Israel
State of Israel
Local name: إسرائيل, ישראל
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- Capital
- Jerusalem
- Population
- 10.1 million
- 95th in the world (2025)
- Area
- 20,770 km²
- 149th in the world
- Density
- 487 people/km²
- 17th in the world
In brief
Israel is a country in Western Asia. Its capital is Jerusalem. Capital proclaimed by Israel; this status is not recognised by the UN and most embassies are in Tel Aviv. With 10.1 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 95th in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 20,770 km². It shares land borders with Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria.
GDP per capita stands at $60,337 (2025), 18th in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 83.2 years (2024). 92% of the population lives in cities.
History of Israel
The ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah were centred on Jerusalem; after the Romans destroyed the Temple in 70, much of the Jewish people lived in diaspora. Ottoman and then under British mandate from 1920, Palestine was the subject of a UN partition plan in 1947. David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the State of Israel on 14 May 1948; the war that followed led to the flight of some 700,000 Palestinians, the Nakba. In 1967 Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem and the Golan. It made peace with Egypt (1979) and Jordan (1994). Hamas’s attack of 7 October 2023 was followed by a devastating war in Gaza. Israel proclaims Jerusalem its capital, a status the UN does not recognise.
Geography of Israel
A narrow country, Israel runs from the Mediterranean coast to the Jordan valley. The Dead Sea, on its eastern border, is the lowest point on land, more than 400 m below sea level. The Negev Desert covers more than half the territory and reaches the Red Sea at Eilat.
Map of Israel
Flag of Israel
The flag of Israel is white and blue. Its official proportions are 8:11 (height to width).
- White65%
- Blue35%
Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.
What the flag stands for
White, with two horizontal blue stripes and a blue Star of David. Inspired by the Jewish prayer shawl, the tallit, it was designed for the Zionist movement at the end of the 19th century and adopted in 1948.
Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Israel” and “Flag of Israel”.
See also: flags with a star.
Download the flag (SVG) All 9 white and blue flags All the flags of the world
Fact file
| Official name | State of Israel |
|---|---|
| Capital | Jerusalem Capital proclaimed by Israel; this status is not recognised by the UN and most embassies are in Tel Aviv. |
| Official languages | Arabic, Hebrew |
| Currency | Israeli New shekel (ILS, ₪) |
| Demonym | Israeli |
| Continent | Asia, Western Asia |
| Access to the sea | Yes |
| Area | 20,770 km² |
| Calling code | +972 |
| Internet domain | .il |
| UN status | Member state |
Economy and society
GDP per capita
$60,337
18th in the world (2025)
Life expectancy
83.2 years
at birth (2024)
Urban population
92%
Sources: World Bank (2025) for population and economy, Natural Earth for the map, mledoze/countries and Wikidata for reference data. Method.