The State of Israel is located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. Its borders—indeed its very existence—have been in dispute since it proclaimed its independence in May 1948. Those nations (and the United Nations) that recognize Israel as a legitimate nation-state generally are agreed on the following boundaries: the Mediterranean Sea forms Israel's western border; Lebanon and Syria are to the north; Egypt is to the south; and the territory commonly designated as the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) is to the east. The area within these boundaries comprises approximately 22,145 square kilometers (8,000 square miles)—about the size of the U.S. state of New Jersey.

In 2004, Israel had a population of 6.8 million. Ethnically, Israel's population was 80 percent Jewish; its 20 percent non-Jewish population was mostly Arab. In terms of religion, the population was 80 percent Jewish, 15 percent Muslim, 2 percent Christian, 1 percent Druze, and 2 percent other.

The semi-arid...