ISRAEL is a country in Western Asia located on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area. 

The West Bank and Gaza Strip are also adjacent. With a population of about 7.28 million, the majority of whom are Jews, Israel is the world's only Jewish state. It is also home to Arabs, Muslims, Christians, Druze, and Samaritans, as well as other religious and ethnic minority groups.

The modern state of Israel has its roots in the Land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael), a concept central to Judaism for over 3000 years.

After World War I, the League of Nations approved the British Mandate of Palestine with the intent of creating a "national home for the Jewish people." In 1947, the United Nations approved the partition of Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. On May 14, 1948 the state of Israel declared independence in accordance with the UN decision and this was followed by a war with the surrounding Arab states, which refused to accept the plan. The Israelis were subsequently victorious in a series of wars confirming their independence and expanding the borders of the Jewish state beyond those in the UN Partition Plan. Since then, Israel has been in conflict with many of the neighboring Arab countries, resulting in several major wars and decades of violence that continue to this day. 

BASIC FACTS

Official name

State of Israel

Capital

Jerusalem

NOTE: In 1950 the Israeli Parliament proclaimed Jerusalem its capital. Most countries, however, do not recognize this status and maintain embassies in Tel Aviv-Yafo.

Area

21,946 sq km
8,473 sq mi

Largest cities (population)

Jerusalem 701,512 (2004 estimate)
Tel Aviv-Yafo 368,635 (2004 estimate)
Haifa 269,417 (2004 estimate)
Rishon Le Ziyyon 216,851 (2004 estimate)
Ashdod 195,500 (2004 estimate)
Beersheba 184,200 (2004 estimate)
Peta Tiqwa 175,500 (2004 estimate)
Netanya 168,800 (2004 estimate)
Holon 165,900 (2004 estimate)
Bene Beraq 141,400 (2004 estimate)

Population

6,500,389 (2008 estimate)

Population growth rate

1.13 per cent (2008 estimate)

Population density

320 persons per sq km (2008 estimate)
828 persons per sq mi (2008 estimate)

Urbanisation

Per cent urban 92 per cent (2005 estimate)
Per cent rural 8 per cent (2005 estimate)

Life expectancy

Total 79.7 years (2008 estimate)
Female 82 years (2008 estimate)
Male 77.6 years (2008 estimate)

Infant mortality rate

7 deaths per 1,000 live births (2008 estimate)

Literacy rate

Total 96 per cent (2005 estimate)
Female 94.4 per cent (2005 estimate)
Male 97.6 per cent (2005 estimate)

Ethnic divisions

Jewish (of which Israel-born 62 per cent,
Europe/Americas/Oceania-born
26 per cent, Africa-born 7 per cent,
Asia-born 5 per cent) 82 per cent
Non-Jewish (mostly Arab) 18 per cent

Languages

Hebrew (official), Arabic (Standard Arabic is official), English, Yiddish, Ladino

Religions

Jewish 82 per cent
Muslim (mostly Sunni Muslim) 14 per cent
Christian 2 per cent
Druze, Bahai, other 2 per cent

Type of government

Republic

Independence

May 14, 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)

Constitution

Israel has no formal constitution, but the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the basic laws of the parliament, and the Israeli citizenship law fill some of a constitution's functions.

Voting rights

Universal at age 18

Economy

Gross domestic product (GDP) (US$)140,457 million (2006)
GDP per capita (US$) 19,926.90 (2006)
GDP by economic sector
GDP, agriculture Not available
GDP, industry Not available
GDP, services Not available

National budget (US$)

Total revenue 56,010 million (2006)
Total expenditure 61,812 million (2006)

Monetary unit

1 new Israeli shekel (NIS), consisting of 100 new agorot

Exports

Machinery and equipment, cut diamonds, chemicals, textiles and clothing, agricultural products, metals, food items, rubber, plastic

Imports

Military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, oil, consumer goods

Major trading partners for exports

United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Belgium, Hong Kong SAR

Major trading partners for imports

United States, Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan

Industries

Food processing, diamond cutting and polishing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, metal products, military equipment, transport equipment, electrical equipment, machinery, potash mining, high-technology electronics, tourism

Agriculture

Principal products: citrus and other fruits, vegetables, cotton; livestock products: beef, poultry, dairy products

Natural resources

Copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulphur, asphalt, manganese, small amounts of natural gas and crude oil

THE SURPRISES OF ISRAEL

Croatia - Montenegro - Albania - Greece - Turkey - Cyprus - Israel
Egypt - Libya - Algeria - Tunisia - Morocco - Spain - France - Italy - Malta