Israel at 57 - A Statistical Glance
Geography
Israel stands at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa. Geographically, it belongs to the Asian continent. Its western border is the Mediterranean Sea. To the north it is bound by Lebanon and Syria, to the east by Jordan and to the south by the Red Sea and Egypt. Long and narrow in shape, Israel is about 290 miles (470 km.) long and 85 miles (135 km.) across at its widest point. Its total area is 22,145 sq km, of which 21,671 sq km is land area.
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 | 2004 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,921,700 | 4,821,700 | 6,864,000 |
| Civilian labor force | 1,318,100 | 1,649,900 | 2,610,000 |
| Jews in Israel, as a percentage of world Jewry | 25 | 30 | 40 |
| Life expectancy Females Males | 75.7 72.1 | 78.4 75.7 | 81.5 77.5 |
| Infant mortality (per 1000 live births) | 15.6 | 9.9 | 5.1 |
| School population | 1,200,700 | 1,451,300 | 1,932,000 |
| Percentage of the population (15+) with 13 years or more of formal schooling | 19.2 | 25.3 | 39.2 |
Population by Religion
| Population Distribution
|
Immigrants by Continent |
| Europe | 1,779,100 |
| Africa | 485,990 |
| Asia | 422,870 |
| America & Oceania | 231,400 |
| Unknown | 31,560 |
Immigrants by Year of Immigration
| 1948-1951 | 688,000 |
| 1952-1959 | 272,000 |
| 1960-1969 | 374,000 |
| 1970-1979 | 346,000 |
| 1980-1989 | 154,000 |
| 1990-2001 | 1,060,091 |
| 2002-2003 | 56,835 |
Economy
State Budget, 2005: NIS 264.5 billion
| 1980 | 1990 | 2003 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Domestic Product (US$ billions) | 23.2 | 59.2 | 107.8 |
| Net exports of goods (US$ billions) | 5,291.9 | 11,603.1 | 29,375.3 |
| thereof: Industrial products (excl. diamonds) Agricultural products | 3,340.4 555.7 | 7,696.8 657.2 | 19,449.7 714.7 |
| Net imports of goods (US$ billions) | 7,845.7 | 15,107.1 | 34,026.5 |
| Tourists arriving | 1,065,800 | 1,131,700 | 1,063,400 |
| Air passengers | 2,847,000 | 3,720,000 | 6,842,000 |
| Freight shipped by air (in tons) | 105,800 | 194,160 | 307,351 |
| Production of electricity (millions of kilwatt/hours) | 12,400 | 20,900 | 45,608 |
| Private cars | 410,000 | 803,000 | 1,520,571 |
Education
| University Students by Field of Study (Total 120,552 students in 7 universities) |
| Humanities | 25.9% |
| Social Sciences | 29.2% |
| Science and mathematics | 17.1% |
| Engineering | 14.2% |
| Medicine | 8.4% |
| Law | 4.0% |
| Business & Administration | 6.9% |
| Agriculture | 1.2% |
* Figures based on the Statistical Abstract of Israel, No. 55, 2004
Source: Israeli Foreign Ministry
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