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Compare Virgin Islands (2001) - Israel (2006)

Compare Virgin Islands (2001) z Israel (2006)

 Virgin Islands (2001)Israel (2006)
 Virgin IslandsIsrael
Administrative divisions none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
Age structure 0-14 years:
27.27% (male 17,121; female 16,204)

15-64 years:
63.92% (male 35,391; female 42,727)

65 years and over:
8.81% (male 4,638; female 6,130) (2001 est.)
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.)
Agriculture - products fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products
Airports 2

note:
international airports on Saint Thomas and Saint Croix (2000 est.)
53 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total:
2

1,524 to 2,437 m:
2 (2000 est.)
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)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 23


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 20 (2006)
Area total:
352 sq km

land:
349 sq km

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


land: 20,330 sq km


water: 440 sq km
Area - comparative twice the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than New Jersey
Background During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848. 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.
Birth rate 15.9 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 17.97 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues:
$364.4 million

expenditures:
$364.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
revenues: $43.82 billion


expenditures: $58.04 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Capital Charlotte Amalie 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
Climate subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
Coastline 188 km 273 km
Constitution Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 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:
United States Virgin Islands

conventional short form:
Virgin Islands

former:
Danish West Indies
conventional long form: State of Israel


conventional short form: Israel


local long form: Medinat Yisra'el


local short form: Yisra'el
Currency US dollar (USD) -
Death rate 5.47 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 6.18 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $NA $75.55 billion (2005 est.)
Dependency status organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (territory of 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
Diplomatic representation in the US none (territory of 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
Disputes - international none West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew its settlers and military from the Gaza Strip and from four settlements in the West Bank in August 2005; Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan Heights); since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) headquartered in Jerusalem monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region
Economic aid - recipient $NA $662 million from US (2003 est.)
Economy - overview Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for more than 70% of GDP and 70% of employment. The islands normally host 2 million visitors a year. The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. The agricultural sector is small, with most food being imported. International business and financial services are a small but growing component of the economy. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The islands are subject to substantial damage from storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, support construction projects in the private sector, expand tourist facilities, and protect the environment. 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%.
Electricity - consumption 948.6 million kWh (1999) 39.67 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 1.47 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production 1.02 billion kWh (1999) 44.24 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
100%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m

highest point:
Crown Mountain 474 m
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m
Environment - current issues lack of natural freshwater 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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups black 80%, white 15%, other 5%

note:
West Indian (45% born in the Virgin Islands and 29% born elsewhere in the West Indies) 74%, US mainland 13%, Puerto Rican 5%, other 8%
Jewish 76.4% (of which Israel-born 67.1%, Europe/America-born 22.6%, Africa-born 5.9%, Asia-born 4.2%), non-Jewish 23.6% (mostly Arab) (2004)
Exchange rates the US dollar is used new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001)
Executive branch chief of state:
President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (Since 20 January 2001)

head of government:
Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5 January 1999) and Lieutenant Governor Gererd LUZ James II (since 5 January 1999)

cabinet:
NA

elections:
US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 3 November 1998 (next to be held NA November 2002)

election results:
Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL elected governor; percent of vote - Dr. Charles W. TURNBULL (Democrat) 58.9%, former Governor Roy L. SCHNEIDER (ICM) 41.1%
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
Exports $NA NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities refined petroleum products machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
Exports - partners US, Puerto Rico US 36.5%, Belgium 8.7%, Hong Kong 5.6% (2005)
Fiscal year 1 October - 30 September calendar year
Flag description white, with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel 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 - $1.8 billion (2000 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
NA%

industry:
NA%

services:
NA%
agriculture: 2.6%


industry: 31.7%


services: 65.7% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $15,000 (2000 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate NA% 5.2% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 18 20 N, 64 50 W 31 30 N, 34 45 E
Geography - note important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural, deepwater harbors in the Caribbean there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 0 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 2005 est.); Sea of Galilee is an important freshwater source
Heliports - 3 (2006)
Highways total:
856 km

paved:
NA km

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

highest 10%:
NA%
lowest 10%: 2.4%


highest 10%: 28.3% (1997)
Illicit drugs - increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan; money-laundering center
Imports $NA NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods
Imports - partners US, Puerto Rico US 13.4%, Belgium 10.1%, Germany 6.4%, UK 5.7%, Switzerland 5.5%, China 4.2% (2005)
Independence - 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 2.8% (2005 est.)
Industries tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics high-technology projects (including aviation, communications, computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics, fiber optics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, construction, metals products, chemical products, plastics, diamond cutting, textiles, footwear
Infant mortality rate 9.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) 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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% 1.3% (2005 est.)
International organization participation ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC 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
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 50 (2000) -
Irrigated land NA sq km 1,940 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction); Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms) Supreme Court (justices appointed by Judicial Selection Committee - made up of all three branches of the government; mandatory retirement age is 70)
Labor force 47,443 (1990 est.) 2.42 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 1%, industry 20%, services 79% (1990 est.) 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)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 1,017 km


border countries: Egypt 266 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km
Land use arable land:
15%

permanent crops:
6%

permanent pastures:
26%

forests and woodland:
6%

other:
47% (1993 est.)
arable land: 15.45%


permanent crops: 3.88%


other: 80.67% (2005)
Languages English (official), Spanish, Creole Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
Legal system based on US laws 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 Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)

elections:
last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2002)

election results:
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 6, ICM 2, independents 7

note:
the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2002); results - Donna M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON (Democrat) elected
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
Life expectancy at birth total population:
78.27 years

male:
74.38 years

female:
82.39 years (2001 est.)
total population: 79.46 years


male: 77.33 years


female: 81.7 years (2006 est.)
Literacy definition:
NA

total population:
NA%

male:
NA%

female:
NA%
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 95.4%


male: 97.3%


female: 93.6% (2003 est.)
Location Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Middle East
Maritime claims exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
territorial sea: 12 nm


continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
Merchant marine none (2000 est.) 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)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the US -
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 Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (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:
Virgin Islander(s)

adjective:
Virgin Islander
noun: Israeli(s)


adjective: Israeli
Natural hazards several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes
Natural resources sun, sand, sea, surf timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand
Net migration rate 0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines - gas 193 km; oil 442 km; refined products 261 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHON]; Republican Party [Gary SCROUVE] 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)
Political pressure groups and leaders NA 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 122,211 (July 2001 est.) 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.)
Population below poverty line NA% 21% (2005)
Population growth rate 1.06% (2001 est.) 1.18% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix -
Radio broadcast stations AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios 107,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km total: 853 km


standard gauge: 853 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)
Religions Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7% Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)
Sex ratio at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.06 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
0.88 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 (2006 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal; note - indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment:
NA

domestic:
modern, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay

international:
submarine cable and satellite communications; satellite earth stations - NA
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)
Telephones - main lines in use 62,000 (1997) 2,936,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 2,000 (1992) 7.757 million (2005)
Television broadcast stations 2 (1997) 17 (plus 36 low-power repeaters) (1995)
Terrain mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley
Total fertility rate 2.25 children born/woman (2001 est.) 2.41 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate 4.9% (March 1999) 9% (2005 est.)
Waterways none -
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