Geography of Israel

Israel is a small but very interesting country located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea in West Asia. It is surrounded by several other countries and regions: Lebanon lies to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan and the West Bank to the east, and Egypt to the southwest. The Mediterranean Sea forms most of Israel's coastline, while a small part of the Red Sea touches its southern edge near the Gaza Strip.

The land of Israel covers about 20,770 km² (8,019 sq mi), stretching 424 km (263 mi) from north to south. Despite its small size, the country has many different landscapes. Southern Israel is dominated by the Negev desert, which covers more than half of the country. In contrast, northern Israel features snow-capped mountains, with the highest point under Israeli control being a peak in the occupied Mount Hermon massif at 2,224 meters (7,297 ft). The lowest point on Earth, the Dead Sea, lies in the border area between Israel and Jordan, at −417 m (−1,368 ft) below sea level.

Central and northern Israel includes fertile plains and hilly areas. The Israeli coastal plain runs along the Mediterranean, while inland areas feature the Judean Hills and the Jezreel Valley. The Sea of Galilee is a large freshwater lake in the northern part of the country, bordered by the Golan Heights, a region that Israel has occupied but whose status remains disputed internationally.

Location and boundaries

Main article: Borders of Israel

Israel is located near the northern part of the equator, around 31°30' north latitude and 34°45' east longitude. From north to south, the country stretches about 424 km (263 miles), and from east to west, it is about 114 km (71 miles) wide at its broadest point. However, at its narrowest point, the width shrinks to just 15 km (9 miles). Israel shares borders with several countries: to the north is Lebanon, to the northeast is Syria, to the east are Jordan and the West Bank, and to the southwest is Egypt. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the west, forming most of Israel's 273 km (170 miles) of coastline, with a small part of the coast located on the Red Sea in the south. The southernmost town in Israel is Eilat, and the northernmost is Metula. Israel's waters extend about twelve nautical miles into the sea from the coast.

Physiographic regions

Israel is divided into four main areas: the Mediterranean coastal plain, the Central Hills, the Jordan Rift Valley and the Negev Desert.

Coastal plain

Main article: Israeli coastal plain

The Israeli Coastal Plain runs from the border with Lebanon in the north to Gaza in the south. It is wide at Gaza and narrows toward the north. This area is fertile and known for its citrus orchards. It has several streams that flow year-round.

Central hills

Inland from the coastal plain lies the central highland region. In the north are the mountains and hills of Upper Galilee and Lower Galilee. South of the Galilee are the Samarian Hills, and south of Jerusalem are the Judean Hills. The central highlands reach their highest point at Har Meron.

Jordan Rift Valley

Main article: Jordan Rift Valley

East of the central highlands is the Jordan Rift Valley. This area includes the Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee, and the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth.

Negev Desert

Main article: Negev

The Negev Desert covers more than half of Israel. It is an extension of the Sinai Desert and includes unique craterlike landforms called makhteshim. The Negev is divided into several ecological regions with different amounts of rain and soil types.

Geology

Main article: Geology of Israel

Israel has many different landforms. A mountain range runs from north to south along the coast, and Jerusalem is located on top of this ridge. To the east of Jerusalem lies the Dead Sea graben, which is a special kind of valley formed by movement of the Earth's plates on the Dead Sea Transform fault.

The mountains in Israel are made of layers of limestone and sandstone, which help store water. There are also special areas called karst topography and caves that people have used for many years.

In the far north, near the coast, you can find chalk landscapes, especially at Rosh HaNikra, where there are beautiful chalk cliffs and grottoes.

Seismic activity

Main article: List of earthquakes in the Levant

The Jordan Rift Valley was formed by movements of the Earth's plates. The area has experienced earthquakes throughout history, with some very strong ones happening roughly every 400 years. While new buildings in Israel are built to be safe during earthquakes, many older buildings may not be as strong.

Rivers and lakes

Main articles: List of rivers of Israel and List of lakes of Israel

Israel's longest and most famous river is the River Jordan. It starts on the slopes of Mount Hermon and flows south through the Sea of Galilee. The river then forms a border with the Kingdom of Jordan before ending in the Dead Sea.

The Sea of Galilee, also called the Kinneret, is Israel's largest lake. It is located in the northeast part of the country and is very important for freshwater. The Dead Sea, to the south of the Sea of Galilee, is the lowest point on Earth's surface and forms a border between Israel and Jordan.

Selected elevations

The following are selected elevations of notable locations, from highest to lowest:

Climate

Israel has many different climates. The north has warm, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. The south is very dry and hot, like a desert.

The weather changes a lot. Winters can be cold, and summers can be very hot. Some places get a lot of rain, while others get very little. Snow sometimes falls on the mountains in the north. Rain usually comes between November and March, and summers are mostly dry. Sometimes, strong storms can cause flash floods.

Natural resources

Israel does not have many natural resources, unlike other places in the Middle East that have lots of oil. Israel has some copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur, asphalt, and manganese. There are also small amounts of natural gas and oil, but not enough to be used for big projects.

Israel is good at making and selling minerals and fertilizers. It is especially known for producing bromine, which is a big part of what it sells to the world. Israel also makes magnesium and potash.

In 2009, people found a big area with lots of natural gas under the sea near a place called Tamar 1, far from a city named Haifa. This was the biggest find of natural gas in Israel. Because of this, Israel started selling natural gas to other countries, even sending it to Egypt.

Because Israel is close to the equator, it gets a lot of sunshine. By 2024, Israel was using the sun to make electricity, creating enough to be about 13% of all the power it uses. The government wants to use the sun for even more power by the year 2030.

Environmental concerns

Main article: Environmental issues in Israel

Israel faces many environmental challenges, both natural and caused by human activity. Natural dangers include sandstorms in the southern desert during spring, droughts mainly in summer, sudden flash floods in the deserts, and small earthquakes. These earthquakes are usually not harmful, but there is always some risk because Israel lies near the Jordan Rift Valley.

Current concerns include limited farmland and fresh water. Even though efforts have been made to grow crops in the desert, it uses a lot of water. Other issues include air pollution from factories and vehicles, pollution in groundwater from waste, and the effects of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Israel has joined many international agreements to protect the environment, such as agreements on protecting biodiversity, fighting climate change, stopping desertification, protecting endangered species, and preventing pollution from ships. Some agreements, like the Kyoto Protocol and Marine Life Conservation, have been signed but not fully approved yet.

Rural settlements

Israel has many special kinds of villages, including places called moshav and kibbutz. These were originally communities where people worked together, though this way of living has changed over time. Many of these villages and small towns are part of larger groups called regional councils.

The land in Israel is used in different ways: some is for growing crops, some for other plants, and much of it for other purposes. There are also many Israeli communities and places where people live in areas nearby the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem.

Islands

Israel has the Rosh Hanikra Islands and the Achziv Islands in its waters. The government plans to create artificial islands near the coast. These new islands could hold an airport, a place for ships, a water-cleaning center, a power station, and a military test area. This is because Israel has limited space.

Human geography

Further information: List of cities in Israel and Districts of Israel

This section talks about the people living in Israel. As of 2013, Israel had about 8 million people, most of whom were Jewish. The country has three big city areas: Gush Dan-Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Beersheba. Israel also has many smaller towns and villages.

The people of Israel come from many backgrounds. Most are Jewish, but there are also Arab people, Muslims, Christians, Druze, and others. Some Jewish people follow strict religious traditions, while others do not.

Overshoot index

Israel is one of the more crowded places in the world, with many people living close together. It has long, hot summers without much rain and short, cool winters with rain. In 2011, a group called Population Matters said Israel was one of the places that uses more resources than it can naturally replace, putting it near the top of the list along with places like Singapore and Kuwait.