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Compare Israel (2006) - British Virgin Islands (2004)

Compare Israel (2006) z British Virgin Islands (2004)

 Israel (2006)British Virgin Islands (2004)
 IsraelBritish Virgin Islands
Administrative divisions 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv none (overseas territory of the UK)
Age structure 0-14 years: 26.3% (male 855,054/female 815,619)


15-64 years: 63.9% (male 2,044,135/female 2,016,647)


65 years and over: 9.8% (male 266,671/female 353,991) (2006 est.)
0-14 years: 21.5% (male 2,402; female 2,361)


15-64 years: 73.5% (male 8,395; female 7,911)


65 years and over: 5% (male 594; female 524) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Airports 53 (2006) 3 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 30


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: 6 (2006)
total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 23


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 20 (2006)
total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Area total: 20,770 sq km


land: 20,330 sq km


water: 440 sq km
total: 153 sq km


land: 153 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada
Area - comparative slightly smaller than New Jersey about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
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. 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 Palestinian-Israeli violence between September 2000 and February 2005. An agreement reached at Sharm al-Sheikh in February 2005 significantly reduced the violence. The election in January 2005 of Mahmud ABBAS as the new Palestinian leader following the November 2004 death of Yasir ARAFAT, the formation of a Likud-Labor-United Torah Judaism coalition government in January 2005, and the successful Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip (August-September 2005), presented an opportunity for a renewed peace effort. However, internal Israeli political events between October and December 2005 have destabilized the political situation and forced early elections, scheduled for March 2006. First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in 1672 by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency.
Birth rate 17.97 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 14.96 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $43.82 billion


expenditures: $58.04 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
revenues: $121.5 million


expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997)
Capital name: Jerusalem; note - Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv


geographic coordinates: 32 05 N, 34 48 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
Road Town
Climate temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Coastline 273 km 80 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 1 June 1977
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: none


conventional short form: British Virgin Islands


abbreviation: BVI
Currency - US dollar (USD)
Death rate 6.18 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $75.55 billion (2005 est.) $36.1 million (1997)
Dependency status - overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing
Diplomatic representation from the US 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
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US 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
none (overseas territory of the UK)
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; 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 none
Economic aid - recipient $662 million from US (2003 est.) NA
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 rebounded in 2003 and 2004, growing at a 4% rate each year, as the government tightened fiscal policy and implemented structural reforms to boost competition and efficiency in the markets. In 2005, rising consumer confidence, tourism, and foreign direct investment - as well as higher demand for Israeli exports - boosted GDP by 4.7%. The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. Tourism suffered in 2002 because of the lackluster US economy. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959.
Electricity - consumption 39.67 billion kWh (2003) 35.43 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 1.47 billion kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 44.24 billion kWh (2003) 38.1 million kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Sage 521 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 limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments)
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
-
Ethnic groups 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) black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed
Exchange rates new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001) the US dollar is used
Executive branch chief of state: President Moshe KATZAV (since 31 July 2000)


head of government: Prime Minister Ehud OLMERT (since May 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Tzipora "Tzipi" LIVNI (since May 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 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 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 continued 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; controversy surrounding SHARON's disengagement plan ultimately led to the formation of a Likud-Labor-United Torah Judaism (UTJ) coalition government in January 2005
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002)


head of government: Chief Minister Orlando D. SMITH (since 17 June 2003)


cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor
Exports NA bbl/day NA (2001)
Exports - commodities machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
Exports - partners US 36.5%, Belgium 8.7%, Hong Kong 5.6% (2005) Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Fiscal year calendar year 1 April - 31 March
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 blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)
GDP - purchasing power parity - $320 million (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 2.6%


industry: 31.7%


services: 65.7% (2003 est.)
agriculture: 1.8%


industry: 6.2%


services: 92% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5.2% (2005 est.) 1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 31 30 N, 34 45 E 18 30 N, 64 30 W
Geography - note 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 strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
Heliports 3 (2006) -
Highways - total: 177 km


paved: 177 km


unpaved: 0 km (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 transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering
Imports NA bbl/day NA (2001)
Imports - commodities raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
Imports - partners US 13.4%, Belgium 10.1%, Germany 6.4%, UK 5.7%, Switzerland 5.5%, China 4.2% (2005) Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Independence 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) none (overseas territory of the UK)
Industrial production growth rate 2.8% (2005 est.) NA
Industries 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 tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
Infant mortality rate total: 6.89 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 7.61 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 6.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
total: 18.05 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 21.02 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 14.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.3% (2005 est.) 2.5% (2002)
International organization participation BIS, BSEC (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, OAS (observer), OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate), UPU
Irrigated land 1,940 sq km (2003) NA sq km
Judicial branch Supreme Court (justices appointed by Judicial Selection Committee - made up of all three branches of the government; mandatory retirement age is 70) Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Labor force 2.42 million (2005 est.) 4,911 (1980)
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 NA, industry NA, services NA
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
0 km
Land use arable land: 15.45%


permanent crops: 3.88%


other: 80.67% (2005)
arable land: 20%


permanent crops: 6.67%


other: 73.33% (2001)
Languages Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language English (official)
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 English law
Legislative branch unicameral Knesset (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 29 March 2006 (next scheduled to be held in 2010)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; 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
unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5
Life expectancy at birth total population: 79.46 years


male: 77.33 years


female: 81.7 years (2006 est.)
total population: 76.27 years


male: 75.24 years


female: 77.36 years (2004 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: 97.8% (1991 est.)


male: NA


female: NA
Location Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references Middle East Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
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 (Bahamas 1, Bermuda 3, Cyprus 3, Honduras 1, Liberia 5, Malta 23, Panama 6, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Slovakia 7) (2006)
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 83,825 GRT/155,909 DWT


by type: cargo 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1


foreign-owned: Norway 1


registered in other countries: 32 (2004 est.)
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches Israel Defense Forces (IDF): Army Headquarters, Israel Navy, Israeli Air and Space Force (ISAF, includes air defense forces); historically there have been no separate Israeli military services (2005) -
Military expenditures - dollar figure $9.45 billion (2005 est.) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 7.7% (2005 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 Territory Day, 1 July
Nationality noun: Israeli(s)


adjective: Israeli
noun: British Virgin Islander(s)


adjective: British Virgin Islander
Natural hazards sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Natural resources timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand NEGL
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) 10.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines gas 193 km; oil 442 km; refined products 261 km (2006) -
Political parties and leaders Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (HADASH) [Muhammad BARAKA]; GIL (Pensioners) [Rafael EITAN]; Kadima [Ehud OLMERT]; Labor Party [Amir PERETZ]; Likud Party [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]; Yisrael Ba'Aliya (merged with Likud) Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL]
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 NA
Population 6,352,117


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 2006 est.)
22,187 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line 21% (2005) NA
Population growth rate 1.18% (2006 est.) 2.06% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors - Road Town
Radio broadcast stations AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 2 (1998) AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways total: 853 km


standard gauge: 853 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)
-
Religions Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004) Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991)
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 (2006 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female


total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
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: worldwide telephone service


domestic: NA


international: country code - 1-284; submarine cable to Bermuda
Telephones - main lines in use 2,936,300 (2005) 11,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 7.757 million (2005) 8,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 17 (plus 36 low-power repeaters) (1995) 1 (plus one cable company) (1997)
Terrain Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Total fertility rate 2.41 children born/woman (2006 est.) 1.72 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 9% (2005 est.) 3% (1995)
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