With the extreme southern tip immersed in one of the most beautiful seas in the world, the Red Sea. An indefinable shape and, without a shadow of a doubt, a puzzle of natural environments (lush Mediterranean strips and gentle hills; rugged mountains and tormented deserts), climates, cultures, customs and traditions among the most composite and fascinating on the planet. A wealth contained in just 29 thousand square kilometers, which makes it a great little nation.
From a physical point of view, it is usual to distinguish the territory of Israel in the coastal plain to the west, bordered by the Mediterranean; the mountainous region in the center and the rift of the Jordan Valley, to the east, which crosses the entire country longitudinally, up to the shores of the Red Sea. The Coastal Plain, in turn divided into sub-areas (e.g. the Plains of Galilee, Akko, Carmel..., up to the great Southern Coastal Plain), is the most densely populated and developed part. It is estimated that 70% of the population lives here. Fertile land, abundance of water, the presence of the most important communication routes and the largest centers (Tel Aviv, Haifa...) give birth to a lively, thriving economy and a very modern and dynamic pace of life.
Behind the Coastal Plain, the Lowlands rise, a system of gentle and green hills, which heralds the mountainous region, where territories with highly evocative biblical names nestle: Galilee, Carmel, Samaria, Judea. With cities and towns that alone are worth the trip: Jerusalem, the holy city par excellence of Jews and Christians; Bethlehem, where Jesus was born; Jericho and many others. To the south, the solitary Negev opens up, a desert area that occupies a large portion of the country, tormented by impressive canyons, the result of millennia of erosion.
To the east, runs the Jordan Valley, the main river of Israel, which marks the border with the Jordan and the occupied Palestinian territories. Unique and spectacular, this Valley extends from north to south, along the entire length of the state, and is an integral part of the Great Rift Valley, which continues with the Dead Sea (where the river flows) and the Wadi Arava, up to the Gulf of Aquaba. In addition to the Black Sea, an immense salt lake which occupies the lowest point on earth, below sea level, in the Jordan Valley there is also the largest freshwater basin: Lake Kineret or Tiberias, also called Sea of Galilee. Finally, to the east, the mountainous area of the Golan rises, where Mount Hermon stands out, 2224 metres, the highest peak in Israel, from where the river itself originates.
Israel's profile
- Country: Israel
- Area 20 700 km²
- Capital: Jerusalem
- Population: 5 643 500 inhabitants
- Language: Hebrew (official), Arabic
- Religion: Jews 78,5%, Muslims 15,1%, Christians 2,1%
- State law: Republic
- Major cities: Tel Aviv, Netanya
Useful information about Israel
- Currency: Sciclo -schekel
- Country code: 00972
- International license plate: IL
- Driving lane: dx
- Entry documents: Passport
- Vaccination required: NN
- Electric current: 220V
- Unit of measure: decimal metric
- Time Zones: +2
- Fixed date holidays: April 24th Independence Day
- Climate: Mediterranean. From April to October the climate is generally hot and dry while from November to March the climate, always quite mild, becomes cooler and drier in the hilly areas.
- Average temperatures: 17,6°C (9°C in winter, 24°C in summer)
- Transportation: the railway means of transport is not well organised, on the contrary the buses enjoy absolute punctuality, are cheap and very frequent.
- Airports: Lod/Ben Gurion, Tel-Aviv, Jaffa/Dov, Haifa
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