Background of Israel in Nation

Official Name:

Medinat Yisra'el
short form: Yisra'el
int'l long form: State of Israel
int'l short form: Israel

ISO Country Code: IL, ISR

Time:
Actual Time: Sat-June-26  12:13
Local Time = UTC +2h
Daylight Saving Time (DST) April - Oktober (UTC +3).

Country Calling Code: +972

 

Capital City: Jerusalem
Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950. But nearly all countries maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv. In 2018, the United States and later Guatemala established their embassies in Jerusalem.

Other Cities:
Haifa, Nazareth, Tel Aviv

Government:
Type: Parliamentary democracy
Independence: 14 May 1948
Constitution: no formal constitution

Geography:
Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon.
Area: 22,072 km² (8,494 sq. mi.); including the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem.
Terrain: Israel has plains, mountains, deserts, and a coast.

Climate: Temperate, except in desert areas.

People:
Nationality: Israeli(s)
Population: 9.15 million (2020)
Ethnic groups: Jewish and non-Arab Christians: 80%; Arabs 20%.
Religions: Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Druze
Languages: Hebrew (official), Arabic (official), Russian, English
Literacy: total population 95% (female 93%; male 97%).

 

Natural resources: Timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand.

Agriculture products: Citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products.

Industries: High-technology projects (including aviation, communications, computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, diamond cutting.

Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel.

Exports - partners: United States 32%, China 9%, Hong Kong 5% (2019)

Imports - commodities: raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, grain, and consumer goods.

Imports - partners: United States 18%, China 14%, Germany 7%, Turkey 6% (2019)

Currency: (New) Israeli Sheqel (ILS)

 

 

Background:

Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs.

 

Subsequently, the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides.

Israel took control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1967 war and subsequently administered those territories through military authorities.

On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai according to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved on the 26 October 1994 in the Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace.

 

In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations are being conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives (from the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip) and Israel and Syria, to achieve a permanent settlement.

 

On 25 May 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005.