Israel is a state that is located in the east of the Mediterranean Sea. In the world, it’s the only Jewish state. Israel is a Middle East country neighboring Lebanon in the north, in northeast Syria, Jordan in the east and southeast, and finally Egypt in the southwest. The country is mostly associated with religious tourism and technological advancements. The country is also known for its unending conflict with Palestine. The following is a list of interesting facts many may not know about Israel.
1. Reviewed a dead language and made it a national language
Hebrew is an ancient language that existed more than 3000 years ago. It had been dormant for centuries until when it was brought back and many people in the 21st century use it as a language while others it’s their mother language. A linguist by the name of Eliezer Ben Yehuda initiated the revival process, and with time people learned the language with the help of book authors and poets who campaigned for the revival of the language. It officially became the national language of Israel in the year 1948.
2. Home to 137 beautiful beaches
Israeli Beach, Gordon, Aqueduct, Dor Nasholim, Habonim, Carmel and South Beach, Ein Gedi, Coral, and Dolphin Reef Beach are some of the breathtaking beaches in Israel. They all are beautiful and have distinct features that make them the most beautiful beaches in the world.
3. The leading nation that recycles 90% of its wastewater
Israel is well known for agriculture. The country, however, has half of its landmass as a dessert and, for that, suffers from water scarcity. Most of the used water is treated and then used for irrigation purposes.
4. Home to the only theatre with all deaf and blind actors
The theatre consists of around 11 actors who are deaf and blind. Most of the actors are born deaf, but blindness comes sin gradually. One of the dramas they acted on is known as Not by Bread Alone, which was performed in a London drama festival and Israel.
5. The nation with most museums per capita
Tel Aviv, a city in Israel, occupies three large museums out of the 200 museums in Israel. The museums are known to attract a lot of tourists into the country.
6. Has the largest central bus station in the Middle East
The central bus station is located in Tel Aviv, and it’s approximately 2.5 million square feet. Some years ago, it was the world’s largest, but that changed when India constructed a bigger one.
7. It does not have a constitution.
Many countries have a constitution that states how the country should be governed. The constitution in these countries is written and can be referred to at any point for clarification. Israel, however, has no written constitution but rather has some basic rules and rights. There have been attempts to draft a written constitution, but that has failed every time.
8. Home to the world’s lowest point on earth
The Dead Sea is also known as the salt sea, is considered the deepest hypersaline lake worldwide. It is about 300m deep and 1315 feet below sea level. It a very nice place to visit because people cannot sink because of the water density and the level of salt.
9. Israel almost half the size of Lake Michigan
Israel is a very small country compared to the size of Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan is about 250,493 sq. km big, while Israel is approximately 21,927 sq. km. Israel is around 11 times smaller than the lake, both in size and population.
10. Has thousands and thousands of archeological sites
Israel is a well-known country, especially by Christians, for its ancient mentions in the Bible. The city of Jerusalem, for example, was inhabited over 3000 years ago, and archeologists keep finding archeological tools and news.
11. Prohibited the use of underweight models
Underweight models are not allowed to participate in either advertising or the catwalk. The laws that were passed needed every model to produce medical proof that they were healthy—other countries that did the same include; Italy, Spain, and France. The use of underweight models had contributed to eating disorders and anorexia. The majority of the women would not eat well to maintain their model shapes. A certain body mass index was set, and models had to attain that to be models, and those without the required weights ad heights were disqualified.
12. Has one of the highest life expectancy in the world
Israel is ranked number thirteen country that has a higher life expectancy rate in the world. The first and second countries are Hong Kong and Japan, respectively. The life expectancy of Israeli citizens is 82.3 years, while that of Hon Kong and Japan is 85. The Mediterranean diet is strictly followed by the Israelites, and that contributes to healthy eating and a high life expectancy rate. Getting rid of air pollution will further increase the expectancy rate.
13. It has more trees than it had five decades ago.
Most of the Israel landmass is desert, and for that, the authorities have dedicated resources to planting trees. Today Israel has more trees than it had 50 years ago. The planting of trees every year both in arid and semiarid climates has contributed to the forests and woodlands covering part of Israel’s landmass.
14. Israel cows produce more milk per cow than any other country
The advancement of dairy production over the years has contributed to the high milk production in Israel. The number of dairy farms declined, but the production of milk per cow increased. A cow can roughly produce about 12,025 kg a year. Israel made that happen by using unique methods to manage the herds.
15. Banknotes have Braille on them.
The Braille on the banknotes was made to help blind people to differentiate the notes. In addition, the notes are also made of different lengths to help tell the difference. The 200 note, for example, has four pairs of stripes. Other countries with Braille on their banknotes are Russia, Canada, and Mexico.
16. It uses Kosher glue for its postage stamps.
Kosher is a word in Israel that refers to the dietary laws of the Jewish religion about food and how most of it is supposed to be prepared and processed. The Israel postage glue is kosher because of the Jewish population.
17. Home to the first underwater restaurant in the world
The restaurant is known as Red Sea Star Underwater Restaurant. It is located in the city of Eliat and surrounded by a very beautiful coral garden. It is one of the best and most unique restaurants in Israel. Other countries constructed underground restaurants competing with that of Israel.
18. Cherry tomato was invented in Israel.
There have been debates of whether Cherry tomato was invented in Israel or the United States. Israeli scientists modified the cherry tomato into a commodity. This was made possible with the help of technological inventions made by Israel.
19. Has more altruistic kidney donations in the world
Generous people in Israel donate their kidneys to needy patients. Compared to countries such as China and UK, Israel still beats them in Altruistic donations. In 2009, for example, Matnat Claim witnessed and facilitated about 1,003 kidney transplants.
20. More than half the land of Israel is desert.
The southern part of Israel is covered by the Negev desert, which covers an area that is half of the country’s landmass. On the north side, the Judean desert encloses around the border of Israel and Judea.
21. A global leader in medical clowning
Israel has scientifically and professionally proven that it’s the words leader in medical clowning. The clown doctors are designed to ease the patient’s anxiety. They are well known for their professional improvisation and their caring personalities. When Covid 19 struck, Israel was the first to send medical clowns into the Covid-19 wards.
22. Most expensive country in the world to settle in
In 2020 Israel was ranked among the top 10 most expensive countries to live in. The tourists who visit the country have contributed to this fact. To determine the expensive country, research is based on the cost of living, groceries, rent, and the power of purchase.
23. Has the largest underground hospital
Sammy Ofer Fortified Underground hospital was started in 2014 by Rambam and can host around 2000 patients. It was built underground to help patients in times of attack and prevent attacks on the same.
24. A meal without a salad is not a meal.
Every meal, including breakfast, is not complete without a salad. A good example of a locally made salad enjoyed by most Israelites is made of Cucumber, tomatoes, onions and topped with tahini and lemon juice.
25. Has more than 300 wineries
Israel is a very distinct wine-making country that owns more than 300 wineries. The country is very advanced in technology, and they use the tech to create wines that are highly appreciated worldwide. Some of the wineries harvest around 50 tons of grapes in a year. The wineries are open to visitors who go learn about wines and see the beautiful winery sceneries. The best wineries in the state include; Golan heights, Tishbi, Flam, Pelter, Tulip, and Carmel winery. The rest of the 300 wineries are equally good, and a wine enthusiast should visit all to get an amazing experience.
26. Has two official national languages
At the time of independence, Israel had three national languages that are; Hebrew, Arabic, and English. After independence, English was removed as a national language to free themselves of British influence. Hebrew and Arabic were left and the two national languages for Israel citizens. Hebrew is widely used than Arabic. An interesting fact is that both English and Russian are languages spoken in Israel but are not recognized as national languages.
27. Only liberal democracy in the Middle East
The Middle East is a region full of autocracies and theocracies. Israel, however, is different because of its liberal democracy. The country is full of diverse cultures who live amicably, and all citizens have political freedom regardless of their religion, gender or race. The citizens enjoy a range of freedoms and liberties, considering the country has no written constitution. Some of the rights include; freedom of speech and press, freedom of religion, and the right to petition the government.
28. Has more high-tech companies in the world
There are more than 3000 high-tech companies located in Israel. Silicon Valley has more of these compared to Israel. Instant messenger, for example, was developed in Israel in 1996. The in-flight cell use has its technology advancements originating from Israel. The creation of the first smartphone for visual disabilities people was invented and used in Israel and later launched in the US.
29. Voicemail technology was invented in Israel.
The company behind this voice mail idea was Efrat Systems. Later the company changed to Comverse and is one of the biggest voicemail companies in the world. The company is in the United States, but most of its finances came from the Israeli government. Many software engineers were employed by Comverse. The development and research were all done in Israel.
30. Created the first antivirus software for computers
The invention and creation of the computer antivirus were done in Israel in 1979.
31. Home to the oldest Jewish cemetery
The Jewish cemetery is located on mount Olives, and it’s of the oldest used cemetery. The cemetery has tombs that are about 3000 years old, dating from the time of King David. The number of graves in the cemetery is around 150,000.
Conclusion
Currently, Israel is trending because of its heated conflict with Palestine. The country, however, has many other amazing facts that people hardly know about. The country absorbs the largest number of immigrants in the world. It a tourist destination because of its many museums, beaches, and links to the Bible. Not to forget, it’s one of the world’s technological hubs that have most of the technological advancements done here.
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