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Compare Israel (2004) - Saudi Arabia (2008)
Compare Israel (2004) z Saudi Arabia (2008)
| Israel (2004) | Saudi Arabia (2008) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv | 13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 26.7% (male 847,591; female 808,399)
15-64 years: 63.4% (male 1,976,539; female 1,954,782) 65 years and over: 9.9% (male 262,781; female 348,916) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: 38.2% (male 5,369,285/female 5,162,585)
15-64 years: 59.4% (male 9,316,694/female 7,089,370) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 348,827/female 314,277) (2007 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products | wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk |
| Airports | 51 (2003 est.) | 213 (2007) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 28
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 4 (2004 est.) |
total: 77
over 3,047 m: 32 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 1,524 to 2,437 m: 26 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 23
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 20 (2004 est.) |
total: 136
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 73 914 to 1,523 m: 39 under 914 m: 15 (2007) |
| Area | total: 20,770 sq km
land: 20,330 sq km water: 440 sq km |
total: 2,149,690 sq km
land: 2,149,690 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than New Jersey | slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US |
| Background | 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. 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. On 24 June 2002, US President BUSH laid out a "road map" for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which envisions a two-state solution. However, progress toward a permanent status agreement has been undermined by Palestinian-Israeli violence ongoing since September 2000. The conflict may have reached a turning point with the election in January 2005 of Mahmud ABBAS as the new Palestinian leader following the November 2004 death of Yasir ARAFAT. | Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to Islam's two holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina. The king's official title is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The modern Saudi state was founded in 1932 by ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman AL SAUD (Ibn Saud) after a 30-year campaign to unify most of the Arabian Peninsula. A male descendent of Ibn Saud, his son ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz, rules the country today as required by the country's 1992 Basic Law. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. The continuing presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil after the liberation of Kuwait became a source of tension between the royal family and the public until all operational US troops left the country in 2003. Major terrorist attacks in May and November 2003 spurred a strong on-going campaign against domestic terrorism and extremism. King ABDALLAH has continued the cautious reform program begun when he was crown prince. To promote increased political participation, the government held elections nationwide from February through April 2005 for half the members of 179 municipal councils. In December 2005, King ABDALLAH completed the process by appointing the remaining members of the advisory municipal councils. The country remains a leading producer of oil and natural gas and holds approximately 25% of the world's proven oil reserves. The government continues to pursue economic reform and diversification, particularly since Saudi Arabia's accession to the WTO in December 2005, and promotes foreign investment in the kingdom. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns. |
| Birth rate | 18.45 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 29.1 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $44.98 billion
expenditures: $51.07 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003) |
revenues: $193.7 billion
expenditures: $122.2 billion (2007 est.) |
| Capital | Jerusalem; note - Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv | name: Riyadh
geographic coordinates: 24 38 N, 46 43 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Climate | temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas | harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes |
| Coastline | 273 km | 2,640 km |
| Constitution | 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 | governed according to Islamic law; the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was promulgated by royal decree in 1992 |
| Country name | conventional long form: State of Israel
conventional short form: Israel local long form: Medinat Yisra'el local short form: Yisra'el |
conventional long form: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
conventional short form: Saudi Arabia local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah |
| Currency | new Israeli shekel (ILS); note - NIS is the currency abbreviation; ILS is the International Organization for Standarization (ISO) code for the NIS | - |
| Death rate | 6.19 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 2.55 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Debt - external | $70.97 billion (2003 est.) | $52.89 billion (31 December 2007 est.) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel C. KURTZER
embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 63903 mailing address: PSC 98, Box 29, APO AE 09830 telephone: [972] (3) 519-7369/7453/7454/7457/7458/7551/7575 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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Ford FRAKER
embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693 telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800 FAX: [966] (1) 488-7360 consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel AYALON
chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 364-5578 FAX: [1] (202) 364-5560 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco |
chief of mission: Ambassador Adil al-Ahmad al-JUBAYR
chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800 FAX: [1] (202) 944-3113 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, New York |
| Disputes - international | 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) | Saudi Arabia has reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the now fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal cross-border activities; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran |
| Economic aid - donor | - | since 2002, Saudi Arabia has provided more than $480 million in budgetary support to the Palestinian Authority, supported Palestinian refugees through contributions to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), provided more than $250 million to Arab League funds for the Palestinians, and pledged $500 million in assistance over the next three years at the Donors Conference in Dec 2007; pledged $230 million to development in Afghanistan; pledged $1 billion in export guarantees and soft loans to Iraq; pledged $133 million in direct grant aid, $187 million in concessional loans, and $153 million in export credits for Pakistan earthquake relief; pledged a total of $1.59 billion to Lebanon in assistance and deposits to the Central Bank of Lebanon in 2006 and pledged an additional $1.1 billion in early 2007 |
| Economic aid - recipient | $662 million from US (2003 est.) | $26.29 million (2005) |
| Economy - overview | 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 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 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 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 grew at 1% in 2003, with improvements in tourism and foreign direct investment. In 2004, rising business and consumer confidence - as well as higher demand for Israeli exports - boosted GDP by 2.7%. | Saudi Arabia has an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. It possesses more than 20% of the world's proven petroleum reserves, ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 40% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly 5.5 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, particularly in the oil and service sectors. High oil prices have boosted growth, government revenues, and Saudi ownership of foreign assets, while enabling Riyadh to pay down domestic debt. The government is encouraging private sector growth - especially in power generation, telecommunications, natural gas exploration, and petrochemicals - to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil exports and to increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population, 40% of which are youths under 15 years old. Unemployment is high, and the large youth population generally lacks the education and technical skills the private sector needs. Riyadh has substantially boosted spending on job training and education, infrastructure development, and government salaries. As part of its effort to attract foreign investment and diversify the economy, Saudi Arabia acceded to the WTO in December 2005 after many years of negotiations. The government has announced plans to establish six "economic cities" in different regions of the country to promote development and diversification. |
| Electricity - consumption | 37.82 billion kWh (2001) | 146.9 billion kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - exports | 1.457 billion kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - production | 42.24 billion kWh (2001) | 165.6 billion kWh (2005) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m |
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m |
| 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 | desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Ethnic groups | 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.) | Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10% |
| Exchange rates | new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001), 4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999) | Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.745 (2007), 3.745 (2006), 3.747 (2005), 3.75 (2004), 3.75 (2003) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Moshe KATZAV (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 is largely a ceremonial role and is elected by the Knesset for a seven-year term; election last held 31 July 2000 (next to be held mid-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 schedulde to be held fall of 2006) election results: Moshe KATZAV 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 |
chief of state: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of the monarch, born 5 January 1928) note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005) cabinet: Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch every four years and includes many royal family members elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; note - a new Allegiance Commission created by royal decree in October 2006 established a committee of Saudi princes that will play a role in selecting future Saudi kings, but the new system will not take effect until after Crown Prince Sultan becomes king |
| Exports | NA (2001) | 8.9 million bbl/day (2007 est.) |
| Exports - commodities | machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel | petroleum and petroleum products 90% |
| Exports - partners | US 38.4%, Belgium 7.4%, Hong Kong 4.8% (2003) | Japan 17.7%, US 15.8%, South Korea 9%, China 7.2%, Taiwan 4.6%, Singapore 4.4% (2006) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Flag description | 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 | green, a traditional color in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (translated as "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God") above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); design dates to the early twentieth century and is closely associated with the Al Saud family which established the kingdom in 1932 |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $120.9 billion (2003 est.) | - |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 2.8%
industry: 37.7% services: 59.5% (2003 est.) |
agriculture: 3%
industry: 61.8% services: 35.2% (2007 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $19,800 (2003 est.) | - |
| GDP - real growth rate | 1.3% (2003 est.) | 4.7% (2007 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 31 30 N, 34 45 E | 25 00 N, 45 00 E |
| 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 | extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal |
| Heliports | 3 (2003 est.) | 8 (2007) |
| Highways | total: 16,281 km
paved: 16,281 km (including 56 km of expressways) unpaved: NA (2000) |
- |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 28.3% (1997) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Illicit drugs | increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan; money-laundering center | death penalty for traffickers; improving anti-money-laundering legislation and enforcement |
| Imports | NA (2001) | 0 bbl/day (2004) |
| Imports - commodities | raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles |
| Imports - partners | US 15.6%, Belgium 9.3%, Germany 8%, UK 6.7%, Switzerland 6.1%, Italy 4.1% (2003) | US 12.2%, Germany 9.1%, China 7.9%, Japan 7.3%, UK 4.8%, Italy 4.8%, South Korea 4.1% (2006) |
| Independence | 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) | 23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom) |
| Industrial production growth rate | -0.6% (2003 est.) | 0.2% (2007 est.) |
| Industries | 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 | crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, fertilizer, plastics, metals, commercial ship repair, commercial aircraft repair, construction |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 7.21 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.96 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
total: 12.41 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 14.24 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 0.7% (2003 est.) | 3.4% (2007 est.) |
| International organization participation | BIS, BSEC (observer), CE (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, OAS (observer), OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BIS, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Irrigated land | 1,990 sq km (1998 est.) | 16,200 sq km (2003) |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court (justices appointed for life by the president) | Supreme Council of Justice |
| Labor force | 2.61 million (2003 est.) | 6.488 million
note: more than 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2007 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture, forestry, and fishing 2.6%, manufacturing 20.2%, construction 7.5%, commerce 12.8%, transport, storage, and communications 6.2%, finance and business 13.1%, personal and other services 6.4%, public services 31.2% (1996) | agriculture: 12%
industry: 25% services: 63% (1999 est.) |
| Land boundaries | 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 |
total: 4,431 km
border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km |
| Land use | arable land: 16.39%
permanent crops: 4.17% other: 79.44% (2001) |
arable land: 1.67%
permanent crops: 0.09% other: 98.24% (2005) |
| Languages | Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language | Arabic |
| Legal system | 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 | based on Shari'a law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Legislative branch | unicameral Knesset or parliament (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 28 January 2003 (next scheduled to be held fall of 2006) 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 Assembly 2.3%, Yisra'el Ba'Aliya (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 Assembly 3, YBA 2, United Arab List 2 |
Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (150 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms); note - though the Council of Ministers announced in October 2003 its intent to introduce elections for half of the members of local and provincial assemblies and a third of the members of the national Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura, incrementally over a period of four to five years, to date no such elections have been held or announced |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 79.17 years
male: 77.08 years female: 81.37 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 75.88 years
male: 73.85 years female: 78.02 years (2007 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.4% male: 97.3% female: 93.6% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 78.8% male: 84.7% female: 70.8% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon | Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen |
| Map references | Middle East | Middle East |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: not specified |
| Merchant marine | total: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 752,873 GRT/881,711 DWT
by type: container 18 registered in other countries: 40 (2004 est.) |
total: 59 ships (1000 GRT or over) 847,094 GRT/1,059,026 DWT
by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 15, container 4, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 8 foreign-owned: 10 (Egypt 1, Greece 2, Kuwait 6, UAE 1) registered in other countries: 63 (Bahamas 15, Comoros 1, Dominica 1, France 1, Liberia 24, Marshall Islands 4, Norway 3, Panama 14) (2007) |
| Military branches | Israel Defense Forces (IDF): Ground Corps (including Pioneer Fighting Youth (Nahal)), Navy, Air Force(including Air Defense Forces); note - historically there have been no separate Israeli military services | Land Forces (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $9.11 billion (FY03) | - |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 8.7% (FY02) | 10% (2005 est.) |
| Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 1,581,883
females age 15-49: 1,532,234 (2004 est.) |
- |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,294,742
females age 15-49: 1,250,969 (2004 est.) |
- |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 51,054
females: 53,515 (2004 est.) |
- |
| National holiday | 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 | Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932) |
| Nationality | noun: Israeli(s)
adjective: Israeli |
noun: Saudi(s)
adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian |
| Natural hazards | sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes | frequent sand and dust storms |
| Natural resources | timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper |
| Net migration rate | 0.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | -5.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Pipelines | gas 140 km; oil 1,509 km (2004) | condensate 212 km; gas 1,880 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,183 km; oil 4,521 km; refined products 1,148 km (2007) |
| Political parties and leaders | Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) [Muhammad BARAKA]; Green Leaf Party (no longer active) [Boaz WACHTEL and Shlomi SANDAK]; Herut (no longer active) [Michael KLEINER]; Labor Party [Shimon PERES]; Likud Party [Ariel SHARON]; Meretz (merged with YAHAD) [Zahava GALON]; National Democratic Assembly (Balad) [Azmi BISHARA]; National Religious Party [Ephraim "Efie" EITAM]; National Union (Haichud Haleumi) [Avigdor LIBERMAN] (includes Tekuma Moledet and Yisra'el Beiteinu); One Nation [David TAL]; Shas [Eliyahu YISHAI]; Shinui [Yosef "Tommy" LAPID]; United Arab List [Abd al-Malik DAHAMSHAH]; United Torah Judaism [Yaakov LITZMAN]; YAHAD [Yossi BEILIN]; Yisra'el Ba'Aliya or YBA (merged with Likud) [Natan SHARANSKY] | none |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | 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 | none |
| Population | 6,199,008
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 2004 est.) |
27,601,038
note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2007 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 18% (2001 est.) | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 1.29% (2004 est.) | 2.06% (2007 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Ashdod, Ashqelon, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa, Tel Aviv-Yafo | - |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 2 (1998) | AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998) |
| Railways | total: 640 km
standard gauge: 640 km 1.435-m gauge (2003) |
total: 1,392 km
standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2006) |
| Religions | Jewish 80.1%, Muslim 14.6% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2.1%, other 3.2% (1996 est.) | Muslim 100% |
| Sex ratio | 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 (2004 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.314 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.11 male(s)/female total population: 1.196 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 21 years of age; male |
| 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) |
general assessment: modern system
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems; mobile-cellular subscribership has been increasing rapidly international: country code - 966; landing point for the international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) and for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks providing connectivity to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and US; microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 3.006 million (2002) | 4.5 million (2006) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 6.334 million (2002) | 19.663 million (2006) |
| Television broadcast stations | 17 (plus 36 low-power repeaters) (1995) | 117 (1997) |
| Terrain | Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley | mostly uninhabited, sandy desert |
| Total fertility rate | 2.47 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 3.94 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 10.7% (2003 est.) | 13% among Saudi males only (local bank estimate; some estimates range as high as 25%) (2004 est.) |
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