ich $11.38 billion from
the US (1990-93)

Currency: 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot

Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 3.2761 (January
1997), 3.2882 (1996), 3.0113 (1995), 3.0111 (1994), 2.8301 (1993),
2.4591 (1992)

Fiscal year: calendar year (since 1 January 1992)

@Israel:Communications

Telephones: 2.425 million (1990 est.)

Telephone system: most highly developed system in the Middle East
although not the largest
domestic : good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay
international: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 45, shortwave 0

Radios: 2.25 million (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 20

Televisions: 1.5 million (1993 est.)

@Israel:Transportation

Railways:
total: 526 km
standard gauge: 526 km 1.435-m gauge

Highways:
total: 14,700 km
paved: 14,700 km (including 56 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (1995 est.)

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: 26 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 659,505 GRT/778,780 DWT
ships by type: cargo 2, container 23, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1996
est.)

Airports: 50 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 45
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m : 7
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 22 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m : 2
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1996 est.)

Heliports: 2 (1996 est.)

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: 1,420,066
females age 15-49 : 1,391,042 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 1,162,745 (1997 est.)
females: 1,134,610 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 50,744
females : 48,519 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $9.2 billion (1996)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: about 9.8% (1996)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli
occupied with curre