Geography of Israel
This article describes the geography of Israel.
- Location:
- Southwest Asia, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
- Geographic coordinates:
- 31° 30′ N, 34° 45′ E
- Map references:
- Southwest Asia
- Area:
- Total: 20,770 km²
- Land: 20,330 km²
- Water: 440 km²
- Land boundaries:
- Coastline:
- 273 km
- Maritime claims:
- 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:
- 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
Other geographic features
