##ciekawa_strona##
Compare Finland (2001) - Israel (2002)
Compare Finland (2001) z Israel (2002)
| Finland (2001) | Israel (2002) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani, Ita-Suomen Laani, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani | 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv |
| Age structure | 0-14 years:
18% (male 474,967; female 456,584) 15-64 years: 66.97% (male 1,750,660; female 1,715,358) 65 years and over: 15.03% (male 300,569; female 477,645) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 27.1% (male 837,491; female 798,695)
15-64 years: 63% (male 1,905,677; female 1,889,525) 65 years and over: 9.9% (male 257,066; female 341,075) (2002 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | cereals, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish | citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products |
| Airports | 159 (2000 est.) | 54 (2001) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total:
69 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 26 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 20 under 914 m: 10 (2000 est.) |
total: 28
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 4 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
90 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 84 (2000 est.) |
total: 24
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 20 (2002) |
| Area | total:
337,030 sq km land: 305,470 sq km water: 31,560 sq km |
total: 20,770 sq km
land: 20,330 sq km water: 440 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Montana | slightly smaller than New Jersey |
| Background | Ruled by Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries and by Russia from 1809, Finland finally won its independence in 1917. During World War II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and fend off invasions by the Soviet Union and Germany. In the subsequent half century, the Finns have made a remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is now on par with Western Europe. As a member of the European Union, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999. | 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 occupied by Israel 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. 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 (from the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip) and Syria, to achieve a permanent settlement. But progress toward a permanent status agreement has been undermined by the outbreak of Palestinian-Israeli violence since September 2000. |
| Birth rate | 10.69 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 18.91 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Budget | revenues:
$36.1 billion expenditures: $31 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
revenues: $40 billion
expenditures: $42.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
| Capital | Helsinki | Jerusalem; note - Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv |
| Climate | cold temperate; potentially subarctic, but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes | temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas |
| Coastline | 1,126 km (excludes islands and coastal indentations) | 273 km |
| Constitution | 17 July 1919 | 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 |
| Country name | conventional long form:
Republic of Finland conventional short form: Finland local long form: Suomen Tasavalta local short form: Suomi |
conventional long form: State of Israel
conventional short form: Israel local long form: Medinat Yisra'el local short form: Yisra'el |
| Currency | markka (FIM); euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in Finland at a fixed rate of 5.94573 markkaa per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002 |
new Israeli shekel (ILS) |
| Death rate | 9.75 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 6.21 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Debt - external | $30 billion (December 1993) | $42.8 billion (2001 est.) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Carol VAN VOORST embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, FIN-00140, Helsinki mailing address: APO AE 09723 telephone: [358] (9) 171931 FAX: [358] (9) 174681 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel C. KURTZER
embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv mailing address: PSC 98, Box 29, APO AE 09830 telephone: [972] (3) 519-7457/7369/7454/7458/7453 FAX: [972] (3) 517-4390 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 Jaakko Tapani LAAJAVA chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800 FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York |
chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel AYALON
chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 364-5500 FAX: [1] (202) 364-3607 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and 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; Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan Heights) |
| Economic aid - donor | ODA, $379 million (1997) | - |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | NA |
| Economy - overview | Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy, with per capita output roughly that of the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. Its key economic sector is manufacturing - principally the wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics industries. Trade is important, with exports equaling more than one-third of GDP. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw materials, energy, and some components for manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products. Forestry, an important export earner, provides a secondary occupation for the rural population. Rapidly increasing integration with Western Europe - Finland was one of the 11 countries joining the euro monetary system (EMU) on 1 January 1999 - will dominate the economic picture over the next several years. Growth in 2001 will be bolstered by strong private consumption, yet may be 1 or 2 points lower than in 2000, largely because of a weakening in export demand. | Israel has a technologically advanced 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. Israel is largely self-sufficient in food production except for grains. Cut diamonds, high-technology equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the leading exports. Israel usually posts sizable 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 US, which is its major source of economic and military aid. The influx of Jewish immigrants from the former USSR during the period 1989-99 coupled with the opening of new markets at the end of the Cold War, energized Israel's economy, which grew rapidly in the early 1990s. But growth began moderating in 1996 when the government imposed tighter fiscal and monetary policies and the immigration bonus petered out. Growth was a strong 6.4% in 2000. But the bitter Israeli-Palestinian conflict, increasingly the declines in the high-technology and tourist sectors, and fiscal austerity measures in the face of growing inflation have led to declines in GDP in 2001 and 2002. |
| Electricity - consumption | 81.611 billion kWh (1999) | 34.897 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - exports | 232 million kWh (1999) | 1.27 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - imports | 11.356 billion kWh (1999) | 12 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production | 75.792 billion kWh (1999) | 38.876 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
41.88% hydro: 16.77% nuclear: 28.82% other: 12.53% (1999) |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m |
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m |
| Environment - current issues | air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations | 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:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation |
| Ethnic groups | Finn 93%, Swede 6%, Sami 0.11%, Roma 0.12%, Tatar 0.02% | Jewish 80.1% (Europe/America-born 32.1%, Israel-born 20.8%, Africa-born 14.6%, Asia-born 12.6%), non-Jewish 19.9% (mostly Arab) (1996 est.) |
| Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); markkaa per US dollar - 5.3441 (1998), 5.1914 (1997), 4.5936 (1996) | new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.2757 (December 2001), 4.2057 (2001), 4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999), 3.8001 (1998), 3.4494 (1997) |
| Executive branch | chief of state:
President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Paavo LIPPONEN (since 13 April 1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Sauli NIINISTO (since 13 April 1995) cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 6 February 2000 (next to be held NA February 2006); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed from the majority party by the president after parliamentary elections election results: Tarja HALONEN elected president; percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 51.6%, Esco AHO (Kesk) 48.4% note: government coalition - SDP, Kok, Leftist Alliance (People's Democratic Union and Democratic Alternative), SFP, and Green Union |
chief of state: President Moshe KATSAV (since 31 July 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Ariel SHARON (since 7 March 2001) cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset elections: president elected by the Knesset for a seven-year term; election last held 31 July 2000 (next to be held NA 2007); following legislative elections, the president assigns a Knesset member - traditionally the leader of the largest party - the task of forming a governing coalition; election last held 28 January 2003 (next to be held fall of 2007) election results: Moshe KATSAV elected president by the 120-member Knesset with a total of 60 votes, other candidate, Shimon PERES, received 57 votes (there were three abstentions); Ariel SHARON continues as prime minister after Likud Party victory in January 2003 Knesset elections; Likud won 38 seats and then formed coalition government with Shinui, the National Religious Party, and the National Union |
| Exports | $44.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | $28 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
| Exports - commodities | machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, pulp | machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel |
| Exports - partners | EU 58% (Germany 13%, Sweden 10%, UK 9%, France 5%, Netherlands 4%), US 8%, Russia, Japan (1999) | US 42.8%, Benelux 7.4%, Hong Kong 6.8%, Germany 4.8%, UK 4.8%, Japan 3.2% (2001) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Flag description | white with a blue cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish 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 |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $118.3 billion (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $122 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
3.5% industry: 29% services: 67.5% (1999) |
agriculture: 3%
industry: 30% services: 67% (2001 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $22,900 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2002 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 5.6% (2000 est.) | -1.1% (2002 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 64 00 N, 26 00 E | 31 30 N, 34 45 E |
| Geography - note | long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain | 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 |
| Heliports | - | 3 (2002) |
| Highways | total:
77,796 km paved: 49,789 km (including 444 km of expressways) unpaved: 28,042 km (1999) |
total: 15,965 km
paved: 15,965 km (including 56 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1998 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
4.2% highest 10%: 21.6% (1991) |
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 28% (1992) (1997) |
| Illicit drugs | - | increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and increasingly Jordan |
| Imports | $32.7 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | $30.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
| Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, grains | raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, consumer goods |
| Imports - partners | EU 60% (Germany 15%, Sweden 11%, UK 7%), US 8%, Russia 7%, Japan 6% (1999) | US 23.5%, Benelux 10.2%, Germany 7.9%, uk 6.7%, Switzerland 6.0%, Italy 5.2% (2001) |
| Independence | 6 December 1917 (from Russia) | 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 7.5% (2000) | -1.5% (2002 est.) |
| Industries | metal products, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing | high-technology projects (including aviation, communications, computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, diamond cutting |
| Infant mortality rate | 3.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | 7.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.4% (2000 est.) | 5.7% (2002 est.) |
| International organization participation | AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC | BSEC (observer), CCC, CE (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer), OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 23 (2000) | 21 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | 640 sq km (1993 est.) | 1,990 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by the president) | Supreme Court (justices appointed for life by the president) |
| Labor force | 2.6 million (2000 est.) | 2.4 million (2000 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | public services 32%, industry 22%, commerce 14%, finance, insurance, and business services 10%, agriculture and forestry 8%, transport and communications 8%, construction 6% | public services 31%, manufacturing 20%, finance and business 13%, commerce 13%, construction 8%, personal and other services 6%, transport, storage, and communications 6%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3% (1996) (1996) |
| Land boundaries | total:
2,628 km border countries: Norway 729 km, Sweden 586 km, Russia 1,313 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:
8% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 76% other: 16% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 17.02%
permanent crops: 4.17% other: 78.81% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | Finnish 93.4% (official), Swedish 5.9% (official), small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities | Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language |
| Legal system | civil law system based on Swedish law; Supreme Court may request legislation interpreting or modifying laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | 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 Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 21 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - SDP 22.9%, Kesk 22.5%, Kok 21.0%, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 10.9%, SFP 5.1%, Green Union 7.2%, SKL 4.2%; seats by party - SDP 51, Kesk 48, Kok 46, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 20, SFP 11, Green Union 11, SKL 10, other 3 |
unicameral Knesset or parliament (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 January 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - Likud Party 29.4%, Labor 14.5%, Shinui 12.3%, Shas 8.2%, National Union 5.5%, Meretz 5.2%, United Torah Judaism 4.3%, National Religious Party 4.2%, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality 3.0%, One Nation 2.8%, National Democratic Alliance 2.3%, YBA 2.2%, United Arab List 2.1%, Green Leaf Party 1.2%, Herut 1.2%, other 1.6%; seats by party - Likud 38, Labor 19, Shinui 15, Shas 11, National Union 7, Meretz 6, National Religious Party 6, United Torah Judaism 5, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality 3, One Nation 3, National Democratic Alliance 3, YBA 2, United Arab List 2 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population:
77.58 years male: 73.92 years female: 81.36 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 78.86 years
male: 76.82 years female: 81.01 years (2002 est.) |
| Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% (1980 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95% male: 97% female: 93% (1992 est.) |
| Location | Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia | Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon |
| Map references | Europe | Middle East |
| Maritime claims | continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM territorial sea: 12 NM (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 NM) |
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | total:
98 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,172,808 GRT/1,138,175 DWT ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 23, chemical tanker 5, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 11, railcar carrier 1, roll on/roll off 37, short-sea passenger 11 (2000 est.) |
total: 16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 595,319 GRT/704,544 DWT
ships by type: container 15, roll on/roll off 1 (2002 est.) |
| Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier Guard (includes Sea Guard) | Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (includes ground, naval, and air components with Air Defense Forces), Pioneer Fighting Youth (Nahal); note - historically there have been no separate Israeli military services |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $1.8 billion (FY98) | $8.97 billion (FY02) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2% (FY98) | 8.75% (FY02) |
| Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
1,251,700 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49: 1,542,835
females age 15-49: 1,499,830 (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
1,033,188 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49: 1,262,973
females age 15-49: 1,223,939 (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | 17 years of age | 18 years of age (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
33,883 (2001 est.) |
males: 51,666
females: 49,207 (2002 est.) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 6 December (1917) | 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:
Finn(s) adjective: Finnish |
noun: Israeli(s)
adjective: Israeli |
| Natural hazards | NA | sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes |
| Natural resources | timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver | timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand |
| Net migration rate | 0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 2.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Pipelines | natural gas 580 km | crude oil 708 km; petroleum products 290 km; natural gas 89 km |
| Political parties and leaders | Center Party or Kesk [Esko AHO]; Finnish Christian Union or SKL [C. P. Bjarne KALLIS]; Green Union [Satu HASSI]; Leftist Alliance (Communist) composed of People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative [Suvi-Anne SIIMES]; National Coalition (conservative) Party or Kok [Sauli NIINISTO]; Reform Group [Risto KUISMA]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Paavo LIPPONEN]; Swedish People's Party or SFP [Jan-Erik ENESTAM]; True Finns [Timo SOINI] | Center Party [Dan MERIDOR]; Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) [Muhammad BARAKA]; Democratic Movement [Roman BRONFMAN]; Gesher [David LEVI]; Herut [michael KLEINER]; Labor Party [Binyamin BEN-ELIEZER]; Likud Party [Ariel SHARON]; Meimad [Rabbi Michael MELCHIOR]; Meretz [Yossi SARID]; National Democratic Alliance (Balad) [Azmi BISHARA]; National Religious Party [Yitzhak LEVY]; National Union [Benyamin ELON] (includes Tekuma and Moledet); One Israel [Ra'anan COHEN]; One Nation [Amir PERETZ]; Shas [Eliyahu YISHAI]; Shinui [Tommy LAPID]; United Arab List [Abd al-Malik DAHAMSHAH]; United Torah Judaism [Meir PORUSH]; Yisra'el Ba'Aliya or YBA [Natan SHARANSKY]; Yisra'el Beiteinu [Avigdor LIEBERMAN] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | Communist Workers Party [Timo LAHDENMAKI]; Constitutional Rightist Party; Finnish Communist Party-Unity [Yrjo HAKANEN]; Finnish Pensioners Party | Israeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Yesha (settler) Council promotes settler interests and opposes territorial compromise; B'Tselem monitors human rights abuses |
| Population | 5,175,783 (July 2001 est.) | 6,029,529 (July 2002 est.)
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 (February 2003 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 0.16% (2001 est.) | 1.48% (2002 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Loviisa, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku, Uusikaupunki, Varkaus | Ashdod, Ashqelon, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa, Tel Aviv-Yafo |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 186, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 2 (1998) |
| Radios | 7.7 million (1997) | 3.07 million (1997) |
| Railways | total:
5,865 km broad gauge: 5,865 km 1.524-m gauge (2,192 km electrified; 480 km double or multiple track) (1998) |
total: 647 km
standard gauge: 647 km 1.435-m gauge (2001) |
| Religions | Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Greek Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1% | Jewish 80.1%, Muslim 14.6% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2.1%, other 3.2% (1996 est.) |
| Sex ratio | at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment:
modern system with excellent service domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and an extensive cellular net provide domestic needs international: 1 submarine cable; satellite earth stations - access to Intelsat transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Finland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) |
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: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 2.861 million (1997) | 2.8 million (1999) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 2,162,574 (1997) | 2.5 million (1999) |
| Television broadcast stations | 130 (plus 385 repeaters) (1995) | 17 (plus 36 low-power repeaters) (1995) |
| Terrain | mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills | Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley |
| Total fertility rate | 1.7 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 2.54 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 9.8% (2000 est.) | 10.4% (2002 est.) |
| Waterways | 6,675 km
note: includes Saimaa Canal; 3,700 km suitable for large ships |
none |
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Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.