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 (2022)
- Population: ~9.5 million, incl. ~75% Jews, ~21% Muslims
- Density: ~400 per km2 (it is double in non-desert areas)
- Demographic growth: +2%
- Fertility: 2.9 children per woman
- Age: ~28% are up to 14 ; ~12% are 65 or older
- Life expectancy: 83.5 years
Economy (2022 by default)
- GDP: $525 billion -- GDP per capita: $54,930
- GDP growth: +6.8%
- Expenditure on R&D: 4.8% of GDP
- Debt to GDP ratio: 58% (post-Covid)
- Unemployment: 4.3% (in 2023)
- Minimum wage: 5572 NIS (~1400 Euros) per month
- Inflation: 4.4% (mostly due to Ukraine-Russia conflict)
- VAT: 17% (no VAT to tourists for hotels, rentals, etc.)
- Credit rating (Standard & Poor's): AA- (negative)
- 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 2024
- Epiphany: 6 January
- Orthodox Nativity: 7 January
- Baptism of Jesus: 8 January
- Orthodox New Year: 14 January
- Tu Bishvat: 24 January
- Isra and Mi'raj: 8 February
- St. Valentine: 14 February
- Ash Wednesday and Lent: 14 February
- Ramadan: 11 March - 10 April
- Saint Joseph's Day: 19 March
- Purim: 23-24 March
- Shushan Purim (walled cities): 25 March
- Palm Sunday: 24 March
- Annunciation: 25 March
- Good Friday: 29 March
- Easter (Resurrection): 31 March
- Laylat al-Qadr: 6 April
- Eid el-Fitr (end of Ramadan): 9-12 April
- Passover (Pesach): 22-30 April
- Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Day): 6 May
- Ascension of Jesus: Thursday 9 May
- Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day): 13 May
- Yom HaAtzmaut (Independance Day): 14 May
- Pentecost: Monday 20 May
- Lag BaOmer: evening of 25 May
- Visitation of Mary: 31 May
- Corpus Christi: 30 May
- Yom Yeroshalayim (Jerusalem Day): 5 June
- Shavuot: 12-13 June
- The Hajj: 14-19 June
- Eid al-Adha: 17-20 June
- Muharram begins (New Year): 7 July
- Ashurah (10 Muharram): 17 July
- Transfiguration: 6 August
- Tisha BeAv: 13 August
- Assumption of Mary: 15 August
- Nativity of Mary: 8 September
- Rosh Hashana: 3-4 October
- Yom Kippur: 12 October
- Sukkot: 17-23 October
- Simchat Torah: 24 October
- All Saints' Day: 1 November
- Advent (first Sunday): 1 December
- Immaculate Conception: 8 December
- Christmas Eve: 24 December
- Christmas: 25 December
- Hanukkah: 26 December - 2 January 2025
