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The State of Israel is a country in the Western Asian Levant, on the southeastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon on the north, Syria and Jordan on the east, and Egypt on the south-west.
The State of Israel was created in 1948. With a diverse population currently exceeding seven million citizens of primarily Jewish background and religion, it is the world's only Jewish state. Jerusalem is the capital city and seat of government Israel is the only country in the Middle East considered to be a liberal democracy, having a broad array of political rights and civil liberties present. In addition, Israel is considered the most advanced in the region in terms of freedom of the press, business regulations, economic competition, economic freedom, and overall human development.
The name "Israel" is rooted in the Hebrew Bible, Genesis 32:28, where Jacob is renamed Israel after successfully wrestling with an angel of God. The biblical nation fathered by Jacob was then called "The Children of Israel" or the "Israelites".
The modern country was named State of Israel, and its citizens are referred to as Israelis in English. Other rejected name proposals included Eretz Israel, Zion and Judea. The use of the term Israeli to refer to a citizen of Israel was decided by the Government of Israel in the weeks immediately after independence and announced by Foreign Minister Moshe Shertok.
Another leading industry is tourism, which benefits from the plethora of important historical sites for Judaism, Christianity and Islam and from Israel's warm climate and access to water resources. Tourism in Israel includes a rich variety of historical and religious sites in the Holy Land, as well as modern beach resorts, archaeological tourism, heritage tourism and ecotourism.
The culture of Israel is inseparable from long history of Judaism and Jewish history which preceded it being diverse and abundant. Tel Aviv, Haifa, Herzliya, and Jerusalem have excellent art museums, and many towns and kibbutzim have smaller high-quality museums. The Israel Museum in Jerusalem houses the Dead Sea Scrolls along with an extensive collection of Jewish religious and folk art and the Museum of the Diaspora is located on the campus of Tel Aviv University. Many museums display artefacts from the many archealogical sites across Israel, whilst the country has artist colonies in Safed, Jaffa, and Ein Hod. Israel is home to three major repertory companies, the most famous being Habima Theater which was founded in 1917. As regards gay rights, Israel remains the most tolerant country in the Middle East.The culture of Israel is inseparable from long history of Judaism and Jewish history which preceded it being diverse and abundant. Tel Aviv, Haifa, Herzliya, and Jerusalem have excellent art museums, and many towns and kibbutzim have smaller high-quality museums. The Israel Museum in Jerusalem houses the Dead Sea Scrolls along with an extensive collection of Jewish religious and folk art and the Museum of the Diaspora is located on the campus of Tel Aviv University. Many museums display artefacts from the many archealogical sites across Israel, whilst the country has artist colonies in Safed, Jaffa, and Ein Hod. Israel is home to three major repertory companies, the most famous being Habima Theater which was founded in 1917. As regards gay rights, Israel remains the most tolerant country in the Middle East.
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