COUNTRY PROFILE
Location |
PopulationAs of July 2016, Israel’s population is 8,174,527,
including Golan Heights and East Jerusalem, which consists of about 232,140 people. Religions practicedIsrael recognizes many religions, but 74.8% of the state’s population is Jewish, and 20.8% are Arabs. The other 4.4% consists of people identifying with one of the several other religions that Israel recognizes.
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Languages spokenHebrew and Arabic are the official languages and
English is a commonly used language as well. |
FlagThe Israeli flag represents the tallis, or Jewish prayer shawl. Additionally, the hexagram in the center of the flag is the Star of David, which is a symbol connected to Judaism. It was declared the official flag of Israel in 1948.
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Current leader |
Annual rainfall |
Binyamin Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He heads the Likud Party, which is a right wing party in Israel, and the first right wing party to lead the government in Israel.
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In northern Israel, the annual rainfall is around 1,100 mm, while in the extreme south, the annual rainfall is less than 100 mm. Approximately 70% of the rainfall occurs from November to February.
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Largest cities |
Main attractions |
Currency |
Government |
The currency is the New Israeli Shekel. One U.S. dollar equates to about 3.7 Shekels.
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Israel has a parliamentary democracy, meaning that the voters vote for their parliament (citizens can vote once they are 18 years old).
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National Anthem |
Life expectancy |
Israel's national anthem is the Hatikvah.
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The average life expectancy of an Israeli is 82.4 years of age, while in the U.S. it is 79.8 years.
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Military
- 3 military branches- the Israel Defense Forces, the Israel Naval Forces and the Israeli Air Force.
- It is required for Jews and Druze in Israel to enter the military once they reaches 18 years of age.
- Both males and females are required to serve, males for 32 months and women for 24 months.
- Christians, Muslims and Circassians get to enter the military at 17 years old.