Israel is a country in the Middle East located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area.

Israel is a representative democracy with a parliamentary system and universal suffrage. In terms of nominal gross domestic product, the nation's economy is estimated as being the 44th-largest in the world.[16] Israel ranks highest among Middle Eastern countries on the bases of human development, freedom of the press, and economic competitiveness.