ariety of flora and fauna. Despite the wide environmental range, fresh water scarcity has been a lasting problem. The National Water Carrier aids in bringing water from the north to the south, and additional methods of using other sources are underway. Desertification and pollution are two other environmental issues that Israel faces. Sandstorms are a natural hazard, which most often occur in the spring and the summer. The natural resources are copper, phosphates, sulfur, manganese, bromide, asphalt, potash, clay, and sand. The highest point in Israel is 1,208m at Har Meron, and the lowest point in Israel is the lowest point on earth – 408m below sea level in the Dead Sea.Israel’s current population nears six million, as compared to its population of fewer than one million at the time of its inception. The vast majority, 90%, of the population resides in urban centers, and most of the remainder of the population inhabits rural cooperative settlements named the moshav and the kibbutz. The age structure is as follows: 0-14 years – 28%, 15-64 years – 62%, over 65 years – 10%. The population growth rate is 1.8%. The sex ratio for the total population is 0.99 male/female. Children begin school at age 5 and can continue through age 18. Pre-school is common for 3 and 4 year olds. 12 years is the median amount of schooling for the population. Institutions of higher education include many colleges and universities, research institutions, and vocational schools. Scientific research and development is a strong point in Israel’s higher education options. The health care system in Israel basically consists of four health funds, similar to HMOs. On average, households cover one-fourth of their national health care expenditure directly. The problem encountered in the health care system was that when health care providers rendered services, the insurance legislation was not regulating their payment...
