Israel Travel Guide - Key Facts

Eastern Mediterranean.

GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 during summer Daylight Saving Time. Daylight Saving Time in Israel starts on 1 April every year and ends on the Saturday between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.)

22,145 sq km (8,550 sq miles).

7.04 million  (Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, 2006).

317.9 per sq km.

Jerusalem. Population: (including East Jerusalem) 724,000 (2006). The Israeli government has designated Jerusalem as the capital, although this is not recognised by the UN, and most foreign embassies are based in Tel Aviv.

Israel is on the eastern Mediterranean, bordered by Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic to the north, the Palestine National Authority (West Bank) and Jordan to the east, and Egypt to the south. Gaza, a small coastal strip between Israel and Egypt, is administered by the Palestine National Authority. Although only the size of Wales or Massachusetts, Israel contains a great variety of terrain and four climate zones. The north of the country is the fertile hill region of Galilee, rising to Mount Hermon and Golan in the northeast. The fertile Plain of Sharon runs along the coast, while inland, parallel to the coast, is a range of hills and uplands with relatively barren stony areas to the east. The country stretches southwards through the Negev Desert to Eilat, a resort town on the Red Sea. The Great Rift Valley begins beyond the sources of the River Jordan in the north and extends south through the Dead Sea (the lowest point in the world), into the Red Sea, continuing on into Eastern Africa.

Republic. The state of Israel was founded in 1948.

President Shimon Peres since 15 July 2007.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert since March 2006.

After prime minister Ariel Sharon's incapacitating stroke in January 2006, his deputy Ehud Olmert was elected in the March 2006 election. Olmert pledged to push ahead with Sharon's plan to define unilaterally Israel's final borders. This became unexpectedly complicated with the victory in the January 2006 Palestinian elections of Hamas, an Islamist militia pledged to destroy Israel and which claimed responsibility for hundreds of suicide bombings, and then in August 2006 with the attack on northern Israeli towns and villages, including the city of Haifa, by Lebanon's Islamist militia Hezbollah.

Former prime minister Shimon Peres is now the ninth president of Israel. The 83-year-old was elected in June 2007 and will serve a seven-year term. His predecessor, Moshe Katsav, was forced to resign after admitting charges of sexual harassment and abuse of authority.

Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages. Hebrew is the first language of about two-thirds of the population. Arabic is spoken by around 15%. Other languages, including English, French, German, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Spanish and Yiddish are widely spoken. A large proportion of the population speak good English, a compulsory school subject.

80% Jewish, 18% Muslim, with small Christian, Druze and other minorities.

230 volts AC, 50Hz. Three-pin plugs are standard; if needed, adaptors can be purchased in Israel.

Israelis are usually very informal but with the European style of hospitality. Israelis are typically blunt and direct in speech, which should not be misinterpreted as rudeness. Visitors should observe normal courtesies when visiting someone's home and should not be afraid to ask questions about the country as most Israelis are happy to talk about their homeland, religion and politics. The expression shalom (‘peace') is used for hello and goodbye. Dress is casual, but in the holy places of all religions modest attire is worn. For places such as the Western Wall, male visitors are given a smart cardboard yarmulke (skull cap) to respect the religious importance of the site. Businesspeople are expected to dress smartly, or at least in smart casual style, although ties are often not worn, while the most expensive of restaurants and nightclubs may expect a similar standard. If formal evening wear is required this will be specified on invitations. It is considered a violation of Shabbat (Sabbath, on Saturday) to smoke on that day. There is usually a sign to remind the visitor of this, and to disregard the warning would be regarded as discourteous.