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Israel Country Guide
Explore Israel in Asia
The topography includes Negev desert in the south with low coastal plain, central mountains and Jordan Rift Valley. The average density of population is approximately 313 per km². The notable climate conditions in Israel can be described as temperate with hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas. Possible natural disasters include sandstorms may occur during spring and summer or droughts or periodic earthquakes.
To reach someone in Israel dial +972 prior to a number. There are 3,250,000 installed telephones. And there are 9,022,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900/1800/3G MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".il". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 230V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Israel
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; the basic design resembles a Jewish prayer shawl (tallit), which is white with blue stripes; the hexagram as a Jewish symbol dates back to medieval times.
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 Israel occupied 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. 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. 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. Progress toward a permanent status agreement was undermined by Israeli-Palestinian violence between September 2003 and February 2005. Israel in 2005 unilaterally disengaged from the Gaza Strip, evacuating settlers and its military while retaining control over most points of entry into the Gaza Strip. The election of HAMAS to head the Palestinian Legislative Council in 2006 froze relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). In 2006 Israel engaged in a 34-day conflict with Hizballah in Lebanon in June-August 2006 and a 23-day conflict with HAMAS in the Gaza Strip during December 2008 and January 2009. Prime Minister Binyamin NETANYAHU formed a coalition in March 2009 following a February 2009 general election. Direct talks with the PA launched in September 2010 collapsed following the expiration of Israel's 10-month partial settlement construction moratorium in the West Bank.
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Asia Neighbours: Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Palestinian Territory Capital: Jerusalem |
| Size | 20,770 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 8,019 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly larger than New Jersey |
| Population | 6,500,000 |
| Currency | Name Shekel, Currency Code:ILS |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .il |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +972 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 9,022,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 3,250,000 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 20,770 (sq km) | 154 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,707,042 | 97 |
| Population growth rate | 1.50 (%) | 81 |
| Birth rate | 18.71 (births/1,000 population) | 101 |
| Death rate | 5.52 (deaths/1,000 population) | 174 |
| Net migration rate | 1.81 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 44 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 7.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 164 |
| Infant mortality rate | 4.03 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 199 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.17 (years) | 18 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.65 (children born/woman) | 76 |
| Health expenditures | 7.60 (% of GDP) | 69 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.20 (%) | 101 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 7,500 | 109 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 100 | 136 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 26.20 (%) | 49 |
| Education expenditures | 5.90 (% of GDP) | 41 |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | 11.60 (%) | 99 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 252,800,000,000 | 51 |
| GDP - real growth rate | 3.10 (%) | 105 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 32,800 | 44 |
| Labor force | 3,269,000 | 100 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.30 (%) | 64 |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 39.20 | 66 |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 19.50 (% of GDP) | 104 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 26.00 (% of GDP) | 113 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -3.90 (% of GDP) | 133 |
| Public debt | 74.40 (% of GDP) | 34 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.10 (%) | 37 |
| Central bank discount rate | 2.02 (%) | 112 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 5.54 (%) | 148 |
| Stock of narrow money | 30,230,000,000 | 58 |
| Stock of broad money | 208,800,000,000 | 39 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 180,100,000,000 | 41 |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 218,100,000,000 | 33 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 2.00 (%) | 117 |
| Current account balance | -2,579,000,000 | 146 |
| Exports | 64,740,000,000 | 54 |
| Imports | 77,590,000,000 | 40 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 75,240,000,000 | 28 |
| Debt - external | 93,560,000,000 | 50 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | 73,070,000,000 | 49 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | 74,530,000,000 | 30 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 53,550,000,000 (kWh) | 49 |
| Electricity - consumption | 45,590,000,000 (kWh) | 49 |
| Electricity - exports | 3,783,000,000 (kWh) | 34 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 12,070,000 (kW) | 50 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 99.70 (% of total installed capacity) | 53 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 0.10 (% of total installed capacity) | 149 |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 0.30 (% of total installed capacity) | 81 |
| Crude oil - production | 100 (bbl/day) | 101 |
| Crude oil - imports | 224,400 (bbl/day) | 31 |
| Crude oil - proved reserves | 11,800,000 (bbl) | 92 |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 242,100 (bbl/day) | 51 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 238,400 (bbl/day) | 54 |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 71,100 (bbl/day) | 50 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 50,490 (bbl/day) | 68 |
| Natural gas - production | 1,550,000,000 (cu m) | 62 |
| Natural gas - consumption | 3,650,000,000 (cu m) | 69 |
| Natural gas - imports | 2,100,000,000 (cu m) | 48 |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 270,700,000,000 (cu m) | 43 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 70,320,000 (Mt) | 48 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 3,500,000 | 47 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 9,200,000 | 80 |
| Internet hosts | 2,483,000 | 36 |
| Internet users | 4,525,000 | 51 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 47 | 92 |
| Railways | 975 (km) | 89 |
| Roadways | 18,290 (km) | 114 |
| Merchant marine | 8 | 120 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 7.40 (% of GDP) | 7 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee The Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and Western Galilee are inscribed for their profound spiritual meaning and the testimony they bear to the strong tradition of pilgrimage in the Bahá’i faith. The property includes the two most holy places in the Bahá’í ... | 2008 |
| Biblical Tels - Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba Tels (prehistoric settlement mounds), are characteristic of the flatter lands of the eastern Mediterranean, particularly Lebanon, Syria, Israel and eastern Turkey. Of more than 200 tels in Israel, Megiddo, Hazor and Beer Sheba are representative of t ... | 2005 |
| Caves of Maresha and Bet-Guvrin in the Judean Lowlands as a Microcosm of the Land of the Caves The archaeological site contains some 3,500 underground chambers distributed among distinct complexes carved in the thick and homogenous soft chalk of Lower Judea under the former towns of Maresha and Bet Guvrin. Situated on the crossroads of trade r ... | 2014 |
| Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev The four Nabatean towns of Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat and Shivta, along with associated fortresses and agricultural landscapes in the Negev Desert, are spread along routes linking them to the Mediterranean end of the incense and spice route. Together the ... | 2005 |
| Masada Masada is a rugged natural fortress, of majestic beauty, in the Judaean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. It is a symbol of the ancient kingdom of Israel, its violent destruction and the last stand of Jewish patriots in the face of the Roman army, in ... | 2001 |
| Old City of Acre Acre is a historic walled port-city with continuous settlement from the Phoenician period. The present city is characteristic of a fortified town dating from the Ottoman 18th and 19th centuries, with typical urban components such as the citadel, mosq ... | 2001 |
| Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel: The Nahal Me’arot / Wadi el-Mughara Caves Situated on the western slopes of the Mount Carmel range, the site includes the caves of Tabun, Jamal, el-Wad and Skhul. Ninety years of archaeological research have revealed a cultural sequence of unparalleled duration, providing an archive of early ... | 2012 |
| White City of Tel-Aviv -- the Modern Movement Tel Aviv was founded in 1909 and developed as a metropolitan city under the British Mandate in Palestine. The White City was constructed from the early 1930s until the 1950s, based on the urban plan by Sir Patrick Geddes, reflecting modern organic pl ... | 2003 |