מדינת ישראל
Medīnat
Yisrā'el |
دولة إسرائيل
Dawlat
Isrā'īl |
|
State of Israel |
|
|
 |
 |
|
Flag |
Coat of arms |
|
Anthem: Hatikvah
The Hope
|
|
|
Capital
(and largest city) |
Jerusalem[1]
 31°47′N,
35°13′E |
|
Official languages |
Hebrew,
Arabic |
|
Ethnic groups |
76%
Jewish, 19%
Arab, 5% minority
groups |
|
Demonym |
Israeli |
|
Government |
Parliamentary democracy[2] |
|
- |
President |
Shimon Peres |
|
- |
Prime Minister |
Ehud Olmert |
|
- |
Knesset Speaker |
Dalia Itzik |
|
Independence |
from
British Mandate of
Palestine |
|
- |
Declaration |
14 May
1948
(05
Iyar 5708) |
|
Area |
|
- |
Total 1 |
20,770 / 22,072 kmē (151st)
8,019 / 8,522 sq mi |
|
- |
Water (%) |
~2% |
|
Capital |
Bandar Seri Begawan |
|
Official languages |
Malay, Bruneian |
|
Demonym |
Bruneian |
|
Government |
Absolute
Islamic
Sultanate |
|
- |
Sultan |
Hassanal Bolkiah |
|
|
Population |
|
- |
2008 estimate |
7,282,0002[3] (96th) |
|
- |
1995 census |
5,548,523 |
|
- |
Density |
324/kmē (34th)
839/sq mi |
|
GDP (PPP) |
2007[4] estimate |
|
- |
Total |
$232.7 billion (44th) |
|
- |
Per capita |
$33,299 (22nd) |
|
GDP (nominal) |
2007 estimate |
|
- |
Total |
$154.3 billion |
|
- |
Per capita |
$22,073 |
|
Gini (2005) |
38.6[2] |
|
HDI (2007) |
▬ 0.932 (high) (23rd) |
|
Currency |
Israeli new sheqel (₪)
(ILS) |
|
Time zone |
IST
(UTC+2) |
|
- |
Summer (DST) |
(UTC+3) |
|
Internet TLD |
.il |
|
Calling code |
+972 |
|
Israel
(Hebrew: יִשְרָאֵל, Yisra'el;
Arabic: إسرائيل, Isrā'īl)
officially the State of Israel
(Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְרָאֵל (help·info),
Medinat Yisra'el; Arabic:
دَوْلَةْ إِسْرَائِيل, Dawlat
Isrā'īl), is a country in
Western Asia located on the
eastern edge of the
Mediterranean Sea. It borders
Lebanon in the north, Syria in
the northeast, Jordan in the
east, and Egypt on the
southwest, and contains
geographically diverse features
within its relatively small
area.[5] The West Bank and Gaza
Strip are also adjacent. With a
population of about 7.28
million[3], the majority of whom
are Jews, Israel is the world's
only Jewish state.[6] It is also
home to Arab Muslims,
Christians, Druze, and
Samaritans, as well as other
religious and ethnic minority
groups.
The modern state of Israel has
its roots in the Land of Israel
(Eretz Yisrael), a concept
central to Judaism for over
three thousand years[citation
needed]. After World War I, the
League of Nations approved the
British Mandate of Palestine
with the intent of creating a
"national home for the Jewish
people."[7] In 1947, the United
Nations approved the partition
of the Mandate of Palestine into
two states, one Jewish and one
Arab.[8] The Arab League
rejected the plan, but on May
14, 1948, the Jewish provisional
government declared Israel's
independence. The new country's
victory in the subsequent
Arab-Israeli War expanded the
borders of the Jewish state
beyond those in the UN Partition
Plan. Since then, Israel has
been in conflict with many of
the neighboring Arab countries,
resulting in several major wars
and decades of violence that
continue to this day.[9] Since
its foundation, Israel's
boundaries and even the State's
very right to exist have been
subject to dispute, especially
among its Arab neighbors.
However, Israel has signed peace
treaties with Egypt and Jordan,
and efforts are being made to
reach a permanent accord with
the Palestinians.
Israel is a representative
democracy with a parliamentary
system and universal
suffrage.[10][11] The Prime
Minister serves as head of
government and the Knesset
serves as Israel's legislative
body. In terms of nominal gross
domestic product, the nation's
economy is estimated as being
the 44th-largest in the
world.[12] Israel ranks high
among Middle Eastern countries
on the bases of human
development,[13] freedom of the
press,[14] and economic
competitiveness.[15] Jerusalem
is the country's capital, seat
of government, and largest city,
while Israel's main financial
center is Tel Aviv.
