Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in Southwest Asia located on the southeastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria and Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest. The West Bank and Gaza Strip, which are partially administrated by the Palestinian National Authority, are also adjacent. Israel is the world's only Jewish state.

The modern state of Israel has its roots in the Land of Israel, a concept central to Judaism for over three thousand years. After World War I, the League of Nations approved the British Mandate of Palestine with the intent of creating a "national home for the Jewish people". In 1947, the United Nations approved the partition of the Mandate of Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. The Arab League rejected the plan, but on May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence. The new country's victory in the subsequent Arab-Israeli War expanded the borders of the Jewish state beyond those in the UN Partition Plan. Since then, Israel has been in conflict with many of the neighbouring Arab countries, resulting in several major wars and decades of violence. Since its foundation, Israel's boundaries and even the State's very right to exist have been subject to dispute, although Israel has signed peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, and efforts are being made to reach a permanent accord with the Palestinians.

Israel is a liberal democracy and the most developed country in the Middle East. It has also been ranked as the most progressive Middle Eastern country in terms of freedom of the press, economic competition and human development.

Inhabitants: 7,184,000
Area: 20,770 / 22,072 km2
Capital: Jerusalem (732,100)
Languages: Hebrew, Arabic
Religion: Jewish
GDP per capita: $33,299
Government: Parliamentary democracy
Climate: Mediterranean and varied