Area: 22,072 km2
Population: 9,311,740
Capital: Jerusalem
Jerusalem by Robert Bye on Unsplash
National anthem: Hatikvah
Government type: Unitary Parliamentary Constitutional Republic
Languages: Arabic
Religion: 74.2% Judaism
Ethnic Groups: 74.2% Jewish, 20.9% Arab, 4.8% Other
Climate: Mediterranean climate
Currency: New Shekel
Expat Population: Between 557,000 and 593,000
Taboos: (no particularly strict taboos)
– Don’t wear immodest clothes
Cultural behaviour: Israel’s culture developed even before their independence in 1948, tracing back to ancient Israel. With a diverse immigration population from over 100 countries, and multiple subcultures, Israeli culture is varied — following different cultural trends which change across time.
Israel, officially the State of Israel or Hebrew Medinat Yisra’el, is located in the Middle East, at the end of the Mediterranean Sea. While small, Israel is known as the only Jewish nation in the world, with its rich history dating back to pre-biblical times.
Due to Israel’s Mediterranean terrain and climate, this country is home to a variety of animals, from boars to Caspian turtles. To bring back the woodlands, Israel has been replanting trees over the last 60 years. Multiple nature reserves have also been created to protect rare species.
Citizens of Israel are called Israelis, which do not carry any religious connotations with it. Israel has a diverse population, with around a third of the population coming from over 100 different countries. While many immigrants have come to Israel from countries of distress, individuals from other parts of the world are also free to immigrate to Israel.
In 2019, Israel was ranked 19 on the Human Development Index (HDI), with a value of 0.919, and has been ranked high in HDI value for the past 20 years.
The cost of living in Israel is fairly high, with one of the highest costs of living in the world. However, this varies on where expats decide to settle in the country and what lifestyle they aspire for. In 2019, Tel Aviv was ranked 15th in the Mercer’s Cost of Living Survey, beating Paris and London.