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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 2 usable: 2 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 0 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 1

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

small road network, Israelis developing east-west axial highways to service new settlements

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

open-wire telephone system currently being upgraded; broadcast stations - no AM, no FM, no TV

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 NA; fit for military service NA

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for about 15% of GNP; olives, citrus and other fruits, vegetables, beef, and dairy products

Budget [time series]

revenues $31.0 million; expenditures $36.1 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY88)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot; 1 Jordanian dinar (JD) = 1,000 fils

Economic aid [time series]

Electricity [time series]

power supplied by Israel

Exchange rates [time series]

new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 2.6480 (November 1992), 2.2791 (1991), 2.0162 (1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988), 1.5946 (1987); Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1 - 0.6890 (January 1993), 0.6797 (1992), 0.6808 (1991), 0.6636 (1990), 0.5704 (1989), 0.3709 (1988)

Exports [time series]

$150 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.) commodities: NA partners: Jordan, Israel

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$NA

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year (since 1 January 1992)

Imports [time series]

$410 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.) commodities: NA partners: Jordan, Israel

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 1% (1989); accounts for about 4% of GNP

Industries [time series]

generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

11% (1991 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GNP - exchange rate conversion - $1.3 billion (1990 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$1,200 (1990 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

-10% (1990 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Economic progress in the West Bank has been hampered by Israeli military administration and the effects of the Palestinian uprising (intifadah). Industries using advanced technology or requiring sizable investment have been discouraged by a lack of local capital and restrictive Israeli policies. Capital investment consists largely of residential housing, not productive assets that would enable local firms to compete with Israeli industry. A major share of GNP is derived from remittances of workers employed in Israel and Persian Gulf states, but such transfers from the Gulf dropped dramatically after Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990. In the wake of the Persian Gulf crisis, many Palestinians have returned to the West Bank, increasing unemployment, and export revenues have plunged because of the loss of markets in Jordan and the Gulf states. Israeli measures to curtail the intifadah also have pushed unemployment up and lowered living standards. The area's economic outlook remains bleak.

Unemployment rate [time series]

15% (1990 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 5,860 km2 land area: 5,640 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than Delaware note: includes West Bank, East Jerusalem, Latrun Salient, Jerusalem No Man's Land, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus

Climate [time series]

temperate, temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

Israeli occupied with status to be determined

Irrigated land [time series]

NA km2

Land boundaries [time series]

total 404 km, Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 27% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 32% forest and woodland: 1% other: 40%

Location [time series]

Middle East, between Jordan and Israel

Map references [time series]

Middle East

Maritime claims [time series]

none; landlocked

Natural resources [time series]

negligible

Note [time series]

landlocked; there are 175 Jewish settlements in the West Bank and 14 Israeli-built Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem

Terrain [time series]

mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east

Government

Digraph [time series]

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: none conventional short form: West Bank

Note [time series]

The West Bank is currently governed by Israeli military authorities and Israeli civil administration. It is US policy that the final status of the West Bank will be determined by negotiations among the concerned parties. These negotiations will determine how the area is to be governed.

People

Birth rate [time series]

33.78 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.32 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Palestinian Arab and other 88%, Jewish 12%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

35.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

NA by occupation: small industry, commerce, and business 29.8%, construction 24.2%, agriculture 22.4%, service and other 23.6% (1984) note: excluding Israeli Jewish settlers

Languages [time series]

Arabic, Hebrew spoken by Israeli settlers, English widely understood

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 69.93 years male: 68.48 years female: 71.46 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%

Nationality [time series]

noun: NA adjective: NA

Net migration rate [time series]

0.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

1,404,114 (July 1993 est.) note: in addition, there are 102,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank and 134,000 in East Jerusalem (1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.9% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

Muslim 80% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 12%, Christian and other 8%

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.37 children born/woman (1993 est.)