14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
6 December 1917 (from Russia)
Religions
Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)
Lutheran Church of Finland 82.5%, Orthodox Church 1.1%, other Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none 15.1% (2006)
Languages
Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
Finnish 91.5% (official), Swedish 5.5% (official), other 3% (small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2006)
Exports
machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
electrical and optical equipment, machinery, transport equipment, paper and pulp, chemicals, basic metals; timber
External Debt
$102,300,000,000 $
$577,000,000,000 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)
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6799 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
7.300%
2.000%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
4
Location
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
Area
20,770 km sq
338,145 km sq
Coastline
273 km
1,250 km
Climate
temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes
