle East; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 193,300 (2006) 3.005 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 898,900 (2006) 8.404 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 4 (1997) 17 (plus 36 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley
Total fertility rate 2.57 children born/woman (2007 est.) 2.38 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 15% (2005 est.) 8.3% (2006 est.)
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