| Local name: Medinat Yisra'el |
| Surface :
26,990 sq km/16,734 sq mi (20,770 sq km/12,887 sq mi in Israel; 6220
sq km/3856 sq mi in Gaza and the West Bank)...... .
Israel is located in the Middle East, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea
to the west, the Great Syrian-African Rift Valley to the east and the
Red Sea to the south, sharing its borders with Lebanon, Syria, Jordan
and Egypt. |
| Population :
6.038 million inhabitants |
| Electricity: The electric
current in Israel is 220 Volt AC, single phase, 50 Hertz. Most Israeli
sockets are of three-pronged variety, but many accommodate some
European two-pronged plugs as wall. Electric shavers, travel irons and
other small appliances may require adapters and/or transformers, which
can be purchased in Israel. |
| Climate: Israel enjoys long, warm,
dry summers (April-October) and generally mild winters (November-
March), with somewhat drier, cooler weather in hilly regions, such as
Jerusalem and Safed. Rainfall is relatively heavy in the north and
center of the country with much less in the northern Negev and almost
negligible amounts in the southern areas. Regional conditions vary
considerably, with humid summer sand mild winters on the coast, dry
summers and moderately cold winters in the hill regions, hot dry
summers and pleasant winters in the Jordan Valley, and year-round
semi-desert conditions in the Negev.......Average summer temperatures
range from 18 degrees to 32 degrees C (65 degrees to 90 degrees F)
over most of the country. Winters are mild, with temperatures
averaging 14 degrees C (57 degrees F) along the coast and 9 degrees C
(48 degrees F) in the mountains. The Rift Valley is about 9 C degrees
(15 F degrees) warmer than the rest of the nation in winter. The Dead
Sea area is the lowest place on the planet and the climate is one of
the hottest regions in the world. |
| Visa: Citizens of the following
countries will be issued visitors' visas (or transit visias - see
below) free of charge at the port of entry in Israel: Europe -
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany (persons
born after 1.1.28), Gibraltar, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Norway,
Portugal, San Marino, Solvenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the
Netherlands.....The Americas - Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil,
Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala,
Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Paraguay, St. Kitts-Nevis, Surinam, Trinidad
and Tobago, the Bahamas, the Dominican Repuplic, Uruguay, U.S.A......Asia
and Oceania - Australia, Fiji Islands, Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand,
South Korea, Philippines......Africa - Central African Republic,
Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, South Africa, Swaziland...............If
you do not have a return ticket and money to cover your stay, you may
be put on the next flight home. The main hassle with visiting Israel
is avoiding having your passport stamped - most Arab countries will
not allow you to enter if you have visited Israel. If you can, get
officials to stamp your entry permit rather than your passport |
| Capital :
Jerusalem (632,000) |
| System : Parliamentary Republic.....The
independent State of Israel was proclaimed on May 14, 1948. Israel is
a parliamentary democracy which consists of three branches: The
Knesset the Legislature (Parlament) The Executive (The Government) and the Judiciary (The Court System).
It is based on the principle of the separation of powers with checks
and balances built into the system. The government is administered by
the Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister. The official Head of State
is the President, elected by the Knesset for a five-year term. |
| Languages :
Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages of Israel. Hebrew, Arabic
and English are compulsory subjects at school. French, Spanish, German,
Yiddish, Russian, Polish and Hungarian are widely spoken. |
| Religions :
Israel is home to a number of religions including
Judaism, Islam, Catholicism and Protestantism. Other religious
communities include Samarutan, Armenian, Eastern Orthodox, Druze and
Bahai. |
| Money :
New Israeli Shekel (NIS) that is divided into 100 Agorot |
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+ 972 |
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+ 2 |
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