ank and Gaza Strip are Israeli occupied
with status to be determined; Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Israeli
troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; water-sharing issues with Jordan
Climate:
temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
Terrain:
Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift
Valley
Natural resources:
copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur, asphalt, manganese,
small amounts of natural gas and crude oil
Land use:
arable land:
17%
permanent crops:
5%
meadows and pastures:
40%
forest and woodland:
6%
other: 32%
Irrigated land:
2,140 km2 (1989)
Environment:
sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; limited arable land and
natural water resources pose serious constraints; deforestation
Note:
there are 175 Jewish settlements in the West Bank, 38 in the
Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 18 in the Gaza Strip, and 14 Israeli-built
Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem

*Israel, People

Population:
4,918,946 (July 1993 est.)
note:
includes 102,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank, 14,000 in the
Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 4,000 in the Gaza Strip, and 134,000 in East
Jerusalem (1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.08% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
20.72 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
6.45 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
16.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
8.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
77.77 years
male:
75.72 years
female:
79.93 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.86 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Israeli(s)
adjective:
Israeli
Ethnic divisions:
Jewish 83%, non-Jewish 17% (mostly Arab)
Religions:
Judaism 82%, Islam 14% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2%, Druze and other
2%
Languages:
Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most
commonly used foreign language
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1983)
total population: 92%
male:
95%
female:
89%
Labor force:
1.4 million (1984 est.)
by occupation:
public services 29.3%, industry, mining, and manufacturing 22.8%, commerce
12.8%, finance and business 9.5%, transport, storage, and communications
6.8%, construction and public works 6.5%, personal and other service