Israel at 53: A Statistical Glimpse*
Geography
Geographical Regions
| Arid Zones | 45% |
| Plains and Valleys | 25% |
| Mountains | 16% |
| Rift Valley | 9% |
| Coastal Strip | 5% |
Selected elevations:
| Mt. Hermon, Golan | 9,220 ft. | 2,810 m. |
| Mt. Meron, Upper Galilee | 3,964 ft. | 1,208 m. |
| Mt. Ramon, Negev | 3,396 ft. | 1,035 m. |
| Mt. of Olives, Jerusalem | 2,739 ft. | 835 m. |
| Mt. Tabor, Lower Galilee | 1,930 ft. | 588 m. |
| Mt. Carmel, Haifa | 1,792 ft. | 546 m. |
| Dead Sea - lowest point on earth | - 1,300 ft. | - 400 m. |
People
| 1980 | 1990 | 1999 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,921,700 | 4,821,700 | 6,209,100 |
| Civilian labor force | 1,318,100 | 1,649,900 | 2,345,100 |
| Jews in Israel, as a percentage of world Jewry | 25 | 30 | 37 |
| Life expectancy | 75.7 72.1 | 78.4 75.7 | 80.3 76.1 |
| Infant mortality (per 1000 live births) | 15.6 | 9.9 | 5.8 |
| School population | 1,200,700 | 1,451,300 | 1,875,600 |
| Percentage of the population with 13 years or more of formal schooling | 20.8 | 28.2 | 40.4 |
| Population by Religion
| Population Distribution
|
| Immigrants by Continent 1948-1999
| Immigrants by Year of Immigration
|
Economy
State Budget, 2000: NIS 227.4 billion
| Gross Domestic Product (at 1995 prices - NIS 106) | 1980 | 1990 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|
| - Total - Per capita | 138,975 36,005 | 197,644 42,411 | 302,206 49,359 |
| Net exports of goods (millions of dollars) | 5,291.9 | 11,603.1 | 23,554.7 |
| thereof: Industrial products (excl. diamonds) Agricultural products | 3,340.4 555.7 | 7,696.8 657.2 | 16,424.8 782.3 |
| Net imports of goods (millions of dollars) | 7,845.7 | 15,107.1 | 30,629.7 |
| Tourists arriving | 1,065,800 | 1,131,700 | 2,312,300 |
| Air passengers (annual) | 2,847,000 | 3,720,000 | 8,734,000 |
| Freight shipped by air (annual in tons) | 105,800 | 194,160 | 297,080 |
| Production of electricity (in millions of kilwatt/hours) | 12,400 | 20,900 | 39,180 |
| Private cars | 410,000 | 803,000 | 1,317,000 |
| Telephone subscribers | 860,000 | 1,626,000 | 2,880,000 |
Education
| University Students by Field of Study (Total 109,130 students in 7 universities)
|
| Agriculture | 1.2% |
| Law | 4.0% |
| Medicine | 7.9% |
| Engineering | 12.6% |
| Science and mathematics | 15.3% |
| Humanities | 28.8% |
| Social Sciences | 30.3% |
* Figures based on the Statistical Abstract of Israel, No. 51, 2000
Source: Israeli Foreign Ministry
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