FAX: (1) 668-9946

FAX: (202) 232-5993

consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Michael J. SULLIVAN

embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4

mailing address: use embassy street address

telephone: (1) 668-7122/668-8777

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; similar to the flag of 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

Economy - overview: Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy with growth averaging a robust 9% in 1995-2000. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 38% of GDP and about 80% of exports and employs 28% of the labor force. Although exports remain the primary engine for Ireland's robust growth, the economy is also benefiting from a rise in consumer spending and recovery in both construction and business investment. Over the past decade, the Irish government has implemented a series of national economic programs designed to curb inflation, reduce government spending, increase labor force skills, and promote foreign investment. Ireland joined in launching the euro currency system in January 1999 along with 10 other EU nations. The Irish economy is in danger of overheating, with the tight labor market driving up wage demands and inflation.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $81.9 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 9.9% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $21,600 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4%

industry: 38%

services: 58% (1999)

Population below poverty line: 10% (1997 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2%

highest 10%: 27.3% (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.6% (2000)

Labor force: 1.82 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: services 64%, industry 28%, agriculture 8% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: 4.1% (2000)

Budget: revenues: $25.7 billion

expenditures: $19.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $2 billion (2000)

Industries: food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal; software

Industrial production growth rate: 14% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production: 19.542 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 94.42%

hydro: 4.23%

nuclear: 0%

other: 1.35% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 18.414 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 50 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 290 million kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products

Exports: $73.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products

Exports - partners: EU 59% (UK 19%, Germany 9%, France 7%), US 20% (2000)

Imports: $45.7 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals; petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing

Imports - partners: EU 54% (UK 29%, Germany 6%, France 5%), US 18%,
Japan 5%, Singapore 4% (2000)

Debt - external: $11 billion (1998)

Economic aid - donor: ODA, $245 million (2000)

Currency: Irish pound (IEP); euro (EUR)

note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in Ireland at a fixed rate of 0.787564 Irish pounds per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002

Currency code: IEP; EUR

Exchange rates: Irish pounds per US dollar - 1.0658 (January 2001), 1.0823 (2000), 0.9374 (1999), 0.7014 (1998), 0.6588 (1997), 0.6248 (1996)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Ireland Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 1.59 million (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 2 million (2001)

Telephone system: general assessment: modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay

domestic: microwave radio relay

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 106, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: 2.55 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 4 (many low-power repeaters) (2001)

Televisions: 1.82 million (2001)

Internet country code: .ie

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 22 (2000)

Internet users: 1 million (2001)

Ireland Transportation

Railways: total: 1,947 km

broad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (38 km electrified; 485 km double track) (1998)

Highways: total: 92,500 km

paved: 87,043 km (including 115 km of expressways)

unpaved: 5,457 km (1999 est.)

Waterways: 700 km (limited facilities for commercial traffic) (1998)

Pipelines: natural gas 7,592 km (transmission 1,158 km; distribution 6,434 km) (2000)

Ports and harbors: Arklow, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Foynes, Galway,
Limerick, New Ross, Waterford

Merchant marine: total: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 115,554 GRT/135,391 DWT

ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 22, container 2, short-sea passenger 1 (2000 est.)

Airports: 44 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 17

over 3,047 m: 1

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 3

914 to 1,523 m: 5

under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 27

914 to 1,523 m: 2

under 914 m: 25 (2000 est.)

Ireland Military

Military branches: Army (includes Naval Service and Air Corps),
National Police (Garda Siochana)

Military manpower - military age: 17 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,004,469 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 809,808 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 32,287 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $738 million (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.75% (2001 est.)

Ireland Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: Northern Ireland issue with the UK (historic peace agreement signed 10 April 1998); disputes with Iceland, Denmark, and the UK over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 NM

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs; minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for Western Europe

@Israel

Israel Introduction

Background: Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides. The territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country profile, unless otherwise noted. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations are being conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives (from the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip) and Israel and Syria, to achieve a permanent settlement. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. On 25 May 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982.

Israel Geography

Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between
Egypt and Lebanon

Geographic coordinates: 31 30 N, 34 45 E

Map references: Middle East

Area: total: 20,770 sq km

land: 20,330 sq km

water: 440 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries: total: 1,006 km

border countries: 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

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

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m

highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m

Natural resources: timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand, oil

Land use: arable land: 17%

permanent crops: 4%

permanent pastures: 7%

forests and woodland: 6%

other: 66% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,800 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts

Environment - current issues: limited arable land and natural fresh water resources pose serious constraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous
Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note: there are 231 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 25 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 2000 est.)

Israel People

Population: 5,938,093 (July 2001 est.)

note: includes about 176,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, about 6,900 in the Gaza Strip, and about 173,000 in East Jerusalem (August 2000 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.36% (male 831,523; female 792,982)

15-64 years: 62.73% (male 1,869,114; female 1,855,707)

65 years and over: 9.91% (male 253,105; female 335,662) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.58% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 19.12 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 6.22 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 7.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.71 years

male: 76.69 years

female: 80.84 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.57 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.08% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 2,400 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Israeli(s)

adjective: Israeli

Ethnic groups: Jewish 80.1% (Europe/America-born 32.1%, Israel-born 20.8%, Africa-born 14.6%, Asia-born 12.6%), non-Jewish 19.9% (mostly Arab) (1996 est.)

Religions: Jewish 80.1%, Muslim 14.6% (mostly Sunni Muslim),
Christian 2.1%, other 3.2% (1996 est.)

Languages: Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 95%

male: 97%

female: 93% (1992 est.)

Israel Government

Country name: conventional long form: State of Israel

conventional short form: Israel

local long form: Medinat Yisra'el

local short form: Yisra'el

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Jerusalem; note - Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as 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)

National holiday: Independence Day, 14 May (1948); note - Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Moshe KATSAV (since 31
July 2000)

head of government: Prime Minister Ariel SHARON (since 2 March 2001)

cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset

elections: president elected by the Knesset for a five-year term; election last held 31 July 2000 (next to be held NA July 2005); prime minister elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 6 February 2001 (next to be held NA 2005); note - in March 1992, the Knesset approved legislation, effective in 1996, which allowed for the direct election of the prime minister, but in 2001 the Knesset voted to restore the previous method under which the legislators will choose the next prime minister after the next legislative elections in 2003

election results: Moshe KATSAV elected president by the 120-member Knesset with a total of 60 votes, other candidate, Shimon PERES, received 57 votes (there were three abstentions); Ariel SHARON elected prime minister; percent of vote - Ariel SHARON 62.5%, Ehud BARAK 37.4%; note - after the next legislative elections scheduled for 2003, the prime minister will be elected by the Knesset

Legislative branch: unicameral Knesset or parliament (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 17 May 1999 (next to be held NA November 2003)

election results: percent of vote by party - One Israel 20.2%, Likud Party 14.1%, Shas 13%, MERETZ 7.6%, Yisra'el Ba'Aliya 5.1%, Shinui 5%, Center Party 5%, National Religious Party 4.2%, United Torah Judaism 3.7%, United Arab List 3.4%, National Union 3%, Hadash 2.6%, Yisra'el Beiteinu 2.6%, Balad 1.9%, One Nation 1.9%, Democratic Movement NA (party formed after election, members elected under Yisra'el Ba'Aliya list); seats by party - One Israel 26, Likud Party 19, Shas 17, MERETZ 10, Yisra'el Ba'Aliya 4, Shinui 6, Center Party 6, National Religious Party 5, United Torah Judaism 5, United Arab List 5, National Union 4, Hadash 3, Yisra'el Beiteinu 4, Democratic Movement 2 (party formed after election, members elected under Yisra'el Ba'Aliya list), Balad 2, One Nation 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (justices appointed for life by the president)

Political parties and leaders: Balad or National Democratic Alliance
[Amnon LIPKIN-SHAHAK]; Center Party [Yitzhak MORDECHAI]; Democratic
Movement [Roman BRONFMAN]; Gesher [David LEVI]; Hadash [Muhammad
BARAKA]; Labor Party [leader vacant]; Likud Party [Ariel SHARON];
MERETZ [Yossi SARID]; National Democratic Alliance (Balad) [leader
NA]; National Religious Party [Yitzhak LEVY]; National Union
[Rehavam ZEEVI] (includes Herut, Tekuma, and Moledet); One Israel
[leader NA] (includes Labor, Gesher, and Meimad); One Nation [Amir
PERETZ]; Shas [Eliyahu YISHAI]; Shinui [Tommy LAPID]; United Arab
List [Abd al-Malik DAHAMSHAH]; United Torah Judaism [Rabbi Eliezer
SHACK, spiritual leader]; Yisra'el Ba'Aliya [Natan SHARANSKY];
Yisra'el Beiteinu [Avigdor LIEBERMAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Gush Emunim, Israeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and is critical of government's Lebanon policy

International organization participation: BSEC (observer), CCC, CE
(observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE (partner),
PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
David IVRY

chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: (202) 364-5500