Capital: Jerusalem
Currency: new Israeli shekel (ILS)
Borders: Egypt 266 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km,
Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km
Israel is located in the Middle East and borders the Mediterranean
Sea and Egypt to the west, the Gulf of Aqaba to the south, Jordan to
the east and Lebanon to the north. It is important and worth noting
that there are Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in
areas known as the West Bank, Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip and East
Jerusalem. The land area of Israel is 20,330 sq km with a further
440 sq km of inland water. The coastline of Israel measures 273km.
The terrain of Israel is comprised of the Negev Desert in the south
of the country, a low coastal plain in the west, a central
mountainous region and the Jordan Rift valley in the east. Other
natural features include the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. People
have been known to float in the Dead Sea as it is the lowest,
saltiest and healthiest of all the world's seas. Israel's natural
resources include copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock and
magnesium bromide. Israel is famous for being the original Holy Land
and alleged birthplace of the baby Jesus. The Via Dolorosa route in
Jerusalem is said to be the walk that Jesus went to his crucifixion,
bearing his cross. Certain religious people have been known to
develop the 'Jerusalem Syndrome' upon visiting the Holy Lands. It is
a condition whereby the sufferer actually believes he or she has
become Jesus.
When the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine after
WWII, the United Nations partitioned the area into two states, one
Arab, one Israeli. To date there have been a series of battles in
the quest for ownership of various occupied territories. The capital
of Israel is Jerusalem although the administrative hub for many
countries in Israel has always been Tel Aviv. Ben Gurion airport in
Tel Aviv is also Israel's international airport.
Judaism is the dominant religion and the Western Wall in Jerusalem
is a major pilgrimage point for Jews. Hebrew is the official
language although Arabic is officially used for Israel's Arab
minorities. English is also widely understood. The national unit of
currency is the New Israeli Shekel.
Israel has a technologically advanced modern market economy although
it depends on imports of crude oil, grain, raw materials and
military equipment. Industry and services account for all but 4% of
the GDP. The main industries of Israel are high-technology projects,
wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages,
tobacco, caustic soda, cement and diamond cutting. Israel's largest
export partner is the USA. The transport network of Israel consists
of 647 km of railways and 15,965 km of highways.
The climate of Israel is temperate although it is extremely hot and
dry within the southern and eastern desert areas. Sandstorms occur
during spring and summer and Israel is also subject to periodic
earthquakes and droughts. The highest recorded temperature in
Jerusalem was 42°C. The lowest was -3°C. |
