Private Tour Guide in Israel
Bible - History - Archaeology
+972 (0)52-6436124
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 (2023)
- Population: ~9.8 million, incl. ~75% Jews, ~21% Muslims
- Density: ~400 per km2 (it is double in non-desert areas)
- Demographic growth: +1.9%
- Fertility: 3.0 children per woman
- Age: ~28% are up to 14 ; ~12% are 65 or older
- Life expectancy: 82.7 years
Economy (2023 by default)
- GDP: $530 billion -- GDP per capita: $54,385
- GDP growth: +2%
- Expenditure on R&D: 5.4% of GDP
- Debt to GDP ratio: 60.3%
- Unemployment: 3.4%
- Minimum wage (2024): 5880 NIS (~1500 Euros)
- Inflation: 4.2%
- VAT: 17% (no VAT to tourists for hotels, rentals, etc.)
- Credit rating (Standard & Poor's): A (positive)
- Main industries: high-tech (here's a list of inventions), pharmaceuticals, potash & phosphates, metallurgy, chemicals, diamond cutting, financial services, etc.
Religious Dates in Israel
Main religious dates in 2025
- Epiphany: 6 January
- Baptism of Jesus: 6 January
- Orthodox Nativity: 7 January
- Orthodox New Year: 14 January
- Isra and Mi'raj: 27 January
- Tu Bishvat: 13 February
- St. Valentine: 14 February
- Ramadan: 28 February - 29 March
- Ash Wednesday and Lent: 5 March - 17 April
- Purim: 13-14 March
- Shushan Purim (walled cities): 14-15 March
- Saint Joseph's Day: 19 March
- Annunciation: 25 March
- Laylat al-Qadr: 27 March
- Eid el-Fitr (end of Ramadan): 31 March
- Passover (Pesach): 12-19 April
- Palm Sunday: Sunday 13 April
- Good Friday: Friday 18 April
- Easter (Resurrection): Sunday 20 April
- Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Day): 23-24 April
- Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day): 29-30 April
- Yom HaAtzmaut (Independance Day): 1 May
- Lag BaOmer: evening of 15 May, and 16 May
- Yom Yeroshalayim (Jerusalem Day): 26 May
- Ascension of Jesus: 29 May
- Shavuot: 1-2 June
- Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca): 4-9 June
- Eid al-Adha: 5-9 June
- Pentecost: 8 June
- The Hajj: 14-19 June
- Corpus Christi: 19 June
- Muharram begins (New Year): 25-26 June
- Visitation of Mary: 2 July
- Ashurah (10 Muharram): 6 July
- Tisha BeAv: 3 August
- Transfiguration: 6 August
- Assumption of Mary: 15 August
- Mawlid al-Nabi (birth of Muhammad): 5 September
- Nativity of Mary: 8 September
- Rosh Hashana: 23-24 September
- Yom Kippur: 2 October
- Sukkot: 6-13 October
- Simchat Torah: 14 October
- All Saints' Day: 1 November
- Advent (first Sunday): 30 November
- Immaculate Conception: 8 December
- Hanukkah: 14-22 December
- Christmas Eve: 24 December
- Christmas: 25 December
