The most interesting facts about Israel, from the lowest point on Earth to some of the world’s most disputed sites.
Fast facts
Official name: State of Israel
Population: 9.4 million
Area: 21,937 sq km
Capital city: Jerusalem
Major languages: Hebrew, Arabic, English
Major religions: Judaism, Islam
Time zone: UTC+2 (Israel Standard Time)
Interesting facts about Israel
1. Israel is a country in the Middle East, a region of Western Asia, bordering Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian Territories.
2. Israel is the only state in the world with a majority Jewish population – around 74%.
3. The area of modern Israel may have been inhabited for up to 1.5 million years, according to the dating of fossils found in Ubeidiya near the Sea of Galilee.
4. From 1517 to 1917, what is now Israel, along with much of the Middle East, was ruled by the Ottoman Empire.
5. Following the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Britain took control of the region in 1917 and created the British Mandate of Palestine.
6. Israel became an independent country in 1948 following a UN vote on the partition of Palestine and increasing pressure on the international community to recognize a Jewish state after the Nazi Holocaust.
7. The Israeli flag has a white background with two blue stripes and a central Star of David (Magen David). The Star of David is the customary emblem of Judaism.
See how Israel’s flag compares to other Asian flags.
8. Israel is part home to the lowest point on Earth. Shared by Israel and the Palestinian Territories on the western side and Jordan on the east, the Dead Sea is 434m (1,424ft) below sea level.
9. The Dead Sea has a salt concentration of 34% – 10 times saltier than seawater.
10. Israel takes its name from biblical times and the ancient Kingdom of Israel, when a group of tribes known as Israelites lived.
11. According to Biblical tradition, Israel means “He who struggles with God”. It comes from when the ancient Jewish figure Jacob (who was Abraham’s grandson) received the name “Israel” after wrestling with an angel all night. Jacob’s 12 sons became the ancestors of the Israelites, also known as the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
12. Israel has nine properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
13. Israel continues to occupy areas of Syria, the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem after a series of wars since its founding. Most countries do not recognize Israel’s territorial claims.
14. Jerusalem is not recognized internationally as Israel’s capital city. Of the current 15 members of the UN Security Council, only the USA recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
15. The ancient and holy city of Jerusalem is claimed by both Israel and Palestine. The city is supposed to be shared by both countries, but Israel has occupied it since 1967 despite UN condemnation.
16. Jerusalem is believed to be one of the oldest cities in the world, with the earliest inhabitants believed to have settled around 3500 BC.
17. Israel is intrinsic to three of the world’s religions. For Jews, it’s known as the “Promised Land” and is considered to be a homeland for Jews; for Christians, it’s the “Holy Land” as it’s where Jesus lived and died; and for Muslims, Jerusalem is the place where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.
18. Israel was ranked the fifth happiest country in the world in the World Happiness rankings for 2024.
19. The highest life expectancies in the Middle East are found in Israel, the UAE, and Kuwait (83 years).
20. Israel is a world leader in terms of research and development. It has the highest number of start-ups and engineers as a proportion of the population and has more tech start-ups than any other country outside the USA.
21. Israel has produced 13 Nobel Prize laureates, including Literature, Peace, Chemistry and Economics prize winners. The latest was Joshua Angrist who won the 2021 prize for Economics.
22. The holy site of Al Haram Ash Sharif/Temple Mount in Jerusalem is one of the most disputed in the world. Muslims know it as Al Haram Ash Sharif (The Noble Sanctuary), and Jews know it as Har HaBayit (Temple Mount). The site is home to two of Islam’s most sacred buildings, the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque. It is also revered by Jews as the location of the First and Second Temples.
23. Also known as the Wailing Wall, Jerusalem’s Western Wall is considered to be Judaism’s holiest prayer site. The 2,000-year-old wall is a supporting wall of Temple Mount and a place of pilgrimage for Jews.
24. Israel’s minimum wage equals $9 per hour, or $18,745 per year, based on purchasing power parity (PPP). PPP accounts for the cost of living in each country to show what a wage can truly buy.
25. Fast-food chain McDonald’s uses blue and white branding in Israel to distinguish its kosher restaurants from its traditional ones.
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Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. With seven years of teaching experience and a background in educational content, she specialises in creating clear reference resources about countries, geography and global topics.