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Compare Christmas Island (2006) - Israel (2008)

Compare Christmas Island (2006) z Israel (2008)

 Christmas Island (2006)Israel (2008)
 Christmas IslandIsrael
Administrative divisions none (territory of Australia) 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
Age structure 0-14 years: NA


15-64 years: NA


65 years and over: NA (2006 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 NA citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products
Airports 1 (2006) 53 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)
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: 135 sq km


land: 135 sq km


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


land: 20,330 sq km


water: 440 sq km
Area - comparative about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than New Jersey
Background Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement began by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park. 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. 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. 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 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 while retaining control over most points of entry into the Gaza Strip. The election of HAMAS in January 2006 to head the Palestinian Legislative Council froze relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Ehud OLMERT became prime minister in March 2006; following an Israeli military operation in Gaza in June-July 2006 and a 34-day conflict with Hizballah in Lebanon in June-August 2006, he shelved plans to unilaterally evacuate from most of the West Bank. OLMERT in June 2007 resumed talks with the PA after HAMAS seized control of the Gaza Strip and PA President Mahmoud ABBAS formed a new government without HAMAS.
Birth rate NA 17.71 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA
revenues: $57.08 billion


expenditures: $57.81 billion (2007 est.)
Capital name: The Settlement


geographic coordinates: 18 44 N, 64 19 W


time difference: UTC+7 (12 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 tropical with a wet and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds; wet season (December to April) temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
Coastline 138.9 km 273 km
Constitution Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992 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: Territory of Christmas Island


conventional short form: Christmas Island
conventional long form: State of Israel


conventional short form: Israel


local long form: Medinat Yisra'el


local short form: Yisra'el
Death rate NA 6.17 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external - $87.43 billion (30 June 2007)
Dependency status non-self governing territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (territory of Australia) 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 none (territory of Australia) 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 $NA $240 million from US (FY06)
Economy - overview Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993. The casino closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, projected to begin operations in the near future. 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, its major source of economic and military aid. Israel's GDP, after contracting slightly in 2001 and 2002 due to the Palestinian conflict and troubles in the high-technology sector, has grown by about 5% per year since 2003. The economy grew an estimated 5.4% in 2007, the fastest pace since 2000. The government's prudent fiscal policy and structural reforms over the past few years have helped to induce strong foreign investment, tax revenues, and private consumption, setting the economy on a solid growth path.
Electricity - consumption - 43.28 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports - 1.663 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production - 46.85 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Murray Hill 361 m
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m
Environment - current issues loss of rainforest; impact of phosphate mining 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, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%


note: no indigenous population (2001)
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 Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001) new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general


head of government: Administrator Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006)


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
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 (one-term limit); 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 75,980 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities phosphate machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
Exports - partners Australia, NZ (2004) US 38.4%, Belgium 6.5%, Hong Kong 5.9% (2006)
Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June calendar year
Flag description territorial flag; divided diagonally from upper hoist to lower fly; the upper triangle is green with a yellow image of the Golden Bosun Bird superimposed, while the lower triangle is blue with the Southern Cross constellation, representing Australia, superimposed; a centered yellow disk displays a green map of the island; the flag of Australia is used for official purposes 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: 2.4%


industry: 30%


services: 67.6% (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 5.1% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 10 30 S, 105 40 E 31 30 N, 34 45 E
Geography - note located along major sea lanes of Indian 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 - 3 (2007)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - 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 315,200 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities consumer goods raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods
Imports - partners principally Australia (2004) US 12.4%, Belgium 8.2%, Germany 6.7%, Switzerland 5.9%, UK 5.1%, China 5.1% (2006)
Independence none (territory of Australia) 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Industrial production growth rate - 4.1% (2007 est.)
Industries tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) 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: NA


male: NA


female: NA
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) - 0.4% (2007 est.)
International organization participation none BIS, BSEC (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OAS (observer), OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), PCA, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land NA 1,940 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's 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 NA 2.88 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture 18.5%, industry 23.7%, services 50%, other 7.8% (2002)
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: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park) (2005)
arable land: 15.45%


permanent crops: 3.88%


other: 80.67% (2005)
Languages English (official), Chinese, Malay Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
Legal system under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law 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 unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007)


election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9
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 but can be called earlier)


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: NA


male: NA


female: NA
total population: 79.59 years


male: 77.44 years


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


total population: 97.1%


male: 98.5%


female: 95.9% (2004 est.)
Location Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
Map references Southeast Asia Middle East
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 12 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm


continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
Merchant marine - 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 - note defense is the responsibility of Australia -
Military branches - Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel Naval Forces (INF), Israel Air Force (IAF) (2007)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 7.3% (2006)
National holiday Australia Day, 26 January (1788) 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: Christmas Islander(s)


adjective: Christmas Island
noun: Israeli(s)


adjective: Israeli
Natural hazards the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes
Natural resources phosphate, beaches timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand
Net migration rate NA 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines - gas 160 km; oil 442 km; refined products 261 km (2007)
Political parties and leaders none Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (HADASH) [Muhammad BARAKA]; GIL (Pensioners) [Rafael "Rafi" EITAN]; Kadima [Ehud OLMERT]; Labor Party [Ehud BARAK]; Likud [Binyamin NETANYAHU]; Meretz-YAHAD [Yossi BEILIN]; National Democratic Assembly (Balad) [Jamal ZAHALKA]; 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 none Peace Now [Yariv OPPENHEIMER, Secretary General] supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; YESHA Council of Settlements [Danny DAYAN, Chairman] promotes settler interests and opposes territorial compromise; B'Tselem [Jessica MONTELL, Executive Director] monitors human rights abuses
Population 1,493 (July 2006 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 - 21.6%


note: Israel's poverty line is $7.30 per person per day (2005)
Population growth rate 0% (2006 est.) 1.154% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2006) AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 2 (1998)
Railways - total: 853 km


standard gauge: 853 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)
Religions Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997) Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)
Sex ratio NA 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 - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: service provided by the Australian network


domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system in February 2005


international: country code - 61-8; satellite earth stations - one INTELSAT earth station provides telephone and telex service (2005)
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 NA 3.005 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA 8.404 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 0; note - TV broadcasts received via satellite from mainland Australia (2006) 17 (plus 36 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley
Total fertility rate NA 2.38 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate - 7.6% (2007 est.)
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