Israel Facts

Official name: State of Israel (Hebrew: Medinat Yisrael)

Capital: Jerusalem (Yerushalayim)

Formal Name: Medinat Yisrael ("State of Israel")

Prime Minister: Benjamin Netanyahu

President: Shimon Peres

Land Area: 20,330 sq km

Water Area: 440 sq km

Population: 7,503,800

Life Expectancy at Birth: Male - 76.57 years; Female - 80.67 years

Literacy (ability to read/write at 15+ years of age): Male - 97%; Female - 93%

Primary Religions: Jewish - 80.1%; Muslim (Suni) - 14.6%; Christian - 2.1%; Other - 3.2%

Labor Force: 2.3 million

Gross Domestic Product (GDP): Agriculture - 2%; Industry - 17%; Services - 81%

Purchasing Power Parity: US$105.4 billion

Per Capita Purchasing Power Parity: US$18,300

Inflation Rate: 1.3%

Exports: US$23.5 billion (software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles and apparel)

Imports: US$30.6 billion (military equipment, rough diamonds, investment goods, fuels, consumer goods, raw materials)

Government: Israel is a democratic republic. The country's system of government is based on British common law. Its parliament, the Knesset, consists of 120 members, elected for 4-year terms, under a system of proportional representation. The chief of state is the President, who is elected by the Knesset for a five-year term. The head of government is the Prime Minister, who is elected for a four-year term. In 1996, the law was changed to allow the Prime Minister to be elected directly (i.e., in a separate ballot from Knesset candidates). However, on March 7, 2001, the Knesset passed an amendment that returned elections for Prime Minister to the pre-1996 system. Under this amendment, which took effect in 2003, the Israeli public once again votes only for Members of the Knesset; the Knesset, in turn, picks the Prime Minister.

Elections in Israel are by secret ballot. Also, freedom of speech and religion are guaranteed under Israeli law.