West Bank (2003) | Isle of Man (2003) | |
Administrative divisions | - | there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 24 local authorities each with its own elections |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 44.1% (male 505,880; female 481,369)
15-64 years: 52.4% (male 598,992; female 572,511) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 33,688; female 44,754) (2003 est.) |
0-14 years: 17.5% (male 6,637; female 6,337)
15-64 years: 65.4% (male 24,373; female 24,165) 65 years and over: 17.1% (male 5,102; female 7,647) (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products | cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry |
Airports | 3 (2002) | 1 (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total: 5,860 sq km
land: 5,640 sq km water: 220 sq km note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967 |
total: 572 sq km
land: 572 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Delaware | slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993, provided for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes the Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of the interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement. The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility during the transitional period for external security and for internal security and public order of settlements and Israeli citizens. Direct negotiations to determine the permanent status of Gaza and West Bank had begun in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus, but have been derailed by a second intifadah that broke out in September 2000. The resulting widespread violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israel's military response, and instability within the Palestinian Authority continue to undermine progress toward a permanent agreement. | Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th century when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost extinct Manx Celtic language. |
Birth rate | 34.07 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 11.38 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $930 million
expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $15 million note: includes Gaza Strip (2000 est.) |
revenues: $485 million
expenditures: $463 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) |
Capital | - | Douglas |
Climate | temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters | temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about one-third of the time |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 160 km |
Constitution | - | unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act, 1961, does not embody the Manx Constitution |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: West Bank |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Isle of Man |
Currency | new Israeli shekel (ILS); Jordanian dinar (JOD) | British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Manx pound |
Death rate | 4.16 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 11.49 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $108 million (includes Gaza Strip) (1997 est.) | $NA |
Dependency status | - | British crown dependency |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | none (British crown dependency) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | none (British crown dependency) |
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 | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $800 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2001 est.) | $NA |
Economy - overview | Real per capita GDP for the West Bank and Gaza Strip (WBGS) declined by about one-third between 1992 and 1996 due to the combined effect of falling aggregate incomes and rapid population growth. The downturn in economic activity was largely the result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of border closures in response to security incidents in Israel - which disrupted labor and commodity market relationships between Israel and the WBGS. The most serious social effect of this downturn was rising unemployment; unemployment in the WBGS during the 1980s was generally under 5%; by 1995 it had risen to over 20%. Israel's use of comprehensive closures during the next five years decreased and, in 1998, Israel implemented new policies to reduce the impact of closures and other security procedures on the movement of Palestinian goods and labor. These changes fueled an almost three-year-long economic recovery in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; real GDP grew by 5% in 1998 and 6% in 1999. Recovery was upended in the last quarter of 2000 with the outbreak of violence, which triggered tight Israeli closures of Palestinian self-rule areas and severely disrupted trade and labor movements. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in Palestinian Authority areas have resulted in the destruction of much capital plant and administrative structure, widespread business closures, and a sharp drop in GDP. Another major loss has been the decline in earnings of Palestinian workers in Israel. International aid of $2 billion in 2001-02 to the West Bank and Gaza Strip have prevented the complete collapse of the economy. | Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the economy. The government's policy of offering incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on the island has paid off in expanding employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their shares of GDP. Trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - imports | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - production | NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants | - |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m |
lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m
highest point: Snaefell 621 m |
Environment - current issues | adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment | waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air pollution |
Ethnic groups | Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17% | Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Briton |
Exchange rates | new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001), 4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999), 3.8001 (1998), 3.4494 (1997); Jordanian dinars per US dollar - fixed rate of 0.7090 (from 1996) | Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998); the Manx pound is at par with the British pound |
Executive branch | - | chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Ian MACFADYEN (since 26 October 2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Richard CORKILL (since 6 December 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch for a five-year term; the Chief Minister is elected by the Tynwald; election last held 6 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2006) election results: Richard CORKILL elected chief minister by the Tynwald |
Exports | $603 million f.o.b., includes Gaza Strip | $NA |
Exports - commodities | olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone | tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb |
Exports - partners | Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2000) | UK (2000 est.) |
Fiscal year | calendar year (since 1 January 1992) | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | - | red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $1.7 billion (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1.6 billion (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 9%
industry: 28% services: 63% note: includes Gaza Strip (1999 est.) |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 13% services: 86% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $800 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $21,000 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | -22% (2002 est.) | 13.5% |
Geographic coordinates | 32 00 N, 35 15 E | 54 15 N, 4 30 W |
Geography - note | landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank and 29 in East Jerusalem (February 2002 est.) | one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a bird sanctuary |
Highways | total: 4,500 km
paved: 2,700 km unpaved: 1,800 km note: Israelis have developed many highways to service Jewish settlements (1997 est.) |
total: 800 km
paved: 800 km unpaved: 0 km (1999) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | $1.9 billion c.i.f., includes Gaza Strip | $NA |
Imports - commodities | food, consumer goods, construction materials | timber, fertilizers, fish |
Imports - partners | Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2000) | UK (2000) |
Independence | - | none (British crown dependency) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 3.2% (FY 96/97) |
Industries | generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers | financial services, light manufacturing, tourism |
Infant mortality rate | total: 20.68 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 22.86 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
total: 6.17 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.24 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.2% (includes Gaza Strip) (2001 est.) | 3.6% (March 2003 est.) |
International organization participation | - | none |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 8 (1999) | NA |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 0 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | - | High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor) |
Labor force | NA | 36,610 (1998) |
Labor force - by occupation | services 66%, industry 21%, agriculture 13% (1996) | agriculture, forestry and fishing 3%, manufacturing 11%, construction 10%, transport and communication 8%, wholesale and retail distribution 11%, professional and scientific services 18%, public administration 6%, banking and finance 18%, tourism 2%, entertainment and catering 3%, miscellaneous services 10% |
Land boundaries | total: 404 km
border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: NEGL%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland) (1998 est.) |
Languages | Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood) | English, Manx Gaelic |
Legal system | - | English common law and Manx statute |
Legislative branch | - | bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (an 11-member body composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and 8 others named by the House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held 22 November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2006) election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - Man Labor Party 17.3%, Alliance for Progressive Government 14.6%; seats by party - Man Labor Party 2, Alliance for Progressive Government 3, independents 19 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 72.68 years
male: 70.95 years female: 74.51 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 77.98 years
male: 74.62 years female: 81.53 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Middle East, west of Jordan | Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland |
Map references | Middle East | Europe |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total: 211 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,297,301 GRT/8,703,079 DWT
ships by type: bulk 26, cargo 32, chemical tanker 20, combination bulk 2, container 22, liquefied gas 38, petroleum tanker 49, roll on/roll off 16, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 5 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Denmark 45, France 1, Germany 48, Greece 6, Hong Kong 10, Iceland 1, Italy 8, Monaco 7, Netherlands 3, Norway 5, Sweden 4, Switzerland 2, UK 70, US 1 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | - |
National holiday | - | Tynwald Day, 5 July |
Nationality | noun: NA
adjective: NA |
noun: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)
adjective: Manx |
Natural hazards | droughts | NA |
Natural resources | arable land | none |
Net migration rate | 3.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 5.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Man Labor Party [leader NA]; Alliance for Progressive Government [leader NA]; Man Nationalist Party [leader NA]
note: most members sit as independents |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | none |
Population | 2,237,194 (July 2002 est.)
note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (February 2002 est.) (July 2003 est.) |
74,261 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 60% (2002 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 3.3% (2003 est.) | 0.53% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none | Castletown, Douglas, Peel, Ramsey |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
note: the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts from an AM station in Ramallah on 675 kHz; numerous local, private stations are reported to be in operation (2000) |
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Railways | 0 km | total: 60 km (35 km electrified) (2002) |
Religions | Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8% | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2003 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: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: NA note: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for communication services in the West Bank |
general assessment: NA
domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable |
Telephones - main lines in use | 95,729 (total for West Bank and Gaza Strip) (1997) | 51,000 (1999) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | NA |
Television broadcast stations | NA | 0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999) |
Terrain | mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east | hills in north and south bisected by central valley |
Total fertility rate | 4.65 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 1.65 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 50% (includes Gaza Strip) (2002 est.) | 0.7% (March 2003) |
Waterways | none | none |