Israel

Israel, officially known as the State of Israel (Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, Medīnat Yisrā'el; Arabic: دَوْلَة إِسْرَائِيل, Dawlat Isrāʼīl), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and is bordered by Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan to the east and northeast, the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the east and southwest respectively, Egypt to the southwest, and the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea to the south. Tel Aviv is the financial and technological center of the country, while its seat of government is in its proclaimed capital of Jerusalem, although Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem is unrecognized internationally. Israel is often referred to as the Jewish State because of its predominantly Jewish population, and it is the world's only Jewish-majority state. It is a highly developed country, ranking highly in life expectancy, education, and economic competitiveness. It has a very high income economy, and a high quality of life, as indicated by its high Human Development Index.