INTRODUCTION TO ISRAEL

Introduction:

Israel country in southwestern Asia, located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Its area is 21,946 sq km (8473 sq mi), including the disputed areas of East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights region of southwestern Syria, both annexed by Israel in 1967. (The United Nations and most countries do not recognize these annexations.) Israel claims that Jerusalem is its capital, but Palestinians dispute the claim and the United Nations has not recognized it as such.

Land and Resources:

Israel can be divided into five topographical regions: the hills of Galilee in the north of Israel; the Plain of Esdraelon, south of Galilee, a densely populated and productive agricultural region; the coastal plains, consisting of the plains of Zevulun, Sharon, and Judea; the Judean Hills and the Samarian Hills, forming a barrier from north to south throughout most of the country; and the Negev a desert region in southern Israel. Israel's chief river is the Jordan.

The climate of Israel is generally subtropical. The water supply is limited, leaving much of the country barren, with poor soil quality, but there are mineral and agricultural resources. Bromine and potash are available in the waters of the Dead Sea, peat and iron ore are found in Galilee, and rich alluvial soils do exist along the coastal plain.

Israel has about 2500 species of plants. Dwarf oak and various other deciduous and coniferous trees have increased in number in recent decades, and natural woodlands and reforested areas cover 5 percent of the land. The animal life of Israel is diverse and includes 92 species of mammals and 500 species of birds.

Population:

The population of Israel is 91 percent urban and about 82 percent Jewish, most of the non-Jewish population being Muslim Arabs. Because of the complex history of the region (see History section), considerable racial, cultural, and ethnic diversity exists. The population of Israel (1997 estimate) is 5,534,669.

Economy:

Living standards are generally high in Israel. Much of the country's expenditures are devoted to the military and to absorbing immigrants. Israeli agriculture provides for most of the nation's food needs. Principal crops include fruits, vegetables, and grains. Livestock include cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and poultry.

Relying on scientific research and advanced technology, including land reclamation and critical irrigation, Israeli farming settlements are organized into both communal and individual enterprises. Chief assets of the Israeli mining industry include the potash and bromide extracted from the salt deposits of the Dead Sea. Israel is the world's largest exporter of these two resources.

Israel's principal industrial products are processed food, beverages, and tobacco; electrical machinery; chemical, petroleum, and coal products; metal products; textiles and clothing; construction materials; and precision instruments. The unit of currency is the new shekel (3.19 new shekels equal U.S.$1; 1996). A great deal of foreign exchange is derived from expenditures by tourists and the donations of Jews living in other countries.