Source: HT
Subject: Mapping
Context: Prime Minister of India is undertaking a State visit to Israel at the invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
About Israel:
What it is?
- Israel is a resilient democracy located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea in West Asia (the Levant).
- Established in 1948, it is the world’s only Jewish-majority nation and is recognized as a global leader in high-tech innovation, water management, and defense systems.
Capital: Jerusalem is the seat of the Israeli government, including the Knesset (Parliament) and the Supreme Court.
Bordering Nations: Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, West Bank, Egypt, Gaza Strip, and Mediterranean Sea.
Key Features:
- Four Regions: The country consists of the Mediterranean coastal plain, the central hill regions (Galilee, Samaria, Judea), the Great Rift Valley, and the Negev Desert in the south.
- The Dead Sea: Located in the Jordan Rift Valley, it is the lowest point on Earth’s surface (approx. 430m below sea level) and is famous for its extreme salinity.
- Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberias): Israel’s largest freshwater lake and a primary water source.
- Tectonic Setting: Israel sits on the Dead Sea Transform fault system, a boundary between the African and Arabian plates, leading to significant geological activity.
- Water Scarcity: Despite having no navigable rivers and chronic water shortages, Israel has pioneered desalination and drip irrigation technologies.
Significance:
- Israel is one of India’s top defense suppliers and a knowledge partner in the India-Israel Agricultural Project (IIAP).
- Known as the Startup Nation, it leads the world in R&D spending per capita, particularly in Cyber Security, AI, and Quantum Computing.
