Temperatures in Israel vary widely, especially during the winter. The more mountainous regions can be windy, cold, and sometimes snowy; Jerusalem usually receives at least one snowfall each year.

Israel has two official languages, Hebrew and Arabic.[1] Hebrew is the primary language of the state and is spoken by the majority of the population, and Arabic is spoken by the Arab minority. Many Israelis communicate reasonably well in English, as many television programs are broadcast in this language and English is taught from the early grades in elementary school.

The name "shekel" was derived from an ancient unit of weight that amounts to approximately one ounce or 12 grams. The New Israel shekel , issued by the Bank of Israel, was introduced on September 4, 1985. It replaced the "old" shekel, at a rate of one new shekel per 1000 "old" shekel. The "old" shekel replaced the Israeli pound on February 24, 1980, at a rate of one shekel per 10 pounds.

http://www.israel.visahq.com

At the end of 2010, the Israel's population stood at 7, 695, 000, according to figures released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Some 5, 802, 000 of the population (75.4 percent) are Jewish Israelis, 1, 573, 000 (20.4%) are Israeli Arabs and those not identified as either make up the remaining 4.2% of the population, or 320, 000 people.

Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel, its seat of government, and the holiest city in Judaism. It is also Israel's largest and most populated city.