Greater Republic of Israel רֶפּוּבְּלִיקַת יִשְׂרָאֵל הַגְּדוֹלָה جمهورية إسرائيل العظمى | |
|---|---|
| Motto: אֵין לָנוּ אֶרֶץ אַחֶרֶת (Ein lanu eretz acheret; "We have no other land") | |
| Anthem: הַתִּקְוָה (Hatikvah; "The Hope") | |
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| City | Jerusalem (and it's largest city) 31°47′N 35°13′E / 31.783°N 35.217°E |
| Official languages | Hebrew |
| Recognised national languages | Arabic English Yiddish |
| Ethnic groups | Jews ✡ --Samaritans ❓ Arabs --Muslims ☪ --Christians ✝ --Druze ❓ |
| Religion | Jews ✡ (88.23%) Arabs ☪/✝ (11.76%) |
| Demonym(s) | Israeli |
| Government | Democracy |
| Yoav Gallant | |
| Naftali Bennett | |
| Legislature | Knesset |
| Area | |
• Total | 28,292 km2 (10,924 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Estimate | 18,000,000 |
| GDP (PPP) | estimate |
• Total |  $675.346 billion |
• Per capita | $68,242 |
| Currency | Israeli Shekel |
| Time zone | UTC+2:00 (standard) UTC+3:00 (summer) |
| Calling code | +972 |
| ISO 3166 code | IL |
The Greater Republic of Israel (Hebrew: Republicat Yisra'el ha'gdhola - רֶפּוּבְּלִיקַת יִשְׂרָאֵל הַגְּדוֹלָה), or simply Israel (Hebrew: Yisra'el - יִשְׂרָאֵל) is a republic in West Asia. It borders 
Lebanon to the North, by 
Syria to the northeast, by 
Jordan to the east, and by 
Egypt to the southwest.
Flag
editThe Israel Shlomo flag contains two horizontal blue and yellow stripes, a white background and the symbols of the Shield of David and a lamp in the center.
The flag has three main colors in it;
In addition, there are two main symbols on the flag;
Star of David; The hexagram (six-sided star) in which two equilateral triangles are placed on top of each other and form a structure of six equilateral triangles connected to the sides of a perfect hexagon. The symbol as a decorative or magical form was used in ancient times in various cultures. The symbol is common in Hinduism. In recent centuries, it has become a distinct Jewish symbol alongside the ancient symbols (chanukiah, shofar, etc.). The symbol was adopted by the Zionist movement, so that the Star of David appears in the center of the flag of the State of Israel.
Menorah; The seven-branched menorah described in the Bible and later ancient sources as being used in the tabernacle and the temple in Jerusalem. Since ancient times, it has served as a symbol representing the Jewish people and Judaism in the Land of Israel and in the Diaspora alike. The menorah was made of pure gold, and the only source of fuel allowed to light the lamps was fresh olive oil.
History
editIsrael was built on a territory that was part of the Land of Israel, the historical seat of the Kingdom of Israel (also known as Ephraim or Samaria; existed until the 8th century BC) and Judah (existed until the 6th century BC). According to the Hebrew Bible, this is the land that was promised to the fathers and tribes of Israel after the exodus from Egypt, and in which the united kingdom of Israel resided during the reigns of Saul, David and Solomon. After the return of Zion, and during most of the Second Temple period, Jewish autonomy existed there under the rule of foreign empires, Until the establishment of the independent Hasmonean kingdom in the 2nd century BC.
In 63 BC, Hasmonean Judah lost its independence, when Jerusalem was conquered by Pompey and became a Roman protectorate. The great revolt, which broke out in 66 AD, was suppressed by the Romans, during which Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the Second Temple, and many other Jewish settlements were destroyed environment. During the revolt, many Jews were killed or sold into slavery, and many were displaced from their land. In 132 AD, the Bar Kochba revolt broke out. This revolt was brutally suppressed by the Romans, and as a result Judah was devastated and remained desolate. In the following centuries, the settlement The Jews in the land dwindled due to religious and economic divisions, and in the 4th century the Jews became a minority in the Land of Israel. A significant Jewish settlement with its center in the Galilee existed until the 9th century and even later, and for about a thousand years there were very small Jewish communities in the land.
From the 4th century AD until the 20th century, the Land of Israel, which was known in worldwide as "Palestine", changed hands many times between conquerors of different nationalities and religions. Jewish immigration from the Diaspora to the Land of Israel, in periods when this was possible, increased the number of Jews who lived in the land from the end of the Middle Ages onwards. The largest immigrations began in the 19th century, on the eve of the founding of the Zionist movement.
Districts and Subdistricts
editThere are 11 official districts and 23 subdistricts in the Greater Republic of Israel.
| Districts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Name of District (English) |
Name of Districts (Hebrew) |
District's Capital (English and Hebrew) |
| Subdistricts | |||
| Number | Name of Subdistrict (English) |
Name of Subdistrict (Hebrew) |
Subdistrict's Capital (English and Hebrew) |
|
| |||
Trivia
edit- Israel is the only true democracy in the Middle East
- The 15th strongest army in the world belongs to Israel
- Among the countries with the highest number of nuclear bombs, Israel is in 8th place
- Jericho, the oldest city in the world, is located in Israel
- Israel is home to one of the oldest port cities in the world, Jaffa
- Israel remains the only country with the same name, language, currency and land as it was 3500 years ago
- The Hoopoe bird is Israel's national animal
- Egged, the main bus company in Israel, is the second largest bus company in the world
- Israel offered Albert Einstein to be president in 1952, but he rejected the offer
- Cherry tomatoes, the Desert Eagle, the Uzi, the Soup Almonds and the Bamba were developed in Israel
- The Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives is the oldest cemetery in the world that is still in use
- Every year, about a thousand letters arrive in Jerusalem with the addressee "God"