999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 2,400 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Israeli(s) adjective: Israeli

Ethnic groups: Jewish 80.1% (Europe/America-born 32.1%, Israel-born
20.8%, Africa-born 14.6%, Asia-born 12.6%), non-Jewish 19.9% (mostly Arab)
(1996 est.)

Religions: Jewish 80.1%, Muslim 14.6% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian
2.1%, other 3.2% (1996 est.)

Languages: Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority,
English most commonly used foreign language

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 95% male: 97% female: 93% (1992 est.)

Government Israel

Country name: conventional long form: State of Israel conventional short
form: Israel local short form: Yisra'el local long form: Medinat Yisra'el

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Jerusalem; note - Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital
in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its
Embassy in Tel Aviv

Administrative divisions: 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz);
Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv

Independence: 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration)

National holiday: Independence Day, 14 May (1948); note - Israel declared
independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the
holiday may occur in April or May

Constitution: no formal constitution; some of the functions of a
constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the
Basic Laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law

Legal system: mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations,
and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems;
in December 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no
longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: President Moshe KATSAV (since 31 July 2000) elections:
31 July 1999 (next to be held NA July 2003); prime minister elected by
popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 6 February 2001
(next to be held NA November 2003); note - in March 1992, the Knesset
approved legislation, effective in 1996, which allowed for the direct
election of the prime minister, but in 2001 the Knesset voted to restore
the previous method under which the legislators will choose the next
prime