Chapter 46

Location: in the North Atlantic Ocean, across the Irish Sea from Great Britain Map references: Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 70,280 km2 land area: 68,890 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than West Virginia Land boundaries: total 360 km, UK 360 km Coastline: 1,448 km Maritime claims: continental shelf: not specified exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: Northern Ireland question with the UK; Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area) Climate: temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time Terrain: mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast Natural resources: zinc, lead, natural gas, petroleum, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver Land use: arable land: 14% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 71% forest and woodland: 5% other: 10% Irrigated land: NA km2 Environment: deforestation Note: strategic location on major air and sea routes between North American and northern Europe

*Ireland, People

Population: 3,529,566 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 0.26% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 14.39 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 8.71 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: -3.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 7.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.38 years male: 72.56 years female: 78.36 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.02 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(men), Irish (collective plural) adjective: Irish Ethnic divisions: Celtic, English Religions: Roman Catholic 93%, Anglican 3%, none 1%, unknown 2%, other 1% (1981) Languages: Irish (Gaelic), spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard, English is the language generally used Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1981) total population: 98% male: NA% female: NA% Labor force: 1.37 million by occupation: services 57.0%, manufacturing and construction 28%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 13.5%, energy and mining 1.5% (1992)

*Ireland, Government

Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Ireland Digraph: EI Type: republic Capital: Dublin Administrative divisions: 26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow Independence: 6 December 1921 (from UK) Constitution: 29 December 1937; adopted 1937 Legal system: based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March Political parties and leaders: Democratic Left, Proinsias DE ROSSA; Fianna Fail, Albert REYNOLDS; Labor Party, Richard SPRING; Fine Gael, John BRUTON; Communist Party of Ireland, Michael O'RIORDAN; Sinn Fein, Gerry ADAMS; Progressive Democrats, Desmond O'MALLEY note: Prime Minister REYNOLDS heads a coalition consisting of the Fianna Fail and the Labor Party Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Elections: President: last held 9 November 1990 (next to be held November 1997); results - Mary Bourke ROBINSON 52.8%, Brian LENIHAN 47.2% Senate: last held on NA February 1992 (next to be held February 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (60 total, 49 elected) Fianna Fail 26, Fine Gael 16, Labor 9, Progressive Democrats 2, Democratic Left 1, independents 6 House of Representatives: last held on 25 November 1992 (next to be held by June 1995); results - Fianna Fail 39.1%, Fine Gael 24.5%, Labor Party 19.3%, Progressive Democrats 4.7%, Democratic Left 2.8%, Sinn Fein 1.6%, Workers' Party 0.7%, independents 5.9%; seats - (166 total) Fianna Fail 68, Fine Gael 45, Labor Party 33, Progressive Democrats 10, Democratic Left 4, Greens 1, independents 5 Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Oireachtas) consists of an upper house or Senate (Seanad Eireann) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Dail Eireann)

*Ireland, Government

Judicial branch: Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State: President Mary Bourke ROBINSON (since 9 November 1990) Head of Government: Prime Minister Albert REYNOLDS (since 11 February 1992) Member of: Australian Group, BIS, CCC, CE, COCOM (cooperating country), CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NEA, NSG, OECD, ONUSAL, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNPROFRO, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dermot A. GALLAGHER chancery: 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008 telephone: (202) 462-3939 consulates general: Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador William Henry G. FITZGERALD; Ambassador Designate Jean Kennedy SMITH (17 March 1993) embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [353] (1) 687122 FAX: [353] (1) 689946 Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; similar to the flag of the Cote d'Ivoire, which is shorter and has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has colors of green (hoist side), white, and red

*Ireland, Economy

Overview: The economy is small and trade dependent. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 37% of GDP, about 80% of exports, and employs 28% of the labor force. Since 1987, real GDP growth, led by exports, has averaged 4% annually. Over the same period, inflation has fallen sharply and chronic trade deficits have been transformed into annual surpluses. Unemployment, at 22.7% remains a serious problem, however, and job creation is the main focus of government policy. To ease unemployment, Dublin aggressively courts foreign investors and recently created a new industrial development agency to aid small indigenous firms. Government assistance is constrained by Dublin's continuing deficit reduction measures. After five years of fiscal restraint, total government debt still exceeds GDP. Growth probably will moderate in 1993 as the heavily indebted and trade-dependent economy is highly sensitive to changes in exchange rates and world interest rates. Exports to the UK, Ireland's major export market, probably will be hurt by the recent appreciation of the Irish currency against sterling - for the first time since 1979 the value of the Irish pound exceeds that of its British counterpart. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $42.4 billion (1992) National product real growth rate: 2% (1992) National product per capita: $12,000 (1992) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.5% (1992) Unemployment rate: 22.7% (1992) Budget: revenues $16.0 billion; expenditures $16.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (1992 est.) Exports: $28.3 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: chemicals, data processing equipment, industrial machinery, live animals, animal products partners: EC 75% (UK 32%, Germany 13%, France 10%), US 9% Imports: $23.3 billion (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: food, animal feed, data processing equipment, petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, textiles, clothing partners: EC 66% (UK 41%, Germany 8%, Netherlands 4%), US 15% External debt: $15 billion (1990) Industrial production: growth rate 8.0% (1992 est.); accounts for 37% of GDP Electricity: 5,000,000 kW capacity; 14,500 million kWh produced, 4,120 kWh per capita (1992) Industries: food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal

*Ireland, Economy

Agriculture: accounts for 11% of GDP and 13% of the labor force; principal crops - turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; livestock - meat and dairy products; 85% self-sufficient in food; food shortages include bread grain, fruits, vegetables Economic aid: donor - ODA commitments (1980-89), $90 million Currency: 1 Irish pound (#Ir) = 100 pence Exchange rates: Irish pounds (#Ir) per US$1 - 0.6118 (January 1993), 0.5864 (1992), 0.6190 (1991), 0.6030 (1990), 0.7472 (1989), 0.6553 (1988) Fiscal year: calendar year

*Ireland, Communications

Railroads: Irish National Railways (CIE) operates 1,947 km 1.602-meter gauge, government owned; 485 km double track; 37 km electrified Highways: 92,294 km total; 87,422 km paved, 4,872 km gravel or crushed stone Inland waterways: limited for commercial traffic Pipelines: natural gas 225 km Ports: Cork, Dublin, Waterford Merchant marine: 57 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 154,647 GRT/186,432 DWT; includes 4 short-sea passenger, 33 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 4 container, 3 oil tanker, 3 specialized tanker, 3 chemical tanker, 5 bulk Airports: total: 40 usable: 39 with permanent-surface runways: 13 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 6 Telecommunications: modern system using cable and digital microwave circuits; 900,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 9 AM, 45 FM, 86 TV; 2 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

*Ireland, Defense Forces

Branches: Army (including Naval Service and Air Corps), National Police (Garda Siochana) Manpower availability: males age 15-49 903,536; fit for military service 731,085; reach military age (17) annually 33,932 (1993 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $569 million, 1-2% of GDP (1993 est.)

*Israel, Header

Affiliation: (also see separate Gaza Strip and West Bank entries) Note: The Arab territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the data below. As stated in the 1978 Camp David Accords and reaffirmed by President Bush's post-Gulf crisis peace initiative, the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the concerned parties. The Camp David Accords further specify that these negotiations will resolve the location of the respective boundaries. Pending the completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has yet to be determined (see West Bank and Gaza Strip entries). On 25 April 1982, Israel relinquished control of the Sinai to Egypt. Statistics for the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights are included in the Syria entry.

*Israel, Geography

Location: Middle East, bordering the eastern Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon Map references: Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 20,770 km2 land area: 20,330 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than New Jersey Land boundaries: total 1,006 km, Egypt 255 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km Coastline: 273 km Maritime claims: continental shelf: to depth of exploitation territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: separated from Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank by the 1949 Armistice Line; differences with Jordan over the location of the 1949 Armistice Line that separates the two countries; West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli occupied with status to be determined; Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; water-sharing issues with Jordan Climate: temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas Terrain: Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley Natural resources: copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur, asphalt, manganese, small amounts of natural gas and crude oil Land use: arable land: 17% permanent crops: 5% meadows and pastures: 40% forest and woodland: 6% other: 32% Irrigated land: 2,140 km2 (1989) Environment: sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; limited arable land and natural water resources pose serious constraints; deforestation Note: there are 175 Jewish settlements in the West Bank, 38 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 18 in the Gaza Strip, and 14 Israeli-built Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem

*Israel, People

Population: 4,918,946 (July 1993 est.) note: includes 102,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank, 14,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 4,000 in the Gaza Strip, and 134,000 in East Jerusalem (1993 est.) Population growth rate: 3.08% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 20.72 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 6.45 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 16.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 8.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.77 years male: 75.72 years female: 79.93 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.86 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Israeli(s) adjective: Israeli Ethnic divisions: Jewish 83%, non-Jewish 17% (mostly Arab) Religions: Judaism 82%, Islam 14% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2%, Druze and other 2% Languages: Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1983) total population: 92% male: 95% female: 89% Labor force: 1.4 million (1984 est.) by occupation: public services 29.3%, industry, mining, and manufacturing 22.8%, commerce 12.8%, finance and business 9.5%, transport, storage, and communications 6.8%, construction and public works 6.5%, personal and other services 5.8%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 5.5%, electricity and water 1.0% (1983)

*Israel, Government

Names: conventional long form: State of Israel conventional short form: Israel local long form: Medinat Yisra'el local short form: Yisra'el Digraph: IS Type: republic Capital: Jerusalem note: Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv Administrative divisions: 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv Independence: 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) Constitution: no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the basic laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law Legal system: mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in December 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: Independence Day, 14 May 1948 (Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May) Political parties and leaders: members of the government: Labor Party, Prime Minister Yitzhak RABIN; MERETZ, Minister of Education Shulamit ALONI; SHAS, Minister of Interior Arieh DERI opposition parties: Likud Party, Binyamin NETANYAHU; Tzomet, Rafael EITAN; National Religious Party, Zevulun HAMMER; United Torah Jewry, Avraham SHAPIRA; Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash), Hashim MAHAMID; Moledet, Rehavam ZEEVI; Arab Democratic Party, Abd al Wahab DARAWSHAH note: Israel currently has a coalition government comprising 3 parties that hold 62 seats of the Knesset's 120 seats Other political or pressure groups: Gush Emunim, Jewish nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now, critical of government's West Bank/Gaza Strip and Lebanon policies Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Elections: President: last held 24 March 1993 (next to be held NA March 1999); results - Ezer WEIZMAN elected by Knesset

*Israel, Government

Knesset: last held June 1992 (next to be held by NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (120 total) Labor Party 44, Likud bloc 32, Meretz 12, Tzomet 8, National Religious Party 6, Shas 6, United Torah Jewry 4, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality 3, Moledet 3, Arab Democratic Party 2 Executive branch: president, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet Legislative branch: unicameral parliament (Knesset) Judicial branch: Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State: President Ezer WEIZMAN (since 13 May 1993) Head of Government: Prime Minister Yitzhak RABIN (since July 1992) Member of: AG (observer), CCC, CERN (oberver), EBRD, ECE, FAO, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Itamar RABINOVICH chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 364-5500 consulates general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Acting Ambassador William BROWN embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv mailing address: APO AE 09830 telephone: [972] (3) 654338 FAX: [972] (3) 663449 consulate general: Jerusalem Flag: white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag

*Israel, Economy

Overview: Israel has a market economy with substantial government participation. It depends on imports of crude oil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has intensively developed its agricultural and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Industry employs about 20% of Israeli workers, agriculture 5%, and services most of the rest. Diamonds, high-technology equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are leading exports. Israel usually posts balance-of-payments deficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from abroad and by foreign loans. Roughly half of the government's $17 billion external debt is owed to the United States, which is its major source of economic and military aid. To earn needed foreign exchange, Israel has been targeting high-technology niches in international markets, such as medical scanning equipment. The influx of Jewish immigrants from the former USSR, which topped 400,000 during the period 1990-92, has increased unemployment, intensified housing problems, and widened the government budget deficit. At the same time, a considerable number of the immigrants bring to the economy valuable scientific and professional expertise. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $57.4 billion (1992 est.) National product real growth rate: 6.4% (1992 est.) National product per capita: $12,100 (1992 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1992 est.) Unemployment rate: 11% (1992 est.) Budget: revenues $33.9 billion; expenditures $36.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $9.3 billion (FY93) Exports: $11.8 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: polished diamonds, citrus and other fruits, textiles and clothing, processed foods, fertilizer and chemical products, military hardware, electronics partners: US, EC, Japan, Hong Kong, Switzerland Imports: $19.6 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.) commodities: military equipment, rough diamonds, oil, chemicals, machinery, iron and steel, cereals, textiles, vehicles, ships, aircraft partners: US, EC, Switzerland, Japan, South Africa, Canada, Hong Kong External debt: $25 billion of which government debt is $17 billion (December 1992 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 9.4% (1992 est.); accounts for about 20% of GDP Electricity: 5,835,000 kW capacity; 21,840 million kWh produced, 4,600 kWh per capita (1992) Industries: food processing, diamond cutting and polishing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, metal products, military equipment, transport equipment, electrical equipment, miscellaneous machinery, potash mining, high-technology electronics, tourism

*Israel, Economy

Agriculture: accounts for about 3% of GDP; largely self-sufficient in food production, except for grains; principal products - citrus and other fruits, vegetables, cotton; livestock products - beef, dairy, poultry Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $18.2 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.8 billion Currency: 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 2.8000 (December 1992), 2.4591 (1992), 2.2791 (1991), 2.0162 (1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988), 1.5946 (1987) Fiscal year: calendar year (since 1 January 1992)

*Israel, Communications

Railroads: 600 km 1.435-meter gauge, single track; diesel operated Highways: 4,750 km; majority is bituminous surfaced Pipelines: crude oil 708 km; petroleum products 290 km; natural gas 89 km Ports: Ashdod, Haifa Merchant marine: 35 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 678,584 GRT/785,220 DWT; includes 8 cargo, 24 container, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off; note - Israel also maintains a significant flag of convenience fleet, which is normally at least as large as the Israeli flag fleet; the Israeli flag of convenience fleet typically includes all of its oil tankers Airports: total: 53 usable: 46 with permanent-surface runways: 28 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 12 Telecommunications: most highly developed in the Middle East although not the largest; good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; 1,800,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 14 AM, 21 FM, 20 TV; 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT

*Israel, Defense Forces

Branches: Israel Defense Forces (including ground, naval, and air components) note: historically, there have been no separate Israeli military services Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,240,757; females age 15-49 1,218,610; males fit for military service 1,018,212; females fit for military service 996,089; males reach military age (18) annually 46,131; females reach military age (18) annually 44,134 (1993 est.); both sexes are liable for military service Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $12.5 billion, 18% of GDP (1993 est.)

*Italy, Geography