Israel (Hebrew: יִשְרָ×�ֵל‎, Yisra'el; Arabic: إسرائيل‎, IsrÄ�'Ä«l) officially the State of Israel (Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְרָ×�ֵל (help·info), Medinat Yisra'el; Arabic: دَوْلَةْ Ø¥Ù�سْرَائÙ�يل‎, Dawlat IsrÄ�'Ä«l), is a country in Southwest Asia located on the southeastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria and Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area.Skolnik 2007, pp. 132–232 The West Bank and Gaza Strip, which are partially administrated by the Palestinian National Authority, are also adjacent. With a population of about 7.2 million, the majority of whom are Jews, Israel is the world's only Jewish state.Israel. Country Report. Freedom House (2007). Retrieved on 2007-07-15. It is also home to Arab Muslims, Christians and Druze, as well as other religious and ethnic minority groups.