Soon after that Israel signed a peace
treaty with Jordan. In 2000 Israeli
troops pulled out of Lebanon. Five
years later Israel pulled its troops and
settlers out of the Gaza Strip. The peace
process continued to face difficulties,
however.
#More to explore
Arab-IsraeliWars • Dead Sea • Jerusalem
• Jordan River • Middle East • Palestine
1897 1918 1948 1967 1987 1993 2000
Jews from
around the
world meet to
plan a Jewish
state.
Great Britain
occupies
Palestine.
Israel
declares its
independence;
the Arab-Israeli
wars begin.
Israel gains
more land in
the Six-Day
War.
Palestinians
begin a violent
uprising
against Israel.
Israel gives
Palestinians
some control of
the land.
New violence
breaks out
between Israel
and
Palestinians.
T I M E L I N E
Haifa is Israel’s main port. The city overlooks
the Mediterranean Sea.
170 Israel BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Istanbul
Population
(2007 estimate)
10,757,327
Istanbul is the largest city in the country
of Turkey. A channel of water called the
Bosporus divides the city into two parts.
One part of Istanbul is in Europe, while
the other part is in Asia.
For more than 1,500 years Istanbul was
the capital of a series of powerful empires.
Today Ankara, not Istanbul, is the capital
ofTurkey.However, Istanbul is the center
ofTurkey’s economy and culture.
Places of Interest
A former church in Istanbul called the
Hagia Sophia is considered one of the
world’s greatest buildings. The church
was built in the 500s. It later became a
mosque and then a museum.
The Topkapi Palace in Istanbul was
home to the rulers of the Islamic Ottoman
Empire. Many mosques were built
in the city during their rule. They
include the large Mosque of Suleyman
and the Blue Mosque.
Economy
Istanbul is Turkey’s center of trade,
banking, tourism, and other service
industries. The city is also an industrial
center. Factories in Istanbul make fabrics,
clothing, processed foods, chemicals,
and cement.
History
The Greeks founded the city as a
colony in about the 600s BC. They
named it Byzantium. In AD 330 the
Roman emperor Constantine made the
city the capital of the Roman Empire.
He renamed the city Constantinople.
The eastern part of the Roman Empire
later became the Byzantine Empire.
Constantinople was its capital for many
centuries.
The Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople
in 1453. They made it the capital
of the huge Ottoman Empire. Under
Ottoman rule the city became known as
Istanbul. The Ottoman Empire ended in
1918. Istanbul soon became part of the
new country of Turkey.
..More to explore
Ankara • Byzantine Empire • Ottoman
Empire • Rome, Ancient • Turkey
The Blue Mosque (front) is one of several
magnificent mosques in Istanbul.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Istanbul 171
Italy
The European country of Italy is shaped
like a high-heeled boot. Two thousand
years ago the capital of Italy, Rome,
ruled one of history’s largest empires.
Today Italy is an important member of
the European Union.
Geography
Most of Italy’s land is a peninsula that
extends from southern Europe into the
Mediterranean Sea. Sicily and Sardinia
also belong to Italy. They are two large
islands in the Mediterranean. Italy shares
borders with France, Switzerland, Austria,
and Slovenia. The Adriatic Sea lies
to the east. Italy’s longest river, the Po,
flows into the Adriatic.
Italy’s land is mountainous. The Alps
rise in the north, and the Apennines run
through the peninsula. Italy’s highest
point, Monte Rosa, lies in the central
Alps. Southern Italy has some active
volcanoes, including Mount Vesuvius
and Mount Etna. The south is generally
warmer than the north.
Plants and Animals
At the foot of the Alps, the most common
trees are evergreen cork oaks,
olives, and cypresses. Beech trees grow
slightly higher up. At still higher elevations
grow larches and spruces. Holm
oaks grow in the Apennines.
Most of Italy’s animals live in the
mountains. Wolves hunt in the remote
Apennines. Brown bears, lynx, ibex, and
other animals are protected in parks
and preserves in the Alps and the
Apennines.
People
Nearly all the people in Italy are ethnic
Italians. Almost everyone speaks Italian.
Most Italians are Roman Catholics. The
majority of the population lives in cities.
The largest city is Rome. In the western
part of Rome is Vatican City, an independent
state and the headquarters of
the Roman Catholic church.
A man in Italy harvests grapes that will be
used to make wine.
172 Italy BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Economy
Services—including tourism, banking,
and communications—are Italy’s main
economic activities. Manufacturing is
also very important. Italy’s main products
include iron and steel, machinery,
automobiles, electrical appliances, textiles,
chemicals, ceramics, and shoes.
Italy has few natural resources. It must
import many of the raw materials
needed for industry.
Agriculture is a smaller part of the
economy. Some leading farm products
are wheat, olives, and grapes. Wheat
flour is used in making bread and pasta,
one of the main Italian foods. Olives
provide olive oil for cooking. Grapes are
used to make wine. Other crops include
sugar beets, corn, tomatoes, potatoes,
rice, and various fruits. Farmers also
