Aerial view of Makhtesh Ramon (Hebrew: מכתש רמון), in the Negev Desert , Israel.
Photo: Godot13, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
( left -) Egypt and the river Nile , northerly: the mediterranean sea, northerly again: parts of south Greece, Armenia, Turkey; westerly: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar the Red Sea…
Photo: Expedition 35 Crew Image courtesy of the NASA Johnson Space…, Public domain · source
Camels convoy in Jordan Rift Valley , in occupied West Bank, May 2010.
Photo: Ishai Parasol from Israel, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Did you know?
The Land of Israel, also called Palestine or the Holy Land, was home to the ancient Canaanites and later the kingdoms of Israel and Judah and Hasmonean Judea. Located near continental crossroads, its demographics shifted under various empires. 19th-century Jewish nationalism, alongside European antisemitism, fuelled the Zionist movement for a Jewish homeland in Palestine, then an Ottoman region with an overwhelming Arab majority. The movement gained British support with the 1917 Balfour Declaration. After World War I, Britain occupied the region and established Mandatory Palestine.
Wikipedia: Israel – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Umm al-Fahm skyline at sunset
Photo: Moataz Egbaria, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Egyptian vulture in flight at Gamla Nature Reserve (Israel), bringing some food to its nest.
Photo: Artemy Voikhansky, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Came across this bridge by the Israel National Trail along a cliff of Makhtesh Ramon. The boards bend and creak as you step on them and some aren't even secured (i.e.…
Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Etymology
The names Land of Israel and Children of Israel have historically been used to refer to the biblical Kingdom of Israel and the entire Jewish people respectively. The name Israel (Hebrew: Yīsrāʾēl; Septuagint Ancient Greek: Ἰσραήλ, Israēl, "El (God) persists/rules") refers to the patriarch Jacob who, according to the Hebrew Bible, was given the name after he successfully wrestled with the Angel of the Lord. The earliest known archaeological artefact to mention the word Israel as a collective is the Merneptah Stele of ancient Egypt (dated to the late-13th century BCE).
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This is a photo of a place that is recognized as a heritage site by the Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel . The site's ID in Wiki Loves Monuments…
Photo: טל שמע, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Old City Walls and Tower of David in Jerusalem
Photo: Pudelek, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
History
The Ubeidiya prehistoric site in northern Israel shows the presence of archaic humans around 1.5 million years ago. The second-oldest evidence of anatomically modern humans outside Africa is a 200,000-year-old fossil from Misliya Cave on Mount Carmel. The Natufian culture (c. 10,000 BCE) may be linked to the Proto-Afroasiatic language and is notable for adopting sedentism before the advent of agriculture and the Neolithic Revolution.
Early references to "Canaan" and "Canaanites" appear in ancient Near Eastern and Egyptian texts (c.
Wikipedia: Israel – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo of the aereal Ropeway leading to Masada in Israel .
Photo: Berthold Werner, Public domain · source
The International Bahá'í Archives building , overlooking the Shrine of the Báb and the Port of Haifa.
Photo: Jalal Volker, Public domain · source
"Egyptian camel transport passing over Olivet , 1918."
Photo: American Colony Jerusalem, Public domain · source
Geography
Israel is located in the Levant area of the Fertile Crescent. At the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, it is bounded by Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan and the West Bank to the east, and Egypt and the Gaza Strip to the south-west. It lies between latitudes 29° and 34° N, and longitudes 34° and 36° E.
The sovereign territory of Israel (according to the demarcation lines of the 1949 Armistice Agreements and excluding all territories captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War) is approximately 20,770 square kilometres (8,019 sq mi), of which two per cent is water.
Wikipedia: Israel – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sunset aerial photograph of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem (view from the south).
Photo: Godot13, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Government and politics
Israel has a parliamentary system, proportional representation and universal suffrage. A member of parliament supported by a parliamentary majority becomes the prime minister—usually this is the chair of the largest party. The prime minister is the head of government and of cabinet. The president is head of state, with largely ceremonial duties.
Israel is governed by a 120-member parliament, known as the Knesset. Membership of the Knesset is based on proportional representation of political parties, with a 3.25% electoral threshold, which in practice has resulted in coalition governments.
Wikipedia: Israel – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Griffon vulture in flight. The photo was taken at Carmel mount in Israel. There is a nature reserve on that mount, where they keep some captive vultures in cages (many…
Photo: Artemy Voikhansky, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Makhtesh Ramon viewed from Mount Gvanim (Mount/Har Gevanim/Gewanim), with Mount Marpek and Mount Katum in view.
Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
This is a photo of a place that is recognized as a heritage site by the Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel . The site's ID in Wiki Loves Monuments…
Photo: טל שמע, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Economy
Israel is considered the most advanced country in West Asia and the Middle East in economic and industrial development. As of October 2023, the IMF estimated its GDP at 521.7 billion dollars and GDP per capita at 53.2 thousand (ranking 13th worldwide). It is the third richest country in Asia by nominal per capita income and has the highest average wealth per adult in the Middle East. The Economist ranked Israel as the fourth most successful economy among the developed countries for 2022. It has the most billionaires in the Middle East and the 18th most in the world.
Wikipedia: Israel – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Kirinia roxelana Cramer, 1777, male resting on a rock, Nahal Kelah, Mount Carmel, Israel, June 8 2011.
Photo: Gideon Pisanty ( Gidip ) גדעון פיזנטי, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Griffon vulture in flight over Carmel mount, Israel
Photo: Artemy Voikhansky, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Defunct quarry in Makhtesh Ramon.
Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Demographics
Israel has the largest Jewish population in the world and is the only country where Jews are the majority. As of April 2025, the population was an estimated 10,094,000. In 2025, the government recorded 72% of the population as Jews, 21% as Arabs, and 7% as "Others" (non-Arab Christians and people who have no religion listed). Over the last decade, large numbers of migrant workers from Romania, Thailand, China, Africa, and South America have settled in Israel. Exact figures are unknown, as many of them are living in the country illegally, but estimates run from 166,000 to 203,000. By June 2012, approximately 60,000 African migrants had entered Israel.
Wikipedia: Israel – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Culture
Cultural diversity stems from its diverse population: Jews from various diaspora communities brought their cultural and religious traditions with them. Arab influences are found in architecture, music, and cuisine, among others. Israel is the only country where life revolves around the Hebrew calendar, which is aligned to the seasons in the Levant. Public holidays are determined by the Jewish holidays, and except for Yom HaAtzma'ut (Independence Day) there are no annual civil holidays. The official day of rest is Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath.
Wikipedia: Israel – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0