Israel

State of Israel מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל (Hebrew) دَوْلَة إِسْرَائِيل (Arabic)
Flag Emblem
Anthem: "Hatikvah" (Hebrew for "The Hope")
Capital and largest city	Jerusalem (internationally unrecognized) 31°47′N 35°13′E / 31.783°N 35.217°E / 31.783; 35.217
Official languages	Hebrew Arabic
Ethnic groups (2016)	74.8% Jewish 20.8% Arab 4.4% other
Religion	74.8% Jewish 17.6% Muslim 2% Christian 1.6% Druze 4% other
Demonym	Israeli
Government	Unitary parliamentary republic
• President	Reuven Rivlin
• Prime Minister	Benjamin Netanyahu
Legislature	Knesset
Independence
• Declared	14 May 1948
• Recognition	11 May 1949
Area
• Total	20,770–22,072 km2 (8,019–8,522 sq mi) (149th)
• Water	440 km2 (170 sq mi)
• Water (%)	2.12
Population
• 2016 estimate	8,602,000 (96th)
• 2008 census	7,412,200
• Density	391/km2 (1,012.7/sq mi) (35th)
GDP (PPP)	2017 estimate
• Total	$312.409 billion (56th)
• Per capita	$36,023 (34th)
GDP (nominal)	2017 estimate
• Total	$327.630 billion (35th)
• Per capita	$37,778 (23rd)
Gini (2013)	42.8 medium
HDI (2014)	0.894 very high · 18th
Currency	New shekel (₪‎) (ILS)
Time zone	IST (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	IDT (UTC+3)
Date format	אא-בב-גגגג (AM)‎ dd-mm-yyyy (CE)
Drives on the	right
Calling code	+972
ISO 3166 code	IL
Internet TLD	.il .ישראל‎
Website www.israel.org
^ 20,770 is Israel within the Green Line. 22,072 includes the annexed Golan Heights and East Jerusalem.

Coordinates: 31°N 35°E / 31°N 35°E / 31; 35

Israel (/ˈɪzreɪəl/; Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל‎ Yisrā'el; Arabic: إِسْرَائِيل‎‎ Isrāʼīl), officially known as the State of Israel (Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל‎  Medīnat Yisrā'el [mediˈnat jisʁaˈʔel]; Arabic: دَوْلَة إِسْرَائِيل‎‎ Dawlat Isrāʼīl [dawlat ʔisraːˈʔiːl]), is a country in the Middle East, on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea. It has land borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan on the east, the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the east and west, respectively, and Egypt to the southwest. The country contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area. Israel's financial and technology center is Tel Aviv, while its seat of government and proclaimed capital is Jerusalem, although the state's sovereignty over the city of Jerusalem is internationally unrecognized.