|
Country
|
Israel | 
Australia |
|
Leader
|
Prime minister: Benjamin Netanyahu
|
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Quentin Bryce Prime minister: Julia Gillard
|
|
Population
|
7,590,758
| 22,015,576
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
81.070 years
| 81.900 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Jerusalem
| Canberra
|
|
Largest city
|
| Jerusalem (population: 714,000) | Sydney (population: 4,394,580) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.93
| 0.965
|
| GDP per capita |
$31,400 US
| $40,800 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
97.1%
| 99%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
6
| 8.7
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
14.2%
| 29.6%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
Sammy Ofer & family ($4.0bn US)
| Frank Lowy & family ($2.7bn US)
|
| Unemployment Rate |
5.600%
| 5.100%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished except for special circumstances
| Abolished
|
| |
|
Political System
|
parliamentary democracy
| federal parliamentary democracy
|
|
Independence date
|
14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
| 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
|
| Religions |
Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)
| Catholic 26.4%, Anglican 20.5%, other Christian 20.5%, Buddhist 1.9%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 12.7%, none 15.3% (2001 Census)
|
| Languages |
Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
| English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census)
|
| Exports |
machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
| coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment
|
| External Debt |
$102,300,000,000 $
| $1,376,000,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - 3.56 (2008 est.), 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004)
| Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.2059 (2008 est.), 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
7.300%
| 3.000%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
1
| 46
|
| Location |
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
| Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
|
| Area |
20,770 km sq
| 7,741,220 km sq
|
| Coastline |
273 km
| 25,760 km
|
| Climate |
temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
| generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
|
|
|
|
