Seashell, seashell; not by the seashore

The Israel Pavilion will take the shape of a seashell with two parts hugging each other to illustrate the country's development "from creation to creativity" at the upcoming Shanghai Expo.

To highlight the sub-theme "Innovation for Better Life", the pavilion will show how Israel compensates for its paucity of natural resources by making clever use of sophisticated technology.

"Israel is a country that does not have enough land and water," said Yaffa Ben-Ari, the country's deputy commissioner-general to the Shanghai Expo. "But we do have a long history of development.