What Continent Is Israel On?

Israel is a country in the Middle East and is considered by Jews, Christians and Muslims to be the Holy Land. The capital of the country is Jerusalem, while the financial and technological center is Tel Aviv. The official languages spoken in Israel are Hebrew and Arabic. Israel has a total area of 20,770-22,072 square kilometers, of which 440 square kilometers are water. As of 2017, the country has an estimated population of 8,760,000 and a population density of 395 people per square kilometer. Israel is located on the mainland of Asia.

Where Is Israel located?

Israel is geographically located in Asia. The country borders Lebanon to the North, Jordan to the east, Syria to the Northeast, and Egypt to the southwest. Israel also borders the Palestinian territories of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to the west and East, respectively. The continent of Asia includes regions ranging from Turkey in the far west, through Japan and Russia to the islands of Southern Indonesia. Israel is on the far left of Asia.

Politically, Israel has no ties to the rest of Asia, particularly the Middle East. Since Israel’s independence in 1948, it has been in conflict with most of its Arab neighbors in the Middle East. In addition, despite the fact that Israel is located in Asia, the country has strong cultural, historical and economic ties with Europe. Since the 1990s, Israel has even participated in European sports competitions. Currently, the country is a member of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). In addition, Israel borders on one of the largest countries in Africa. As such, there is some degree of confusion about the continent in which Israel is located. This confusion was further compounded by a 2013 article by the Israeli Foreign Ministry claiming that Israel “… at the location of three continents is located: Europe, Asia and Africa.”

Misconceptions about the continent in which Israel is located

One misconception is that Israel is on the European mainland. However, most Jews living in Israel today or their ancestors lived in Europe before moving to Israel. Subsequently, Israel has close ties with European political organizations such as the European Union. In sports, Israel is part of Europe’S UEFA Championships and the Eurovision Song Contest.

Another misconception is that Israel is in Africa. This claim is based on the biblical reference of Israel as the land of Canaan. Canaan was the son of Ham, the father of Africa, and therefore Israel should be part of Africa. Furthermore, Israel borders Egypt, which is part of both Africa and Asia.