Jerusalem, also called Zion in the Bible, is Judaism's holiest site. It is also holy to Christians and Muslims. At 5000 years old, it is one of the most ancient and sacred cities in the world. King David made Jerusalem his capital in the beginning of the 10th century BCE, and today it is the capital of the modern State of Israel.

The city was occupied by many foreign powers and destroyed twice in its history. During Israel's War of Independence in 1948, the eastern part of the city, including the historic Old City with the Temple Mount, was occupied by Jordan. Israel took this part of the city in June 1967 following a military attack by Jordan, and Jerusalem was re-united under Israeli authority. On 30 July 1980, the Knesset passed the Jerusalem Law, reaffirming the city’s unity and its status as the capital of Israel.

The area within the city's present municipal boundaries is a little over 125 sq. km (about 48.3 sq. miles) with a population of 804,400 people (2012), of which about 62.1% are Jewish, nearly 35% Muslim, 1.8% Christian (both Arabs and non-Arabs) and 1.1% others.

 

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