t.)

Economic aid - recipient: NA

Currency: new Israeli shekel (ILS)

Currency code: ILS

Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.2757 (December
2001), 4.2057 (2001), 4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999), 3.8001 (1998), 3.4494
(1997)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Israel

Telephones - main lines in use: 2.8 million (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 2.5 million (1999)

Telephone system: general assessment: most highly developed system in
the Middle East although not the largest domestic: good system of 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: 1.94 million (2001)

Transportation Israel

Railways: total: 647 km standard gauge: 647 km 1.435-m gauge (2001)

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: 16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 595,319
GRT/704,544 DWT ships by type: container 15, roll on/roll off 1
(2002 est.)

Airports: 54 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 29 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047
m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 5 (2001) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 25 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to
1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 20 (2001)

Heliports: 3 (2001)

Military Israel

Military branches: Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (includes ground, naval,
and air components with Air Defense Forces), 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 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,542,835 females
age 15-49: 1,499,830 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,262,973
females age 15-49: 1,223,939 (2002 est.)

Military manpower -