Israel is a small country in Western Asia. It is covered on the northeastern side by the Mediterranean Sea, and the western side by the Red Sea. The country shares its northern border with Lebanon, the northeastern border with Syria, and the eastern border with Jordan. The Gaza strip is to the west of Israel while West Bank Palestinian territories are to the east. Jerusalem is the capital of the state with Hebrew as its official language. It has a total population of around 9 million out of which around 75% are the Jews. Israel has a very high Human Development Index (HDI) and total GDP of around $4 billion. In this article, we will discuss some important interesting facts about Israel.
Israel Facts
1. Israel is world leader in innovation
Israel is known as a global leader in innovating new technologies. Many technologies now used worldwide have their roots in Israel such as cell phones, voice mail technology, antivirus technology, Windows Operating System, Pentium Chipset technology, and many more.
2. It has the biggest diamond market
Israel has the world’s largest wholesale diamond market where cut and polished diamonds are sold. An interesting fact about Israel is that most of the polished diamonds of the world come directly from this country. It is known to be the first country that adopted the new Kemberly process of Diamond certification that ensures only conflict-free diamonds enter the global market.
3. Israel has revived a dead language
Hebrew used to be a dead language before Israel. It is the language in which the Holy Scripture of the Jews was revealed. The Jews have great love for their Holy Language and tool drastic steps to revive it after the establishment of Israel. An interesting fact about Israel is that Hebrew has the status of being the official language of the country.
4. It is one of the most eco-friendly countries
The people and the government of Israel have shown their concerns about the environment of our planet to the entire world. . Around 85% of the country’s solid wastes are converted into environment-friendly material. All the wastewater in the country is recycled that then contribute to more than 50% of the irrigation water.
5. Israel is an ancient country
Israel is an ancient country having a long and protected history. It is the only country in the world that has the name, speaks the same language, and is located on the same land even after 3,000 years. The Jews were forced to leave Jerusalem 70 A.D. when Romans conquered the city. They remained dispersed in different areas of the world until the 20th century. In 1917, the British government supported the idea of creating a permanent Jewish state in Palestine via the Balfour Declaration. After that, Jews from all over the world gathered in Palestine and the State of Israel was established.
6. People do not own much land in the country
People do not have the right to own property in Israel, a fun Israel fact. More than 90% of land in the country is owned by the state that is managed by the Israel Land Authority (ILA). The ILA issues long-term leasing rights of land to Israeli nationals only.
7. Many Arab countries united to fight a war against Israel
The military forces from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria formed an alliance and started the Arab-Israel war immediately after the state of Israel was declared in 1948. The military forces of Israel defeated the Arab forces and an agreement was reached in 1949. According to the agreement. The Gaza Strip was to become a part of Egypt, and the West Bank to be a part of Jordan. Israel became a member of the UN the same year.
8. The capital of the country has a disputed stated
Only a few countries in the world recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel because of its disputed status in international law. Both the Israelis as well as Palestinians claim it as the capital of their states, an interesting Israel fact. To resolve this issue, the UN passed a resolution in 1947 for the establishment of Jerusalem as a separate international territory that will be under the control of the United Nations.
9. Israel always welcomes immigrant Jews
The doors of Israel are always open for Jews from all over the world. The country has passed a law that entitles every Jew living in any part of the world to have citizenship of Israel. Jews from all over the world have moved to Israel and got nationality. It is the only country in the world that has absorbed immigrants around 350% to its original population since its establishment.
10. This country is rich in museums and orchestras, books and Noble Laurates
With more than 200 museums and around 5 orchestras, Israel has the largest number of museums and orchestras per capita in the world. Moreover, Israel also has the maximum number of books published and the Nobel Laurates per capita in the world.
11. Israel is an energy-saving country
Israel promotes the use of renewable energy among its people. It is evident from the fact that 93% of the total homes in Israel use Solar systems to heat water. In addition, the use of Solar Electric Panels is also increasing day by day, a fun Israel fact.
12. A renowned scientist was offered Presidency of Israel
In 1952, a German scientist Alber Einstein was offered the Presidency of Israel. However, Einstein declined this offer and continued to provide his services in the field of science.
Conclusion
Israel is an Asian country located in the neighborhood of Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, West Bank, and Gaza. The country has religious sites of all the Abrahamic faith religions. Israel is still not accepted by many Muslim countries in the world. however, Israel has given a lot of technology and innovation to the world. It has the most developed country in Asia.
I hope that this article on Israel facts was helpful. If you are interested, visit the Country Facts Page!
