ISRAEL
(State of Israel)

Capital: Jerusalem (Erushalayim, Al-Kuds)

Flag: the flag which was accepted on the First Zionist congress in 1897 consists of a blue six-pointed board of David (Magen David) aligned between two blue horizontal strips on the white field.

MOTTO: Hatikva ("Hope").

MONETARY BULLETIN: the Israeli new shekel (nis), paper currency from 100 new agorot, replaced shekel (is) in the amount of 1000 to 1 in 1985; The Shekel replaced the Israeli pound (silt) in 1980 at the rate of 10 pounds with shekel. There are coins from 5, 10 and 50 agoras, 1 and 5 shekels and a note of 10, 50, 100 and 200 shekels. nis1 = $0.22422 (or $1 = nis4.46) as of 2005.

WEIGHT AND MEASURES: the metric system is the legal standard, but some local units, in particular dunama (an equivalent of 1000 square meters or about 0,25 acres) are used.

HOLIDAYS: Israel officially uses both the Gregorian, and difficult Jewish calendars, but the last defines national holidays: Roche-ashana (New year), September or October; Yom Kipur (Day of Atonement), September or October; Суккот (tabernacles), September or October; Simkhat Tora (Joy in the law), September or October; Pesach (Easter), March or April; Independence Day, April or May; and Shavuot (Pentecost), May or June. All Jewish holidays and also the Jewish Saturday (Friday/Saturday) begin just before a decline and come to an end in twilight in 24 hours. The corresponding minorities observe Muslim, Christian and Druze holidays.

TIME: 14:00 - midday.

ARRANGEMENT, SIZE AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Israel is located in southwest Asia along east coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Israel occupies the space of 20 770 sq.km (8019 quarter. Miles), about 320 km long (200 miles) nanosecond and 110 km (70 miles); on the narrowest, to the north from Tel-Aviva-Yafo, it makes 19 km (12 miles). This sum includes the region of the Golan heights (1,176 sq.km / 454 quarter. Miles), taken in Syria during Six-day war in 1967 and annexed on December 14, 1981; the annexation (which is technically described as distribution Israeli "the law, jurisdiction and administration" to the region) was condemned by Syria and the unanimous decision of the UN Security Council. The government of work in 1984 specified that some (perhaps, all) Golana can be returned to Syria in the peace agreement. Other territories occupied in 1967 and classified as the operated territories, - the West bank (Judea and Samaria) 5 878 sq.km (2 270 quarter. Miles) and the Gaza Strip - 362 sq.km (140 quarter. Miles). (The Gaza Strip and area Jericho were passed in 1994 to the Palestinian administration, and six more cities of the West bank were included in the Palestinian control in 1997. All seven cities of the West bank were again occupied by Israel in 2002, but Jericho was returned to Palestinians in 2005.) East Jerusalem taken in 1967 soon was annexed.