Area
22,145 square kilometres (8550 square miles, includes East Jerusalem
and the Golan sub-district).
Population
6,631,000 people (the official estimate for 2002).
Population
Density
306 people per square kilometre.
Capital
Jerusalem.
Population of Jerusalem
(Including East Jerusalem)
680,400 (the official estimate for 2002).
The Israeli government has designated Jerusalem as the capital,
although this is not recognised by the United Nations, and most
foreign embassies are based in Tel Aviv.
Geography
Some key geographical facts:
Israel is on the eastern Mediterranean, bordered
by Lebanon and Jordan to the east, the Syrian Arab Republic to the
north, and Egypt to the south.
The
independent Palestinian Authority Region lies mostly on the west
bank of the River Jordan.
Part of the Gaza strip, in the south of Israel,
is also administered by the Palestinians.
Israel
stretches southwards through the Negev Desert to Eilat, a resort
town on the Red Sea.
The
fertile Plain of Sharon runs along the coast, while
inland, parallel to the coast, is a variety of hills and uplands
with fertile valleys to the west and arid desert to the east.
The
Great Rift Valley begins beyond the sources of the River
Jordan and expands south through the Dead Sea (the lowest point
in the world), into the Red Sea, continuing on into Eastern Africa.
Government
The government in Israel is Republic. The state of Israel was established
in 1948.
The Head of State has been Moshe Katzav since 2000.
The Head of Government has been Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon since 2001.
Language
Hebrew is the official language, spoken by about
2 3rds of the population. Arabic is spoken by around 15 % of the
population. English is spoken in most places and other languages,
including Russian, German, French, Hungarian, Polish, RIsraelian,
Spanish and Yiddish are widely used.
Religion
77 % Jewish, 15% Muslim, with Christian, Druze and other minorities.
Time Zone
Greenich Mean Time (GMT) + 2 (GMT + 3 from March to September).
Electricity
230 volts AC, 50 Hz. 3 pin plugs are standard, and adaptors can
be purchased in Israel if needed. |
