Israel Travel Guide - Get2Israel

Israel's diversity as a tourism destination makes it a unique and unforgettable experience. 

General Information about Israel

Official Name :                              The State of Israel
Form of Rule :                               Parliamentary Democracy
Capital :                                         Jerusalem
Area :                                            21,643 square kilometers
Population :                                   7 million persons
Distribution by Religion :             76.5% Jews, 16% Moslems, 2% Christians,
                                                       1.5% Druze, 4% without religious classification
Official Languages :                     Hebrew, Arabic
Currency :                                     New Shekel
Quality of Life Classification :     22nd place in world
International Dialing Code :         972
Internet Suffix :                             IL

Israel Location: Israel is located in Southwest Asia, between the Mediterranean and the deserts of Syria and Arabia.  The country's borders are the Mediterranean Sea to the West, the Jordan Valley Rift to the East, the mountains of Lebanon to the North with Eilat Bay making the country's southern tip.

Israel Climate:   Israel is a subtropical region with a hot and dry summer period and a cold and semi-wet to wet winter period.  Israel's climate is varied, offering the visitor winter choices between skiing on Mt. Hermon and sunbathing and swimming in Eilat.   Israel is a land of bright sunshine, and the amounts of light and radiation are among the highest in the world. 

Israel Population: The State of Israel has approximately 7 million inhabitants.
Besides the main division of the country’s inhabitants into Jews (80%) and Arabs (20%), there are many more subdivisions. The Jews, for example, are divided into religious and secular and the Arabs are divided into Moslems, Christians and Druze.

Israel Languages:   Israel's official languages are Hebrew and Arabic.  English is the main language for purpose of business and tourism.  Most Israelis speak English and the majority of signposts are also in English. Since Israel is a land of immigration, additional languages are spoken among the various immigrant communities especially Russian.

Israel Time Zone:   Israel is in the European Standard Time zone; 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time and seven hours ahead of US Eastern Standard time.
Daylight saving time is observed from late March/early April through the beginning of September.

Israel Archaeology:  Israel's passion for uncovering and preserving its heritage is reflected in dozens of ongoing excavations and discoveries.  Sites from all periods of recorded history can be found around the Israeli landscape.  Some of the important sites can be found in Jerusalem, Caesarea, Masada and Ashkelon as well as many of Israel's National Parks.

Israel Ecotourism:   Israel has become part of the world's most popular Ecotourism destinations.   The country is environmentally conscious and the development of nature reserves is of vast importance and is supervised by the Nature Reserves Authority.  Most reserves have hiking paths where visitors are asked to adhere to the market trails and not to uproot plants or disturb the wildlife.

Israel Adventure Tourism:  Whether it is exploring the desert by jeep, horseback or camel, or rafting or kayaking down the Jordan River or diving in the Red Sea Coral Reef or rappelling and hiking down wadis and mountains, there is something for everyone. 
 
Israel Bird Watching:  Three miles north of Eilat is the International Bird Watching Center.  The Center is situated at the point where an estimated four million migrating birds fly over each year.  The center organizes bird-watching hikes from February through May.

Israel Family Travel:  Israel is especially suited for families with young children.  Museums frequently have displays and activities for children.  Child-friendly trips can be taken throughout Israel.

Israel Health Tourism:  Israel's health resorts range from the high climate of Galilee to the low mineral-rich Dead Sea.  The main centers are the Dead Sea, which is famous for its high concentration of salts and minerals and in Tiberias where there are hot springs.

Israel Sports:  Caesarea boasts Israel's only 18 hole Golf Course and a 9 hole Golf Course can be found at Kibbutz Gash near Herzliya.   Israel is a diver's paradise and its mild climate assures year–round diving opportunities.  The Red Sea awaits dive enthusiasts with miles of coral reefs.    Scuba diving centers can be found in Caesarea, Eilat, Nahariya, Tel Aviv as well as centers for paragliding and tandem flights  The snow season for skiing on Mount Hermon begins in December or January and last until mid-March.

Israeli Food and Dining:  Dining in Israel is as varied as its population.  Israeli cuisine is a concept that has involved from the many cooking traditions.  Elegant restaurants can be found alongside small cafes or pizza and falafel stands.  Israel is influenced in world events, and tries to keep astride of all world changes, including culinary trends.  It's important to note that while kosher food is predominant in Israeli hotels, many restaurants are not kosher.  You can find almost every cuisine whether Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Arab and American food.  In recent years, a thriving quality wine industry has developed along with olive oil manufactures and a few boutique dairies. 

Israel National and Jewish Holidays:   The Sabbath begins on Friday evening and ends of Saturday night.  The Jewish Festivals similarly begin the night before and end in the evening.