 | The State of Israel is a country in Southwest Asia located on the southeastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It has borders with Lebanon in the north, Syria and Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area. The West Bank and Gaza Strip, which are partially administrated by the Palestinian National Authority, are also adjacent.
With a population of about 7.2 million, the majority of whom are Jews; Israel is the world's only Jewish state. It is also home to Arab Muslims, Christians and Druze, as well as other religious and ethnic minority groups. Jerusalem is the nation's capital, seat of government, and the largest city in Israel.
The Official languages are Hebrew and Arabic, although English is spoken widely .
History of Israel
The Land of Israel, known in Hebrew as Eretz Yisrael, has been sacred to the Jewish people since the time of the biblical patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Bible has placed this period in the early 2nd millennium BCE.
According to the Torah, the Land of Israel was promised to the Jews as their homeland, and the sites holiest to Judaism are located there.
Around the 11th century BCE, the first of a series of Jewish kingdoms and states established rule over the region; these Jewish kingdoms and states ruled intermittently for the following one thousand years.
Between the time of the Jewish kingdoms and the 7th-century Muslim conquests, the Land of Israel fell under Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Sassanian, and Byzantine rule.Jewish presence in the region dwindled after the failure of the Bar Kokhba revolt against the Roman Empire in 132 CE and the resultant large-scale expulsion of Jews. Nevertheless, a continuous Jewish presence in Palestine was maintained, although the main Jewish population shifted from the Judea region to the Galilee, the Mishna and part of the Talmud, among Judaism's most important religious texts, were composed in Israel during this period
The Land of Israel was captured from the Byzantine Empire around 636 CE during the initial Muslim conquests. Control of the region transferred between the Umayyads,Abbasids,and Crusaders over the next six centuries, before falling in the hands of the Mamluk Sultanate, in 1260. In 1516, the Land of Israel became a part of the Ottoman Empire, which ruled the region until the 20th century.
On the 14th May 1948, David Ben-Gurion proclaiming Israeli independence and the State of Israel was born.
Modern Israel 
92 percent of Israel's inhabitants live in urban centers, of which some are located on known ancient sites. Others evolved from villages established before independence. Additional urban centers were built in the first years of statehood, mainly in under populated areas, to accommodate the growing population. Most residential areas are separated from commercial and industrial zones, with extensive, well-tended parks and numerous playgrounds situated within the town limits.
Israel's four main cities are Jerusalem the capital; Tel Aviv, focus of the country's industrial, commercial, financial and cultural life, founded (1909) as the first Jewish city in modern times; Haifa, a major Mediterranean port and the industrial center of northern Israel; and Be'er Sheva, the largest population center in the south.
Israel's major sports organizations (Maccabi, Betar, Hapoel and Elizur)( sponsor local teams in various sports as well as programs for youth in which the country's future champions are trained. Jewish athletes from all over the world come to Israel to compete in the Maccabiah and Hapoel Games, each held at four-year intervals.
Special events such as the annual marathon run around Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and the swim across it, as well as the Jerusalem March, draw thousands of participants. Camping and hiking are becoming increasingly popular, with about 6.5 million visits registered annually at the numerous national parks and nature reserves across Israel. For those with a taste for adventure, off-the-beaten-track hikes are organized in some of the world's most spectacular scenery, scuba diving expeditions explore the magnificent coral reefs in the Gulf of Eilat and opportunities for horseback riding along the forest trails of Galilee, on the Mediterranean beaches and in other parts of the country range from an hour's outing to trips of several days' duration. In recent years, participation in bicycle and automobile racing, hang-gliding, rappelling, sailing and wind-surfing has also been growing.
.jpg)
Israel is a world-class destination with outstanding cultural, archaeological and religious attractions, spas and beach resorts, as well as a unique ancient-and-modern atmosphere.
|
