Geography

Israel is located in the region known as the Middle East. It is bordered by Egypt on the southwest, Jordan on the east, Syria on the northeast, and Lebanon on the north. The Mediterranean lies to the west. Israel covers an area of 7,992 square miles (20,700 square kilometers), excluding East Jerusalem and other territories occupied by Israel in a 1967 war with neighboring Arab nations.

Israel can be divided into four natural regions. Along the Mediterranean coast is a narrow plain on which most of the population lives. A hill region extends from the northern border into central Israel. The country's highest point, Mount Meron at 3,963 feet (1,208 meters), is in the mountains of Galilee in the north. The Great Rift Valley, a long, deep depression on the Earth's surface, runs the length of Israel in the east. The Negev is a dry, rugged region that occupies almost the entire southern half of the country.

In the east the Jordan River flows southward into the freshwater Sea of Galilee. The river then flows to the Dead Sea. This sea, at 1,312 feet (400 meters) below sea level, is the lowest place on Earth.

Israel has a Mediterranean climate, meaning that winters are mild and wet and summers are hot and dry. The Negev is hot and dry year-round. The northern mountainous areas experience great temperature variations.

Plants and animals

Forests once covered much of Israel, but they were cut down long ago. In recent decades millions of trees have been planted. The hills are mostly covered by wild shrubs, and only desert scrub grows wild in the Negev. Citrus trees are grown on the coastal plain.

Animal life in Israel includes wildcats, wild boars, gazelles, ibex, jackals, hyenas, and badgers. Among the reptiles are the agama and gecko lizards and the viper. Birds include the partridge, tropical cuckoo, bustard, sand grouse, and desert lark.

People and culture

Jews make up about 80 percent of the population of Israel. Jews from all over the world began settling in the region even before Israel became an independent country in 1948. Most of the rest of Israel's people are Arabs. Judaism is the main religion, but the majority of the Arabs follow Islam. Christians and Druzes form other religious minorities. Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages. English is also widely used.

More than 90 percent of the people in Israel live in cities. The largest city is Jerusalem, which Israel proclaimed its capital in 1949. Tel Aviv and Haifa, the next two largest cities, are located on the Mediterranean coast.

Israel has many museums, archaeological and historical sites, theatrical companies, orchestras, dance groups, and music academies. The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra has an international reputation. The country's institutions of higher learning include the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, and the Israel Institute of Technology (or the Technion) in Haifa.

Economy

The economy of Israel is largely based on manufacturing and service industries. The country is among the world's leading producers of cut and polished diamonds. Other important industries produce machinery, military supplies, transport equipment, electronics, chemicals, metals, cement, paper products, processed foods, and textiles. Israel's mineral deposits include phosphates, potash, and magnesium. Finance and tourism are major service industries.

Agriculture in Israel depends on irrigation and is highly mechanized. Although less than 3 percent of the people work in agriculture, yields are high. Crops include citrus fruit, vegetables, and cotton. Sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, and poultry are raised.

Many farms in Israel are organized as settlements known as kibbutzim or moshavim. Kibbutzim are communities in which people share property and earnings. They include social centers, cultural and recreational facilities, and schools and increasingly are earning money from tourism and industries. In the settlements known as moshavim, families generally have private homes and plots of land but share in the purchase and use of supplies.

History

The territory now known as Israel is part of a region often called Palestine. The area was the ancient homeland of the Jews. By the 1st century AD, however, a distinct Jewish national state no longer existed in Palestine. An effort to reestablish such a state began in the late 19th century as part of a movement known as Zionism.

In 1917 the British government issued the Balfour Declaration, which supported the creation of a Jewish national home in Palestine. The Arabs in Palestine opposed this idea. In 1918 the British occupied Palestine, and in 1923 the League of Nations gave Britain political responsibility for the area. The British tried without success to resolve the rival claims to the region.