Exact population: 2,460,492 note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)

Literacy: Total population: 91.9%; male: 96.3%; female: 87.4%

Ethnicities: Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17%

Area: Total: 5,860 sq km; land: 5,640 sq km; water: 220 sq km; note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967

Land boundaries: Total: 404 km; border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km

Terrain: Mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east

Extremes: Lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m; highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m

Imports: Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2004)

Exports: Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2004)

Industries: 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

Source: CIA World Factbook