ISRAEL CHRISTIAN DATING
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People
Population: 6.7 million (November 2003 estimate).
Annual population growth rate: 1.39% (2003 estimate).
Ethnic groups: Jews, 80.1% (slightly less than 5 million), non-Jews (mostly Arab), 19.9% (approximately 1.3 million) (estimates).
Christian singles note-Religions: Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Druze.
Languages: Hebrew (official), Arabic (official), English, Russian.
Education: 11 years compulsory. Literacy--95.4% (female 93.6%; male 97.3%).
Health: Infant mortality rate--4.9/1,000, (2002 estimate). Life expectancy at birth--79.02 years; female, 81.19 years, male 76.95 years.
Work force (2.3 million): (1Q 2003) Manufacturing--16.8%; commerce--12.8%; education--2.8%; other business services--12.9%; health and social services--10.2%; community services--4.7%; construction--5.5%; transportation--6.3%; public administration--5.7%; hotels and restaurants--4%; banking and finance--3.4%; agriculture--1.7%; electricity and water-- less than 1%. other--less than 2.2%.

Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Independence: May 14, 1948.
Constitution: None, however, the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the Basic Laws of the parliament (the Knesset) and the Israeli citizenship law fill many of the functions of a constitution.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state); prime minister (head of government). Legislative--unicameral, Knesset. Judicial--Supreme Court.
Political parties: Labor, Likud, and various other secular and religious parties, including some wholly or predominantly supported by Israel's Arab citizens. A total of 12 parties are represented in the 16th Knesset, elected January 2003. Next election in 2006.
Suffrage: Universal at 18.

Economy (2002)
GDP: $117.4 billion (2002 estimated).
Annual growth rate: 1.2% (2003).
Per capita GDP (2002): $19,500.
Currency: Shekel, (4.56 shekels = 1 U.S. dollar) (2003 estimate)
Natural resources: Copper, phosphate, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur, bitumen, manganese.
Agriculture: Products--citrus and other fruits, vegetables, beef, dairy, and poultry products.
Industry: Types--high-technology projects--including aviation, communications, computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics--wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, processed foods, chemicals, diamond cutting and polishing, metal products.
Trade: Exports--$28.1 billion (2002). Exports include polished diamonds, electronic communication, medical and scientific equipment, chemicals and chemical products, electronic components and computers, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, rubber, plastics, and textiles. Imports (excluding defense imports)--$30.8 billion (2002): raw materials, diamonds, energy ships and airplanes, machinery, equipment, land transportation equipment for investment, and consumer goods. Major partners--U.S., UK, Germany Imports: U.S., Germany, Italy.

PEOPLE
Christian singles note-Of the approximately 6.4 million Israelis in 2001, about 5.2 million were counted as Jewish, though some of those are not considered Jewish under Orthodox Jewish law. Since 1989, nearly a million immigrants from the former Soviet Union have arrived in Israel, making this the largest wave of immigration since independence. In addition, almost 50,000 members of the Ethiopian Jewish community have immigrated to Israel, 14,000 of them during the dramatic May 1991 Operation Solomon airlift. Thirty-six percent of Israelis were born outside Israel.

The three broad Jewish groupings are the Ashkenazim, or Jews who trace their ancestry to western, central, and eastern Europe; the Sephardim, who trace their origin to Spain, Portugal, southern Europe, and North Africa; and Eastern or Oriental Jews, who descend from ancient communities in Islamic lands. Of the non-Jewish population, about 73% are Muslims, about 10.5% are Christian, and under 10% are Druze.

Education is compulsory from age 6 to 16 and is free up to age 18. The school system is organized into kindergartens, 6-year primary schools, 3-year junior secondary schools, and 3-year senior secondary schools, after which a comprehensive examination is offered for university admissions. There are seven university-level institutions in Israel, a number of regional colleges, and an Open University program.

With a population drawn from more than 100 countries on 5 continents, Israeli society is rich in cultural diversity and artistic creativity. The arts are actively encouraged and supported by the government. The Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra performs throughout the country and frequently tours abroad. The Jerusalem Symphony and the New Israel Opera also tour frequently, as do other musical ensembles. Almost every municipality has a chamber orchestra or ensemble, many boasting the talents of gifted performers from the countries of the former Soviet Union.

Israel has several professional ballet and modern dance companies, and folk dancing, which draws upon the cultural heritage of many immigrant groups, continues to be very popular. There is great public interest in the theater; the repertoire covers the entire range of classical and contemporary drama in translation as well as plays by Israeli authors. Of the three major repertory companies, the most famous, Habimah, was founded in 1917.

Active artist colonies thrive in Safed, Jaffa, and Ein Hod, and Israeli painters and sculptors exhibit works worldwide. Israel boasts more than 120 museums, including the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls along with an extensive collection of regional archaeological artifacts, art, and Jewish religious and folk exhibits. Israelis are avid newspaper readers, with more than 90% of Israeli adults reading a newspaper at least once a week. Major daily papers are in Hebrew; others are in Arabic, English, French, Polish, Yiddish, Russian, Hungarian, and German.