al gas 225 km

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

Merchant marine:
total: 42 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 129,027 GRT/155,371 DWT
ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 27, chemical tanker 1, container 3, oil
tanker 2, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 2 (1995 est.)

Airports:
total: 40
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 3
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 3
with paved runways under 914 m: 29
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 3 (1995 est.)

Communications
--------------

Telephones: 900,000 (1987 est.)

Telephone system: modern digital system using cable and microwave
radio relay
domestic: microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

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

Radios: 2.2 million (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 86 (1987 est.)

Televisions: 1.025 million (1990 est.)

Defense
-------

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

Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 939,237
males fit for military service: 761,048
males reach military age (17) annually: 35,904 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $618 million,
1.3% of GDP (1994)

======================================================================

@Israel
------

(also see separate Gaza Strip and West Bank entries)

Note: The territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are
not included in the data below. In keeping with the framework
established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral
negotiations are being conducted between Israel and Palestinian
representatives, and Israel and Syria, to achieve a permanent
settlement between them. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the
Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace treaty. Outstanding
territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26
October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace.

Map
---

Location: 31 30 N, 34 45 E -- Middle East, bordering the
Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon

Flag
----

Description: white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star)
known as the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two
equal horizontal blue bands near the