Israel - the land of milk and honey - has become a significant player in the global marketplace since its establishment in 1948. Whether in communications, medicine, industry or agriculture, Israeli cutting-edge technology leads the way. The country offers plentiful foreign investment opportunities and its location provides a strategic access point to Europe, Asia and the Middle East. For more information, see www.InvestInIsrael.gov.il.
Geography
Size: 22,145 square kilometers (roughly 4/5ths the size of Maryland)
Israel is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, as well as the West Bank and Gaza Strip - portions of which are controlled by the Palestinian Authority.
Israel has the Negev desert in the south, a low coastal plane, and mountains in the center of the country.
Israel's natrual resourses include potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, and sand.
The country has major international access points by both air and sea: David Ben-Gurion International Airport, located between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and the ports of Haifa, Ashdod and Eilat.
Key Cities include Jerusalem (the capital city), Tel Aviv (commercial, financial and industrial center) and Haifa (the major port city in the north)
Demographics
Population: 7.2 million people (2009) (roughly 1.2 times the size of Maryland)
Population growth rate: 1.8% (2009)
Per capita GDP: $27,355 (2008)
Unemployment rate 7.6% (2009)
Languages: Hebrew and Arabic are the major languages but English and Russian are spoken as well.
Industry Strengths
Israel has developed into one of the world's leading technology hubs. Home-grown innovations in high tech - especially software, telecommunications and Internet technologies - and bioscience have driven the country's economy over the past two decades.
Companies with primary R&D in Israel include: Microsoft, IBM, Intel, Motorola and Cisco.
Industry leading Israeli companies: Teva (generic pharmaceuticals), Check Point (information security), Comverse (multimedia communications), Amdocs (billing & customer service), Compugen (bioinformatics), Mercury Interactive (software testing)
Israel has more companies traded on the technology-heavy NASDAQ stock exchange than any country outside North America.
26 technology business incubators supported by the Ministry of Industry and Trade
In addition to trade in cut diamonds and agricultural products, much of Israel's technology is exported around the world.
Exports: $57.16 billion - nearly a third of the country's gross domestic product (2008)
Israeli free trade agreement partners: United States, Mexico, European Union, European Free Trade Association states
Skilled Workforce
Israel ranks first globally in the number of scientists and engineers per 100,000 population (135, 2008)
Israel's research institutions rank 3rd in the world, according to the WEF Global Competitiveness Yearbook (2008)
Flair for innovation and entrepreneurial skills; highly motivated
Trained graduates of the Israel Defense Forces
Numerous Nobel Prizes
Educational System
Israel ranks in the top 20 globally, with primary school enrollment rates of 97% and an average of 1 teacher per 13 students (2009)
Israel's educational funding ranks in the top 25 in the world (2009)
World class educational institutions: Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University
Israel offers tremendous opportunities for Maryland companies seeking to do business. For information on entering the Israeli market, contact the Maryland/Israel Development Center.