|
Country
|
Israel | 
Greece |
|
Leader
|
Prime minister: Benjamin Netanyahu
|
President: Karolos Papoulias
|
|
Population
|
7,590,758
| 10,767,827
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
81.070 years
| 80.050 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Jerusalem
| Athens
|
|
Largest city
|
| Jerusalem (population: 714,000) | Athens (population: 729,137) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.93
| 0.947
|
| GDP per capita |
$31,400 US
| $26,600 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
97.1%
| 96%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
6
| 4.7
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
14.2%
| 14.7%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
Sammy Ofer & family ($4.0bn US)
| Spiro Latsis & family ($3.8bn US)
|
| Unemployment Rate |
5.600%
| 17.300%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished except for special circumstances
| Abolished
|
| |
|
Political System
|
parliamentary democracy
| parliamentary republic
|
|
Independence date
|
14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
| 1829 (from the Ottoman Empire)
|
| Religions |
Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)
| Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
|
| Languages |
Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
| Greek 99% (official), other 1% (includes English and French)
|
| Exports |
machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
| food and beverages, manufactured goods, petroleum products, chemicals, textiles
|
| External Debt |
$102,300,000,000 $
| $583,300,000,000 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 - 0.6734 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
7.300%
| 4.300%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
1
| 4
|
| Location |
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
| Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
|
| Area |
20,770 km sq
| 131,957 km sq
|
| Coastline |
273 km
| 13,676 km
|
| Climate |
temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
| temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
|
|
|
|
