| Virtual Tour of Israel - The State of Israel | |
 | Israel | |
| Dead Sea | |
| Eilat | |
| Haifa | |
| Jerusalem | |
| Jordan River | |
| Kinneret | |
| Masada | |
| Negev | |
| Tel Aviv | |
| Tiberias | |
Israel is a country located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Israel is surrounded by Lebanon in the north, by Syria in the northeast, by Jordan in the east, and by Egypt in the southwest. Its southernmost tip extends to the Red Sea's Gulf of Aqaba.
The
State of Israel
The State of Israel was established in 1948 with Jerusalem
as its capital. It covers an area of about 21,596 sq km (about 8338 sq mi). This
figure includes East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, both captured by Israel
in the Six-Day War of 1967 and subsequently annexed. These annexations are not
recognized by many countries and may be part of future peace negotiations with
the Palestininans and Syrians. Israel also seized the Gaza Strip and the West
Bank during the 1967 war. However, following peace agreements (1993, 1995) between
Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), almost all Palestinian
towns in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have been transferred to Palestinian
administration.
The
Land of Israel
Israel has a maximum length of about 420 km (about 260
mi) and a width that varies from about 16 to 115 km (about 10 to 70 mi). It can
be divided into five major topographical areas: Galilee Highlands, Plain of Esdraelon
(Jezreel Valley), Judean and Samarian Hills, Coastal Plains, and Negev Desert.
The hills of Galilee dominate the northern section of Israel. This area includes the Sea of Galilee, also called Lake Tiberias or Yam Kinneret in Hebrew. Israel's highest point, Mount Meron (1208 m/3963 ft), is also in this area.
The Plain of Esdraelon is south of the Galilee and runs across Israel from Haifa on the Mediterranean coast to the Jordan River. This valley was formerly a malarial swampland. With the establishment of the State, the valley was drained. Today it is a densely populated and productive agricultural region.
The coastal plains extend along the Mediterranean. North of Haifa there is the Plain of Zevulun. The Plain of Sharon extends from the vicinity of Haifa southward to Tel Aviv. And the Plain of Judea extends from Tel Aviv to Gaza city in the Gaza Strip. The coastal plains contain most of Israel's large cities, industry, and commerce.
The Judean Hills, and the Samarian Hills north of them, extend throughout most of Israel from the north to the south, forming a natural barrier.
The Negev is a desert region in southern Israel. The desert extends north from the Gulf of Aqaba to a line connecting the southern end of the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean, passing just south of Beersheba.
The Jordan River is Israel's main river. It descends from Mount Hermon on the Lebanon-Syrian border to Lake Tiberias, about 209 m (686 ft) below sea level, and empties into the Dead Sea, about 400 m (1312 ft) below sea level.
The capital and largest city of Israel is Jerusalem, with over half a million residents. Other major cities include Tel Aviv, an industrial and commercial center with about 350,000 residents, and Haifa, the country's busiest seaport with about 250,000 residents.
A kibbutz is a collective settlement where people share equally in the work and its profits. The success of Israeli agriculture has been achieved through reliance on scientific research and advanced technology, particularly in land reclamation and irrigation projects.
The
Population of Israel
The population of Israel is about 5.8 million.
The population can be divided by religion into a Jewish majority (82%) and a non-Jewish
minority (18%). More than half of the Jews in Israel are Israeli-born (called
Sabras), but their parents or grandparents came from more than 100 different countries.
Ashkenazim came from European countries; Sephardim came from North Africa and
the Middle East. Most of the non-Jewish population of Israel is Arab. The Arab
population in Israel is primarily Sunni Muslims, but Christian and Druze Arabs
also live in Israel.
The
Democracy of Israel
Israel is a democratic State. All citizens 18 years
of age and over are entitled to vote. The nation has no constitution, but a number
of laws passed by the parliament, called the Knesset, regulate how the government
operates.
Israel's head of state, the president, is elected by the legislature for a maximum of two five-year terms. The president is primarily a ceremonial leader and has little power. The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The prime minister is elected by popular vote for a four-year term. The prime minister forms a cabinet by naming up to 18 ministers.
The Knesset consists of 120 members elected for four years under a system of proportional representation. Two major political parties have been dominant in the 1990s. Likud is more conservative and right-wing with respect to the Peace Process; Labor is more left-wing in peace negotiations with Arabs. Several other parties play significant roles in the Knesset, and they range from the extreme right to the extreme left.
Information from the Israeli Ministry of Tourism and Microsoft's Encarta '95.