Geography of Israel
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Map of Israel
Map of Israel
This article describes the geography of Israel.
- Location
- Southwest Asia, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
- Geographic coordinates
- Template:Coor dm
- Map references
- Southwest Asia
- Area
- Land boundaries
- Coastline
- 273 km
- Maritime claims
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- Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
- Territorial sea: 12 nm
- Climate
- Temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
- Terrain
- Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Great Rift Valley
- Elevation extremes
-
- Lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
- Highest point: Har Meron 1,208 mM for people not recognizing annexion of the Golan Height; Har Hermon 2,248 m in Golan for people recognizing the annexion.
- Natural resources
- Copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur, asphalt, manganese, small amounts of natural gas and crude oil
- Land use
-
- Arable land: 17.02%
- Permanent crops: 4.17%
- Other: 78.81% (1998 est.)
- Irrigated land
- 1,990 km² (1998 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes
- Environment--current issues
- Limited arable land and natural fresh water resources pose serious constraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides
- Environment--international agreements
-
- Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
- Signed, but not ratified: Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation
- Geography--note
- There are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 25 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (February 2002 est.); Sea of Galilee is an important freshwater source.
Extreme points
- Northernmost point - the tripoint with Syria and Lebanon, Golan Heights 1
- Easternmost point - an unnamed location on the border with Syria 2
- Southernmost point - the point at which the Israel-Egypt border enters the Gulf of Aqaba, east of Taba, Egypt
- Westernmost point - Tall Rafah, the point at which the Israel/Gaza-Egypt border enters the Mediterranean sea3
1 If the Golan Heights region is not considered part of Israel, then an unnamed location on the Lebanese border (the Blue Line), immediately to the north of Metulla, is Israel's northernmost point.
2 If the Golan Heights region is not considered part of Israel, then an unnamed location on the border with Syria west of Qela is Israel's easternmost point
3 If the Gaza Strip is not considered part of Israel, then Kerem Shalom crossing, the Egypt-Israel-Gaza tripoint, is Israel's westernmost point.
Other geographic features
- Dead Sea
- Galilee
- Mount Arbel
- Jordan River
- Hahula Lake
- Masada
- Mount Carmel
- Negev
- Sea of Galilee
- Sharon
- Districts of Israel
- List of cities in Israelfr:Géographie d'Israël
he:גיאוגרפיה של ישראל nl:Geografie van Israël ru:География Израиля