ion

Railways: total: 1,947 km

broad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (38 km electrified; 485 km
double track) (1998)

Highways: total: 92,500 km

paved: 87,043 km (including 115 km of expressways)

unpaved: 5,457 km (1999 est.)

Waterways: 700 km (limited facilities for commercial traffic) (1998)

Pipelines: natural gas 7,592 km (transmission 1,158 km; distribution
6,434 km) (2000)

Ports and harbors: Arklow, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Foynes, Galway,
Limerick, New Ross, Waterford

Merchant marine: total: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
115,554 GRT/135,391 DWT

ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 22, container 2, short-sea passenger 1
(2000 est.)

Airports: 44 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 17

over 3,047 m: 1

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 3

914 to 1,523 m: 5

under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 27

914 to 1,523 m: 2

under 914 m: 25 (2000 est.)

Ireland Military

Military branches: Army (includes Naval Service and Air Corps),
National Police (Garda Siochana)

Military manpower - military age: 17 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,004,469 (2001
est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49:
809,808 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 32,287
(2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $738 million (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.75% (2001 est.)

Ireland Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: Northern Ireland issue with the UK
(historic peace agreement signed 10 April 1998); disputes with
Iceland, Denmark, and the UK over the Faroe Islands continental
shelf boundary outside 200 NM

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from
North Africa to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced
synthetic drugs; minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine
destined for Western Europe

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@Israel

Israel Introduction

Background: Following World War II, the British withdrew from their
mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and
Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently,
the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending
the deep tensions between the two sides. The territories occupied by
Israe