Israel - Tourism and Travel

The State of Israel is located in southwest Asia, on the Mediterranean Sea.

Israel has an area of 8,019 square miles (20,770 square kilometers).

The Plain of Sharon is on the coast. Beyond this plain are the hills and valleys of Samaria.

In the north are the Galilee highlands.

The Great Rift Valley runs along the border between Israel and Jordan, from Lake Tiberias also known as the Sea of Galilee to the Gulf of Aqaba, which is located at the northern end of the Red Sea. The Jordan River flows along the Great Rift Valley, on the Israel- Jordan border, into the Dead Sea.

The shores of the Dead Sea are the lowest land area on Earth, at 300 feet (400 meters) below sea level. The Dead Sea has no outlet to the sea. It has an extremely high concentration amount of salt.

Recently, use of the Jordan River for irrigation has increased, causing water levels in the Dead Sea to fall.

The Negev, a triangle-shaped semi-desert plateau, is in southern Israel.

The Canyon of the Oasis in En Avedat in the Negev was formed by layers of rock cracking and peeling away for thousands of years, as a result of extreme fluctuations in daytime temperatures and wind and water erosion.

Israel has mild, wet winters and warm summers.

It is hot and dry in the south.

The government of Israel claims Jerusalem as Israel's capital, however not all countries of the world recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Jerusalem is known as Al-Quds in Arabic.

It is a sacred city to Jews, Muslims and Christians.

The Wailing Wall (Jewish), the Dome of the Rock (Muslim) and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Christian) are all located near each other in Jerusalem.

Israel has a population of 7,170,000.

Most of the people live on the coastal plain, or in the center or the north of the country.

67% of the people are Jews who were born in Israel, 23% are Jews who were born in the Americas or Europe, 6% are Jews who were born in Africa, 4% are Jews who were born in Asia. The majority of the rest of the population is Arab.

Hebrew and Arabic are official languages. Yiddish, Persian, German, Russian, Polish and Romanian are also spoken.

76% of the people are Jewish, 16% are Muslim, mostly Sunni Muslim, 2% are Druze and 2% are Christian.

Although Israel has few natural resources, it has a diversified economy, which is primarily based on manufacturing.

Tourism is also important.

Important exports are software, fruit, vegetables, clothing, machinery, transport equipment and diamonds.

New irrigation techniques have enabled the Negev to be cultivated.

The occupation of the West Bank in 1967 increased agricultural production.

Israel is heavily dependent on foreign aid.

The official currency of Israel is the shekel, which is equal to 100 ago rot.

Israel has a parliamentary system of government.

The State of Israel was created in 1948, as a Jewish homeland in the region that was then known as Palestine.

Since then, there have been recurring conflicts with neighboring Arab states and the indigenous Palestinian population.

Israel is involved in territorial disputes related to Gaza and the West Bank.