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Bible - History - Archaeology
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licensed tour guide Israel
licensed tour guide Israel
About Israel
Facts & Figures
- Area: ~22,000 km2
- Capital: Jerusalem
- Official languages: Hebrew, Arabic, English
- Currency: New Israeli Shekel (NIS)
- Independence Day: 5 Iyyar (Hebrew calendar)
Political
- Political system: Parliamentary Democracy
- Parliament: Knesset, 120 seats
- Prime Minister: Benyamin "Bibi" Netanyahu
- President: Isaac Herzog
Demographic
- Population: ~9 million, incl. ~75% Jews, ~21% Muslims
- Density: ~400 per km2 (it is double in non-desert areas)
- Demographic growth: +1.9% (OECD is 0.2% in 2021)
- Fertility: 2.9 children per woman (2020)
- Age: ~28% are up to 14 ; ~13% are 65 or older (2021)
- Life expectancy: 82.7 years (2020)
Economy
- GDP: $480 billion -- GDP per capita: $51,400 (2021)
- GDP growth: +6.3% (OECD is 3.3%) expected in 2022
- GDP by sector: agriculture 2%, industry 27%, svcs 70%
- Expenditure on civilian R&D: 4.3% of GDP
- Venture Capital investment per capita: ~$28,000
- Debt to GDP ratio: 68% (2021, Covid)
- Unemployment: 5% (2021)
- Minimum wage: 5300 NIS (~1500 Euros) per month
- Inflation: 1.5% (2021)
- VAT: 17% (no VAT to tourists for hotels, rentals, etc.)
- Credit rating (Standard & Poor's): AA-, stable
- Main industries: high-tech (see list of inventions), pharmaceuticals, potash & phosphates, metallurgy, chemicals, diamond cutting, financial services, etc.
Religious Dates in Israel
Main religious dates in 2023
- Epiphany: 6 January
- Orthodox Nativity: 7 January
- Baptism of Jesus: 9 January
- Orthodox New Year: 14 January
- Tu Bishvat: 6 February
- St. Valentine: 14 February
- Isra and Mi'raj: 18 February
- Ash Wednesday and Lent: 22 February
- Purim: 6-7 March
- Shushan Purim (walled cities): 8 March
- Ramadan: 22 March - 21 April
- Annunciation: 25 March
- Palm Sunday: 2 April
- Passover (Pesach): 5 - 13 April
- Good Friday: 7 April
- Easter (Resurrection): 9 April
- Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Day): 17 April
- Laylat al-Qadr: 18 April
- Eid el-Fitr (end of Ramadan): 21-22 April
- Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day): 25 April
- Yom HaAtzmaut (Independance Day): 26 April
- Lag BaOmer: evening of 8 May
- Ascension of Jesus: Thursday 18 May
- Yom Yeroshalayim (Jerusalem Day): 19 May
- Shavuot: 25-27 May
- Pentecost: Monday 29 May
- Visitation of Mary: 31 May
- Corpus Christi: 8 June
- The Hajj: 26 June - 1 July
- Eid al-Adha: 28 June - 2 July
- Muharram begins (New Year): 19 July
- Tisha BeAv: 27 July
- Ashurah (10 Muharram): 28 July
- Transfiguration: 6 August
- Assumption of Mary: 15 August
- Nativity of Mary: 8 September
- Rosh Hashana: 15-17 September
- Yom Kippur: 25 September
- Sukkot: 29 September - 6 October
- Simchat Torah: 7 October
- All Saints' Day: 1 November
- Advent (first Sunday): 3 December
- Immaculate Conception: 8 December
- Hanukkah: 7-15 December
- Christmas Eve: 24 December
- Christmas: 25 December
