Israel at 66: A statistical glimpse

Israel at 66: A statistical glimpse

  •    
    Israel stands at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa. Geographically, it belongs to the Asian continent. Its western border is the Mediterranean Sea.
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    Israel in Figures 2013 Israel in Figures 2013 Copyright: Central Bureau of Statistics
     
     
    The State of Israel is located on the southwest tip of the Asian continent, on the eastern basin of the Mediterranean Sea. It at a latitude between 29° and the 33° north of the Equator.


     
  • 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

  •  

    Population by Religion

    Jews 75.1%
    Muslims 17.4%
    Christians 2.0%
    Druze 1.6%
    Not classified by religion 3.9%
      Population Distribution

    Urban localities       91.4%
    Rural localities   8.6%
      Of which:
       Moshavim
       Kibbutzim

      3.7%
     1.9%


    Largest cities by population 

    Jerusalem 815,300
    Tel Aviv-Yafo 414,600
    Haifa 272,200
    Rishon Lezion 235,100
    Ashdod 214,900

     

    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
    1990-1999 956,300
    2000-2009
    2010-2012
    268,300
      50,000


    Today, 73.6 percent of Israel's Jewish population were born in Israel.


      1980 1990 2013

    Population 3,921,700 4,821,700 8,157,000
    Civilian labor force 1,318,100 1,649,900 3,606,000
    Jews in Israel,
    as a percentage of world Jewry

    25

    30

    43
    Life expectancy
       Females
       Males

    75.7
    72.1

    78.4
    75.7

    83.6
    79.9
    Infant mortality
    (per 1000 live births)
    15.6 9.9 3.5
    School population 1,200,700 1,451,300 2,090,000
    Percentage of the population (15+)
    with 13 years or more of formal schooling

    19.2

    25.3

    45.2


  • Economy

  •  
      1980 1990 2012

    Gross Domestic Product
    (NIS million)
    116 111,804 993,365
    Net exports of goods (US$ billions) 5,291.9 11,603.1 53,973.0
    thereof:
      Industrial products
        (excl. diamonds)

        Agricultural products

    3,340.4

    555.7

    7,696.8

    657.2

    44,200.4

    1,404.3
    Net imports of goods (US$ billions) 7,845.7 15,107.1 72,270.4
    Tourists arriving 1,065,800 1,131,700 2,885,800
    Air passengers 2,847,000 3,720,000 12,515,000
    Freight shipped by air (in tons) 105,800 194,160 275,870
    Production of electricity
    (millions of kilwatt/hours)
    12,400 20,900 61,074
    Private cars 410,000 803,000 2,246,050

  • Education

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    Students in Universities, Academic Colleges and Colleges of Education

    1969/70 35,374
    1979/80 53,355
    1989/90 75,487
    1999/00 170,953
    2009/10
    2012/13
    243,858
    262,938


    University Students by Field of Study (2011/12)
    (Total 125,546 students in nine universities)

    Humanities 21.5%
    Social Sciences 23.3%
    Science & mathematics 15.6%
    Engineering& architecture 14.9%
    Medicine 10.9%
    Business & Administration 7.8%
    Law 4.7%
    Agriculture 1.4%


    Recipients of Degrees from Institutions of Higher Education, 2011/12

    Universities - 35,338
    Colleges - 30,421


    * Figures based on the Statistical Abstract of Israel 2013