|
Country
|
Israel |
|
|
Leader
|
Prime minister: Benjamin Netanyahu
|
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor
|
|
Population
|
7,590,758
| 109,011
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
81.070 years
| 73.300 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Jerusalem
|
|
|
Largest city
|
| Jerusalem (population: 714,000) | Saint George's (population: 7,500) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.93
| 0.774
|
| GDP per capita |
$31,400 US
|
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
97.1%
| 96%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
6
| NA
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
14.2%
| 21.4%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
Sammy Ofer & family ($4.0bn US)
| NA
|
| Unemployment Rate |
5.600%
|
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished except for special circumstances
| Abolished in practice
|
| |
|
Political System
|
parliamentary democracy
| parliamentary democracy
|
|
Independence date
|
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)
| Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant 33.2%
|
| Languages |
Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
| English (official), French patois
|
| 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
| Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
|
| Area |
20,770 km sq
| 344 km sq
|
| Coastline |
273 km
| 121 km
|
| Climate |
temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
| tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds
|
|
