Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
Ukrainian (official) 67%, Russian 24%, other 9% (includes small Romanian-, Polish-, and Hungarian-speaking minorities)
Exports
machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, food products
External Debt
$102,300,000,000 $
$123,700,000,000 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)
hryvnia (UAH) per US dollar - 4.9523 (2008 est.), 5.05 (2007), 5.05 (2006), 5.1247 (2005), 5.3192 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
7.300%
1.400%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
27
Location
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east
Area
20,770 km sq
603,550 km sq
Coastline
273 km
2,782 km
Climate
temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm across the greater part of the country, hot in the south
