14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Religions
Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)
Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10%
Languages
Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)
Exports
machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
External Debt
$102,300,000,000 $
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)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
7.300%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
0
Location
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Area
20,770 km sq
27,830 km sq
Coastline
273 km
0 km
Climate
temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade but is generally moderate as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual rainfall is about 150 cm; two wet seasons (February to May and September to November), and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January)
