Editor’s Note
This article provides a concise overview of Israel’s geography, including its size, borders, and notable features like the Dead Sea. It also touches upon the status of Jerusalem.
First, let’s examine Israel’s geography. Israel has a land area of approximately 22,000 square kilometers, roughly the same size as Japan’s Shikoku island. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west and the Red Sea to the south. Near its eastern border with Jordan lies the world-famous Dead Sea. This high-salinity lake is renowned for allowing people to float effortlessly and is also known as a luxury resort destination.
Regarding its capital, Israel declares Jerusalem as its capital, but the United Nations does not recognize this. Tel Aviv, where many countries locate their embassies, serves as the de facto capital. However, in December 2017, U.S. President Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and in May 2018, the U.S. relocated its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, sparking international controversy.
Israel’s population is approximately 8.68 million, with an ethnic composition of about 75% Jewish and 25% Arab and others (as of July 2018). Judaism, the ethnic religion, is widely practiced, but freedom of religion is guaranteed, and there are also followers of Islam and Christianity. Jerusalem contains sites sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, making it a historical flashpoint for conflicts among these religions and ethnic groups. In 1981, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under “the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls.” Due to the sensitive nature of the issue, the nomination was submitted by neighboring Jordan through an exceptional procedure.
Geographically lacking in abundant mineral resources, Israel has developed an export-oriented industrial structure.
Since its founding, a pillar industry has been diamond cutting and polishing. Israel is globally renowned as a key hub for diamond cutting and polishing, alongside India and Belgium, with the government actively fostering its development as a core industry. Of the 16 diamond exchanges worldwide, two are located in Tel Aviv. In 2016, polished diamond exports accounted for approximately 21% of Israel’s total exports.
On the other hand, in recent years, Israel has gained attention from high-tech companies worldwide as a hub for R&D (Research and Development). There are about 300 R&D centers of multinational corporations, including Google, IBM, and Microsoft (as of 2015), alongside numerous startups, earning Israel high international acclaim as an innovative nation.
This background is related to Israel’s history of experiencing numerous wars with neighboring countries since its founding in 1948. The nation encourages entrepreneurship through the civilian application of advanced technologies from the defense industry. This has led to rapid growth in high-tech sectors like cybersecurity and AI, earning Israel the nickname “the Silicon Valley of the Middle East.” In 2000, Israel was among the first in the world to make programming education a mandatory subject in high schools, part of compulsory education. This has made it a disproportionately influential country in the IT field relative to its population. Today, Israeli startups attract global attention not only in high-tech but across various sectors.
What are your thoughts? While relations with Japan may seem limited, in November 2018, Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and Israel’s National Cyber Directorate signed a “Memorandum of Cooperation in the Field of Cybersecurity.” With the development of the IT sector, economic ties between the two countries may become more prominent in the future.
