Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
of road. This factor produces commuter traffi c jams, especially in the Tel Aviv area, and many
accidents.
There are 143 miles (230 kilometers) of freeway-level highways. The main Tel Aviv -
Jerusalem road is built very close to the pre-1967 border and at a few points even crosses
it, posing a major strategic hazard in the event of a return to those old frontiers. Of special
importance is Highway 6, generally called the Cross-Israel Highway although its offi cial name
is the Yitzhak Rabin Highway. It is a north-south state-of-the-art toll road that was mainly
completed by 2009.
For decades, before widespread automobile ownership, the well-organized bus system was
dominant. The Egged cooperative is Israel's largest bus company and operates throughout the
country. The main cities have local bus systems as well as many taxis.
The need for an effective commuter rail system has led to expansion of the state-operated
railroad, including double-tracking of the main line along the coast, importing of modern
equipment, opening of new stations, and extension of service between Ben-Gurion Airport
and the Tel Aviv area. Light commuter rail is planned for the Jerusalem area, and a Tel Aviv
subway is also slated, both expensive, very long-term projects.
The Israeli cargo ship line Zim and the El Al airline serve international traffi c needs. The
popularity of foreign travel among Israelis has led El Al to establish a charter subsidiary, Sun
d'Or. Because El Al, as Israel's airline, faces special threats of attack and sabotage, it insists on
providing its own security at foreign airports; in fact, it stopped fl ying to several cities that did
not comply.
It has compiled an outstanding safety and security record, and the security and mainte-
nance practices that it has developed have been a model for other airlines. El Al's inability,
as a state carrier, to fl y on Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) and major Jewish holidays leads to
a signifi cant loss of revenue. Moreover, the airline must skirt countries at war with Israel,
lengthening several routes.
Despite security and other issues, including sporadic violence and attempts at boycotts,
Israel's tourism industry has grown rapidly. To support it, a substantial infrastructure of hotels
and other services has developed. During 2010 more than 3.1 million people visited the coun-
try, 18 percent above the number in 2009 and 10 percent more than in 2008. Not including
airfare, the amount spent in Israel by tourists is over $3 billion annually.
POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS
Israel has a population of more than 7.5 million people. For an advanced Western society, it
has a relatively youthful profi le, with almost 28 percent of its citizens under the age of four-
teen; more than 62 percent between fi fteen and sixty-four; and almost 10 percent over age
sixty-fi ve.
Its population growth rate is 1.8 percent annually, placing it alongside such countries as Ma-
laysia and El Salvador. In comparison, the U.S. rate is only 0.97 percent, and that of the United
Kingdom is 0.28 percent. Israel's birthrate is about 19.8 per 1,000 people, which is much higher
than those of the United States (13.8) and the United Kingdom (10.6). The fertility rate in Israel
in 2009 was 2.96 children per woman: 2.9 for Jews; 3.73 for Muslims; 2.2 for Christians; and
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search