Contents
Key Facts
| Date of Independence: |
| 14 May 1948 |
| Capital City: |
| Jerusalem |
| Total Area Ranking: |
| 153 of 236 in the World |
| Population Size Ranking: |
| 97 of 242 in the World |
| Status: |
| current |
The Country
Geography
Israel was located in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. It’s neighbours are Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west.
Israel is a long narrow country, being less than 50 miles wide at it’s mid-point. The eastern boundary is defined by a deep trough, an extension of the East African Rift Valley, which contains the River Jordan, the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberias) and the Dead Sea – the latter being the lowest point on the Earth’s surface at 395 m (1,296 ft) below the level of the Mediterranean. The western coastline borders a narrow coastal plain, where a large portion of the population resides. In the north, the Galilee highlands rise to Israel’s highest mountain (Mt Meron) at 1,208 m (3,963 ft). In the south, the triangular-shaped Negev region is a desert region extending to the Gulf of Aqaba, which links to the Red Sea.
Since 1949 irrigation schemes have added over 153,000 hectares (378,000 acres) to the agricultural land available. Forests have increased tenfold since 1948. The area of Israel is 20,700 sq km (7,992 sq m). The population of the territory has grown rapidly since 1948, with substantial immigration including more than 2.2 million Jews and over 300,000 non-Jews. The total population numbered 5.9 million in 2000. In that year the ethnic groups comprised Jews 82% and Others 18% (mostly Arabs). Religious faith comprised 82% Jewish, 14% Moslem, 2% Christian and 2% other. The capital city is Jerusalem.
Note: Aviation in the territory now under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority/State of Palestine, comprising the West Bank and Gaza Strip, is described separately.
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National History
Timeline – Key Dates in Israeli History
Further National Information
BBC News Profile: Israel
Yahoo Israel page
wikipedia: Israel page
wikipedia: History of Israel
Aviation
Text to be added on the development of aviation in Israel.
Markings
Civil Aircraft Registrations
From 1930, civil aircraft operated in Palestine under the British Mandate used the registration sequence VQ-PAA onwards. The Israeli civil aircraft registration prefix 4X-xxx has been used since independence in 1948.
An all-time Civil Rotorcraft Register of Israel listing is here.
An incomplete all-time Israeli civil aircraft register listing is here.
Aircraft Operators
Military Air Arms
Air Force (Israel Air and Space Force – IASF)
Naval Aviation – All military aircraft are operatd by the Air Force
Central Government Agencies
Government Aviation – VIP/Government transport is provided by the Air Force or El AL
Public Service Aviation
Medical Aviation (Magen David Adom)
Police Aviation (Israeli Police Aviation Unit)
Commercial Aviation
El AL
Arkia – Israel Airlines
Israir
wikipedia: Airlines of Israel
The World’s Airlines: Israel
Private Aviation
To be added
Industry
Aircraft Manufacturers
Israel Aircraft Industries/IAI
Aircraft Maintenance/Repair Depots
None known.
Airfields
Civil Airports & Airfields
Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv
Eilat Airport
Ovda Airport
Sde Dov, Tel Aviv
Airports in Israel
Military Air Bases & Airfields
Military Air Bases Listing – to be added
On Show
Aviation Museums
Israeli Air Force Museum, Hatzerim
Other preserved aircraft-
Beit Hashomer Museum, Kfar Giladi
Defenders Park, Kibbutz Nahshon
Eilat Airport Display, Eilat
Golda Meir Cultural Center, Kibbutz Revivim
National Museum of Science, Technology and Space, Haifa
Technoda Center for Science and Technology Education, Givat Olga
Holtz Technical High School, Tel Aviv
IAF Technical School, Haifa
Airshow Dates
More Information
Aviation-Related Magazines
Magazines Guide for Israel
Aviation Bibliography
Israeli Aviation Bibliography – to be added
Web Links
Israel Aircraft Industries
(Official webpage of the Israeli aerospace company)
Aviation Safety Network
(Israeli aircraft accidents and incidents)
AOPA Israel
(Israeli branch of light aviation organisation)
Civil Rotorcraft Register of Israel
(Listing of Israeli civil helicopters)
Civil Aircraft of Israel
(Comprehensive VQ-PA and 4X- listing)
Israel is a great country