Israel
By: Isabella McAdams
Country Basics
Geography
Government
Economy
Israel is also know as one of the world's biggest diamond producers. Recently the country discovered a large natural gas reserve off the coast which has boosted the economy.
GDP rank49th (PPP) / 39th (nominal)
GDP growth
GDP per capita
$38,004 (nominal; 2014 est.)[1]
GDP by sector
Life expectancy for Israeli men is the fourth highest in the country. The average age for men is 80 and for women it is 84. Israel's birth rate is the highest in the developed world. Most women have 3 children. The literacy rate in Israel is 46%. Tap water is safe to drink, but they do suggest Americans buy bottled water because there might be traces of minerals in the water.
The Israeli Shekel is the currency of Israel.
Culture
Language Hebrew is the official language in Israel. Arabic is the language of the Arab people. English is studied at school and is the most common foreign language spoken in Israel.
Music The music is a combination of Jewish and non Jewish traditions that have merged to create an original Israeli style. They play a variety of jazz, classical, and pop rock.
Holidays The Israeli people observe Friday through Saturday as their weekend. Three national holidays are Purim, Pesach, and are all based around the Jewish religion.
Religions Judaism is the official religion of Israel. About 80% of the people of Jewish, 15% are Muslim, and only 4% are Christians.
Food- Some of the popular dishes included falafei, which is a mixture of chickpeas, spices, and onions. The mixture is made into a ball, fried, and served in pita bread. Another dish is tabuleh, which is like a salad. They also have hummus, eggplant, and grilled meats. One of their deserts is baklava which is also served in America. Their coffee is also served strong and thick.
Entertainment Israel has more museums per capita than any other country in the world. It is rich in cultural with theaters, exhibitions, and nightlife activity.
Climate
History
Israel vs United States of America
One of the major differences is our size. Israel is a small country compared to the USA. Another difference is the language. The majority of Israeli's speak Hebrew and Arabic. In America the majority of the people speak English. We also differ in the way our government runs. They run on a parliamentary government and we run under a democracy. Another difference is the climate. Israel only has two seasons and we have four seasons.