Israel

Noah Nam

Geographic Information

Israel is located in the Fertile Crescent at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. Israel is so narrow that its EEZ in the Mediterranean is double the land area of the country. Despite its size, Israel has a variety of geographic features, ranging from the infertile Negev desert, to the mountain ranges of the Galilee, Carmel, and Golan, to the Dead Sea, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world.

Population Patterns and Processes

Population Pyramid

Israel's population pyramid is very bottom heavy, indicating a growing population in Stage 3 of the Demographic Transition Model.

Population Information

Israel's Total Fertility Rate as of 2024 is 2.9 children per 1000 women of childbearing age. This is above the replacement rate, which is why a growing population is seen in the pyramid. Israel's Infant Mortality Rate as of 2024 is 3 infant deaths per 1000 live births.

Migration

Israel has a very open immigration system for anyone who can prove Jewish ethnicity, but it is extremely difficult to immigrate for any non-Jews. Since the 1990s, however, the ethnic composition of migrants have changed. There are two main groups of non-Jewish migrants: temporary labor migrants, mostly from Asia, and asylum seekers from sub-Saharan Africa.

Israel has often been marked with swells of emigration in turbulent times. In the early 2000s, there was increased emigration of young, secular, middle-and upper-class Israelis, causing brain drain. In recent times, emigration from Israel has reached record highs as migrants flee the fighting following the October 2023 war outbreak, with Israel registering more long-term emigrants than reurnees for the first time in history.

Cultural Patterns and Processes

Religious Breakdown

Jewish 73.5%, Muslim 18.1%, Christian 1.9%, Druze 1.6%, other 4.9% (2022 est.)

Ethnic Breakdown

Jewish 73.5% (of which Israel-born 79.7%, Europe/America/Oceania-born 14.3%, Africa-born 3.9%, Asia-born 2.1%), Arab 21.1%, other 5.4% (2022 est.)

*Since Judaism is an ethnoreligion, there is significant overlap between Israel's religious and ethnic breakdowns, which is why the percentage identifying as Jewish is the same in both categories.

Political Patterns and Processes

Israel has a complex and often contested history, making this an oversimplification. It is officially a nation state for the Jewish people, but has significant portions of the population belonging to other groups. In 1516, the Ottoman empire conquered the area of modern day Israel. When the Ottoman empire fell, the British seized control of the area, which eventually led to the British mandate. Israel officially declared independence at the end of the British mandate in 1948, with plans for a Palestine state. However, nearby Arab states soon invaded. in 1949, an armistice was drawn and Israel actually ended up with additional territory, and there was no Palestine state. Eventually, after multiple wars with the surrounding countries, Israel looks like the image on the right, with the Gaza strip being it's own nation, as well as the West Bank being jointly (unevenly) controlled by Palestine and Israel.

Agriculture and Rural Land Use Patterns and Processes

Israel has a Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot, dry summers and short, cool, wet winters. There is a humid/subtropical region in the north and an arid desert in the south. Israel exports crops like citrus, avocados, and dates. Israel has two main types of agricultural practices. There are Kibbutz, which are communities that practice mostly subsistence farming, and sell excess at local markets. Israel also has agribusiness, with about 29% of its land being agriculture. Through extensive irrigation, Israel is still able to grow crops in its arid desert region. In fact, Israel reuses almost 90% of its wastewater for agriculture, which ensures water security despite the high demands.

Cities and Urban Land Use Patterns and Processes

The largest city in Israel is Jerusalem, with a population of just over 1 million. The next largest city is Tel Aviv-Yafo, which has a population of just under 500,000, following the rank size rule. The third largest city is Haifa with a population of just under 300,000. Jerusalem, since it is a city with significant religious importance, almost acts as a higher order service itself, bringing people from all across the world who come to see the old temple. This also has the effect of following two separate models. In one way it follows the multiple nuclei model because it has multiple central business districts and has segmented ethnic and religious sectors. In another way it follows the concentric zones model because most development happens in rings around the Old City. There are a lot of delivery services in both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, however they are distinct because they tend to focus on cultural experiences or values, such as making sure every step of the process is Kosher. There are also higher order medical services like the St John Eye Hospital Group in Jerusalem. Tel Aviv has the highest cost of living in the world. To reduce this, the Israeli government is implementing a mix of structural reforms, tax changes, and housing initiatives.

Industrial and Economic Development Patterns and Processes

The industrial revolution made Israel the tech powerhouse it is today. By 2026, Israel has an advanced industrial sector, with roughly 10% of employees working in high-tech. about 70% of Israel's GDP is from services and high-tech industries. Tourism also has a large contribution, with 4.55 million tourists visiting the country in 2019, or about one tourist per two Israelis. This has yielded 25% growth since 2016 and contributed 20 billion to its economy. Israel is classified as a semi-periphery country, though it could be argued that it is a core country because of its high-tech industry and advanced development. Israel has a large informal economy in that there is a lot of tax evasion, creating Israel's non-observed economy, or shadow economy. Israel's 2024 GDP was about 540 billion USD, with a GDP per capita of about 70,000. Its GNP was 168 Billion USD. Israel's Gini coefficient was 38.3, which is one of the highest Gini cores in the developed world. Israel is 84th on the GII scale, with significant disparities in politiccal empowerment. Israel's HDI is .919, putting it in the "Very High" development tier. The US is the top destination for exports, about 26%-28%, while China is a large source of imports, especially in electronics and vehicles. Israel is part of the OECD, or the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development. It is headquartered in Paris and it serves as a knowledge hub providing evidence-based analysis, policy guidance, and standards on economic, social, and environmental issues.

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