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Compare Panama (2008) - Israel (2003)

Compare Panama (2008) z Israel (2003)

 Panama (2008)Israel (2003)
 PanamaIsrael
Administrative divisions 9 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 territory* (comarca); Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, San Blas*(Kuna Yala), and Veraguas 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
Age structure 0-14 years: 30% (male 496,195/female 476,508)


15-64 years: 63.6% (male 1,044,139/female 1,016,805)


65 years and over: 6.4% (male 97,365/female 111,161) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 26.9% (male 842,885; female 803,864)


15-64 years: 63.2% (male 1,941,440; female 1,922,512)


65 years and over: 9.9% (male 260,315; female 345,517) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane, vegetables; livestock; shrimp citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products
Airports 116 (2007) 52 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 54


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 18


under 914 m: 29 (2007)
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: 62


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 50 (2007)
total: 24


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 20 (2002)
Area total: 78,200 sq km


land: 75,990 sq km


water: 2,210 sq km
total: 20,770 sq km


land: 20,330 sq km


water: 440 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than South Carolina slightly smaller than New Jersey
Background Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador - named the Republic of Gran Colombia. When the latter dissolved in 1830, Panama remained part of Colombia. With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and promptly signed a treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the structure (the Panama Canal Zone). The Panama Canal was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. In 1977, an agreement was signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama by the end of the century. Certain portions of the Zone and increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the subsequent decades. With US help, dictator Manuel NORIEGA was deposed in 1989. The entire Panama Canal, the area supporting the Canal, and remaining US military bases were transferred to Panama by the end of 1999. In October 2006, Panamanians approved an ambitious plan to expand the Canal. The project, which is to begin in 2007 and could double the Canal's capacity, is expected to be completed in 2014-15. 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 21.45 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 18.67 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $5.206 billion


expenditures: $5.089 billion (2007 est.)
revenues: $38.5 billion


expenditures: $45.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2002 est.)
Capital name: Panama


geographic coordinates: 8 58 N, 79 32 W


time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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 tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May) temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
Coastline 2,490 km 273 km
Constitution 11 October 1972; major reforms adopted 1978, 1983, 1994, and 2004 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 Panama


conventional short form: Panama


local long form: Republica de Panama


local short form: Panama
conventional long form: State of Israel


conventional short form: Israel


local long form: Medinat Yisra'el


local short form: Yisra'el
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 5.44 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 6.2 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $10.56 billion (31 December 2007 est.) $42.8 billion (2001 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador William A. EATON


embassy: Edificio 783, Avenida Demetrio Basilio Lakas Panama, Apartado Postal 0816-02561, Zona 5, Panama City 5


mailing address: American Embassy Panama, Unit 0945, APO AA 34002


telephone: [507] 207-7000


FAX: [507] 227-1964
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 Federico HUMBERT Arias


chancery: 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 483-1407


FAX: [1] (202) 483-8416


consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa
chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel AYALON


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, and San Francisco
Disputes - international organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia operate within the remote border region with Panama 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 - recipient $19.54 million (2005) $720 million from US (2001 est.)
Economy - overview Panama's dollarized economy rests primarily on a well-developed services sector that accounts for three-fourths of GDP. Services include operating the Panama Canal, banking, the Colon Free Zone, insurance, container ports, flagship registry, and tourism. Economic growth will be bolstered by the Panama Canal expansion project that began in 2007 and should be completed by 2014 at a cost of $5.3 billion (about 30% of current GDP). The expansion project will more than double the Canal's capacity, enabling it to accommodate ships that are now too large to transverse the transoceanic crossway and should help to reduce the high unemployment rate. The government has implemented tax reforms, as well as social security reforms, and backs regional trade agreements and development of tourism. Not a CAFTA signatory, Panama in December 2006 independently negotiated a free trade agreement with the US, which, when implemented, will help promote the country's economic growth. 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 significant 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 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; growth began moderating in 1996 when the government imposed tighter fiscal and monetary policies and the immigration bonus petered out. Growth was a strong 7.2% in 2000, but 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.
Electricity - consumption 4.735 billion kWh (2005) 37.82 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 51 million kWh (2005) 1.457 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 55 million kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 5.661 billion kWh (2005) 42.24 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 99.9%


hydro: 0.1%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Volcan Baru 3,475 m
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m
Environment - current issues water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens fishery resources; deforestation of tropical rain forest; land degradation and soil erosion threatens siltation of Panama Canal; air pollution in urban areas; mining threatens natural resources 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, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
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 mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 70%, Amerindian and mixed (West Indian) 14%, white 10%, Amerindian 6% 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 balboas per US dollar - 1 (2007), 1 (2006), 1 (2005), 1 (2004), 1 (2003) new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.74 (2002), 4.21 (2001), 4.08 (2000), 4.14 (1999), 3.8 (1998)
Executive branch chief of state: President Martin TORRIJOS Espino (since 1 September 2004); First Vice President Samuel LEWIS Navarro (since 1 September 2004); Second Vice President Ruben AROSEMENA Valdes (since 1 September 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Martin TORRIJOS Espino (since 1 September 2004); First Vice President Samuel LEWIS Navarro (since 1 September 2004); Second Vice President Ruben AROSEMENA Valdes (since 1 September 2004)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president


elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms (eligible for two more terms); election last held 2 May 2004 (next to be held on 3 May 2009); note - beginning in 2009, Panama will have only one vice president.


election results: Martin TORRIJOS Espino elected president; percent of vote - Martin TORRIJOS Espino 47.5%, Guillermo ENDARA Galimany 30.6%, Jose Miguel ALEMAN 17%, Ricardo MARTINELLI 4.9%


note: government coalition - PRD (Democratic Revolutionary Party), PP (Popular Party)
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 4,140 bbl/day (2004) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities bananas, shrimp, sugar, coffee, clothing machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
Exports - partners US 39.8%, Spain 8.1%, Netherlands 6.7%, Sweden 5.6%, Costa Rica 4.5% (2006) US 39.2%, Belgium 6.5%, Germany 4.4%, UK 4.2% (2002)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white (hoist side) with a blue five-pointed star in the center and plain red; the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center 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 - $117.4 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 6.8%


industry: 16.2%


services: 77% (2007 est.)
agriculture: 3%


industry: 30%


services: 67% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $19,500 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 7.8% (2007 est.) -0.8% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 9 00 N, 80 00 W 31 30 N, 34 45 E
Geography - note strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean 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 2 (2007) 3 (2002)
Highways - total: 16,281 km


paved: 16,281 km (including 56 km of expressways)


unpaved: 0 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 0.7%


highest 10%: 43% (2003)
lowest 10%: 2.4%


highest 10%: 28.3% (1997)
Illicit drugs major cocaine transshipment point and primary money-laundering center for narcotics revenue; money-laundering activity is especially heavy in the Colon Free Zone; offshore financial center; negligible signs of coca cultivation; monitoring of financial transactions is improving; official corruption remains a major problem increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan
Imports 92,170 bbl/day (2004) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, chemicals raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods
Imports - partners US 27%, Netherlands Antilles 10.1%, Costa Rica 5.1%, Japan 4.7% (2006) US 21.6%, Belgium 8.9%, Germany 6.7%, UK 6.6%, Switzerland 4.9%, Italy 4.5% (2002)
Independence 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821) 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Industrial production growth rate 7.8% (2007 est.) -1.5% (2002 est.)
Industries construction, brewing, cement and other construction materials, sugar milling 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 total: 15.96 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 17.33 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 14.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 7.37 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 8.14 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 6.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 5.1% (2007 est.) 5.7% (2002 est.)
International organization participation BCIE, CAN (observer), CSN (observer), FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO BSEC (observer), CE (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), 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, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 21 (2000)
Irrigated land 430 sq km (2003) 1,990 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (nine judges appointed for 10-year terms); five superior courts; three courts of appeal Supreme Court (justices appointed for life by the president)
Labor force 1.471 million


note: shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor (2007 est.)
2.5 million (2002 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 15%


industry: 18%


services: 67% (2006 est.)
public services 31.2%, manufacturing 20.2%, finance and business 13.1%, commerce 12.8%, construction 7.5%, personal and other services 6.4%, transport, storage, and communications 6.2%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 2.6% (1996)
Land boundaries total: 555 km


border countries: Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 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: 7.26%


permanent crops: 1.95%


other: 90.79% (2005)
arable land: 17.02%


permanent crops: 4.17%


other: 78.81% (1998 est.)
Languages Spanish (official), English 14%; note - many Panamanians bilingual Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
Legal system based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice; 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 National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (78 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - in 2009, the number of seats will change to 71


elections: last held 2 May 2004 (next to be held 3 May 2009)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRD 41, PA 17, PS 9, MOLIRENA 4, CD 3, PLN 3, PP 1


note: legislators from outlying rural districts are chosen on a plurality basis while districts located in more populous towns and cities elect multiple legislators by means of a proportion-based formula
unicameral Knesset or parliament (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 28 January 2003 (next to be held fall of 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: 75.19 years


male: 72.69 years


female: 77.8 years (2007 est.)
total population: 79.02 years


male: 76.95 years


female: 81.19 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 91.9%


male: 92.5%


female: 91.2% (2000 census)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 95.4%


male: 97.3%


female: 93.6% (2003 est.)
Location Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Middle East
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or edge of continental margin
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine total: 5,764 ships (1000 GRT or over) 159,649,801 GRT/240,190,316 DWT


by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 1,940, cargo 1,034, carrier 3, chemical tanker 507, combination ore/oil 6, container 710, liquefied gas 191, livestock carrier 7, passenger 46, passenger/cargo 72, petroleum tanker 522, refrigerated cargo 288, roll on/roll off 129, specialized tanker 22, vehicle carrier 285


foreign-owned: 4,949 (Albania 1, Argentina 8, Australia 4, Bahamas 2, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 11, Bulgaria 1, Canada 17, Chile 8, China 473, Colombia 4, Croatia 6, Cuba 11, Cyprus 15, Denmark 32, Dominican Republic 1, Ecuador 2, Egypt 13, Estonia 3, France 15, Gabon 1, Germany 38, Greece 505, Hong Kong 137, India 25, Indonesia 37, Iran 4, Ireland 1, Israel 2, Italy 10, Jamaica 1, Japan 2,151, Jordan 11, South Korea 316, Kuwait 1, Latvia 5, Lebanon 3, Lithuania 5, Malaysia 14, Maldives 1, Malta 2, Mexico 4, Monaco 11, Netherlands 14, Nigeria 6, Norway 60, Oman 1, Pakistan 5, Peru 15, Philippines 12, Poland 15, Portugal 9, Qatar 1, Romania 8, Russia 9, Saudi Arabia 14, Singapore 83, Spain 61, Sri Lanka 3, Sweden 9, Switzerland 26, Syria 24, Taiwan 306, Thailand 10, Turkey 53, Turks and Caicos Islands 1, Ukraine 8, UAE 108, UK 35, US 115, Venezuela 10, Vietnam 10, Yemen 5)


registered in other countries: 1 (Venezuela 1) (2007)
total: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 705,897 GRT/823,605 DWT


ships by type: container 17, roll on/roll off 1 (2002 est.)
Military - note on 10 February 1990, the government of then President ENDARA abolished Panama's military and reformed the security apparatus by creating the Panamanian Public Forces; in October 1994, Panama's Legislative Assembly approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting the creation of a standing military force, but allowing the temporary establishment of special police units to counter acts of "external aggression" -
Military branches an amendment to the Constitution abolished the armed forces, but there are security forces (Panamanian Public Forces or PPF includes the Panamanian National Police, National Maritime Service, and National Air Service) 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 - $8.97 billion (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1% (2006) 8.75% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 1,562,716


females age 15-49: 1,516,505


note: both sexes are liable for military service (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 1,279,277


females age 15-49: 1,237,926 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 51,080


females: 53,496 (2003 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 3 November (1903) 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: Panamanian(s)


adjective: Panamanian
noun: Israeli(s)


adjective: Israeli
Natural hazards occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes
Natural resources copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand
Net migration rate -0.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 1.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines - gas 100 km; oil 1,509 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders Democratic Change or CD [Ricardo MARTINELLI]; Democratic Revolutionary Party or PRD [Hugo GUIRAUD]; Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or MOLIRENA [Gisela CHUNG]; Panamenista Party or PA [Juan Carlos VARELA] (formerly the Arnulfista Party); Patriotic Union Party or PU (combination of the Liberal National Party or PLN and the Solidarity Party or PS)[Jose Raul MULINO and Anibal GALINDO]; Popular Party or PP [Rene ORILLAC] (formerly Christian Democratic Party or PDC) Center Party [Dan MERIDOR]; Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) [Muhammad BARAKA]; Democratic Movement [Roman BRONFMAN]; Gesher [David LEVI]; Green Leaf Party [Boaz WACHTEL and Shlomi SANDAK]; 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 Chamber of Commerce; National Civic Crusade; National Council of Organized Workers or CONATO; National Council of Private Enterprise or CONEP; National Union of Construction and Similar Workers (SUNTRACS); Panamanian Association of Business Executives or APEDE; Panamanian Industrialists Society or SIP; Workers Confederation of the Republic of Panama or CTRP 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 3,242,173 (July 2007 est.) 6,116,533 (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.) (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 37% (1999 est.) 18% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate 1.564% (2007 est.) 1.39% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors - Ashdod, Ashqelon, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa, Tel Aviv-Yafo
Radio broadcast stations AM 101, FM 134, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 2 (1998)
Railways total: 355 km


standard gauge: 77 km 1.435-m gauge


narrow gauge: 278 km 0.914-m gauge (2006)
total: 640 km


standard gauge: 640 km 1.435-m gauge (2002)
Religions Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15% Jewish 80.1%, Muslim 14.6% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2.1%, other 3.2% (1996 est.)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.041 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.027 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.876 male(s)/female


total population: 1.021 male(s)/female (2007 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 (2003 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal and compulsory 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: domestic and international facilities well developed


domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone density is approaching 70 telephones per 100 persons


international: country code - 507; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1), the MAYA-1, and PAN-AM submarine cable systems that together provide links to the US, and parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to the Central American Microwave 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: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 432,900 (2006) 2.8 million (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.694 million (2005) 2.5 million (1999)
Television broadcast stations 38 (including repeaters) (1998) 17 (plus 36 low-power repeaters) (1995)
Terrain interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley
Total fertility rate 2.66 children born/woman (2007 est.) 2.5 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 7.2% (2007 est.) 10.4% (2002 est.)
Waterways 800 km (includes 82 km Panama Canal) (2007) none
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