Interesting Country Facts (Israel)

Israel lies on the Mediterranean coast of southwest Asia, with most people living along the coastal plain. The eastern interior is dry and includes the Dead Sea—the lowest point on the Earth’s surface.  It is bordered by Egypt on the west, Syria and Jordan on the east, and Lebanon on the north. The capital of Israel is Jerusalem

Fast Facts about Israel

1. Officially called State of Israel, Israel is the one and only Jewish state in the world.

2. Israel has two official languages: Hebrew and Arabic.

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3. Israel is so small, you can run through it from west to east in 2 hours and from top to bottom in 9 days.

4. Israel’s population has reached about 8 million as of 2013.

5. Israel is the only country to revive an unspoken language and establish it as its national tongue!

6. Israel is perhaps the most religiously complicated country on Earth. All three of the major Western religions claim Israel – and particularly, Jerusalem — as valuable to their heritage. Many sites in Israel, including Jerusalem and Galilee, are sacred to Christians because Christ lived, died and was resurrected here. Jews believe the Messiah will eventually come to Israel, while Muslims believe that Muhammad ascended to heaven from Jerusalem.

7.  The first antivirus software for computers was created in Israel in 1979.

8. A Jew from any country in the world is guaranteed citizenship in Israel, while the Palestinians who have been there for centuries are oppressed and persecuted.

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9. The cell phone was developed in Israel at Motorola’s largest development center.

10. The blue stripes on the Israeli flag are intended to symbolize the stripes on a tallit, the traditional Jewish prayer shawl. The portrayal of a Star of David on the flag of the State of Israel is a widely-acknowledged symbol of the Jewish people and of Judaism.