f coaxial cable and microwave radio relay;
all systems are digital

international: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios: 3.07 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 17 (plus 36 low-power repeaters)
(1995)

Televisions: 1.69 million (1997)

Internet country code: .il

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 21 (2000)

Internet users: 1 million (2000)

Israel Transportation

Railways: total: 610 km

standard gauge: 610 km 1.435-m gauge (1996)

Highways: total: 15,965 km

paved: 15,965 km (including 56 km of expressways)

unpaved: 0 km (1998 est.)

Waterways: none

Pipelines: crude oil 708 km; petroleum products 290 km; natural gas
89 km

Ports and harbors: Ashdod, Ashqelon, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa,
Tel Aviv-Yafo

Merchant marine: total: 17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
631,582 GRT/745,011 DWT

ships by type: container 16, roll on/roll off 1 (2000 est.)

Airports: 55 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 30

over 3,047 m: 2

2,438 to 3,047 m: 4

1,524 to 2,437 m: 7

914 to 1,523 m: 10

under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 25

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 4

under 914 m: 20 (2000 est.)

Heliports: 2 (2000 est.)

Israel Military

Military branches: Israel Defense Forces (includes ground, naval,
and air components), Pioneer Fighting Youth (Nahal), Frontier Guard,
Chen (women); note - historically there have been no separate
Israeli military services

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,522,003

females age 15-49: 1,482,027 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49:
1,245,757

females age 15-49: 1,208,973 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 49,206

females: 53,379 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $8.7 billion (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 9.4% (FY99)

Israel Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: West Bank and Gaza Strip are
Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the
Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be
determined through further negotiation; Golan Heights is
Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Go