Israel at 65: Statistical Glimpse
Annual Statistics: Table of Contents | 2012 | 2011 | 2010
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 22,072 sq km, of which 21,643 sq km is land area (Sea of Galilee: 164 sq km; Dead Sea: 265 sq km). Israel’s total land border measures 857 km, its Mediterranean coastline 194 km, and 12 km on the Red Sea.
- The only river in Israel: The Jordan River, approximately 250 km.
- Main streams: Alexander, Besor, Hadera, Yarqon, Sa'ar, Qishon, and Soreq.
Geographical Regions
Arid zones 45% Plains and valleys 25% Mountains 16% Rift valley 9% Coastal strip 5% Selected Elevations:
Mt. Hermon, Golan - highest point in Israel 7,300 ft. 2,224 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 - 1,368 ft. - 417 m.Natural Resources:
Raw materials for construction of buildings and roads: gravel and stone, sand, kurkar, clay, limestone, gypsum, and tuff.
Raw materials for manufacturing: potash, bromine, magnesium, salt, phosphates, sand, clay, and limestone.
Energy sources: natural gas, oil shale.Climate:
Israel is on a "climatic crossroad", which is a transitional area between a temperate and arid climate. The southern and eastern areas of Israel are characterized by an arid climate, while the other areas are characterized by a Mediterranean climate. Due to this climatic formation, there is high variability in the amount of precipitation from year to year, and in the different areas of the country.
- The highest temperature ever recorded in Israel was 54°C (Tirat Zvi on 21 June 1942)
- The lowest temperature ever recorded in Israel was -13.7°C (Bet Netofa Valley on 7 February 1950)
People
1980 1990 2012 Population 3,921,700 4,821,700 8,018,000 Civilian Labor Force 1,318,100 1,649,900 3,204,200 Jews in Israel
(% of World Jewry)25 30 43 Life expectancy:
Females
Males
75.7
72.1
78.4
75.7
83.6
80.0Infant Mortality
(per 1000 live births)15.6 9.9 3.7 School Population 1,200,700 1,451,300 1,564,700 % of Population with 13 years+ of schooling 19.2 25.3 44.4 Population, by Religion
Jews 75.4% Muslims 17.3% Christians 2.0% Druze 1.7% Not Classified 3.6%
Population Distribution
Urban 91.4% Rural
Moshavim
Kibbutzim8.6%
3.8%
1.9% Largest Cities, by Population
Jerusalem 804,400 Tel Aviv-Yafo 404,800 Haifa 270,300 Rishon Lezion 232,400 Ashdod 212,300
Immigrants, by Decade
1948-1959 960,0001960-1969 374,0001970-1979 346,0001980-1989 154,0001990-2001 826,3002002-2011 215,200Today, 73 percent of Israel's Jewish population were born in Israel.
Economy
1980 1990 2011Gross Domestic Product (NIS mil.) 116 111,804 871,800Net exports of goods (US$ bil.)
Industrial products (excl. diamonds)
Agricultural products 5,291.93,340.4
555.7 11,603.17,696.8
657.2 67,802.245,752.3
1,380.6Net imports of goods (US$ bil.) 7,845.7 15,107.1 73,536.2Tourists Arriving 1,065,800 1,131,700 2,820,200Air Passengers 2,847,000 3,720,000 12,343,000Air Freight Shipped (tons) 105,800 194,160 287,762Electricity Production (mil of kw/hr) 12,400 20,900 57,145Private cars 410,000 803,000 2,164,385
Education
Sources:Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Students in Universities & Colleges
1969/1970 35,3741979/1980 53,3551989/1990 75,4871999/2000 170,9532009/2010 243,8582010/2011 251,000 University Students, by Field of Study
(Total 125,059 students in 9 universities)
Social Sciences 24.0%Humanities 21.6%Science/Math 15.4%Engineering 14.9%Medicine 10.8%Business 7.4%Law 4.6%Agriculture 1.3%