Location:
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
Geographic coordinates:
31 30 N, 34 45 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total:
20,770 sq km
land:
20,330 sq km
water:
440 sq km
Area—comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
total:
1,006 km
border countries:
Egypt 255 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km,
West Bank 307 km
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; Jordan
Rift Valley
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Dead Sea -408 m
highest point:
Har Meron 1,208 m
Natural resources:
copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur, asphalt,
manganese, small amounts of natural gas and crude oil
Land use:
arable land:
17%
permanent crops:
4%
permanent pastures:
7%
forests and woodland:
6%
other:
66% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land:
1,800 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards:
sandstorms may occur during spring and summer
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:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation
Geography—note:
there are 216 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West
Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 24 in the Gaza Strip, and
29 in East Jerusalem (August 1998 est.)
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel
Geographic coordinates:
31 25 N, 34 20 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total:
360 sq km
land:
360 sq km
water:
0 sq km
Area—comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
total:
62 km
border countries:
Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
Coastline:
40 km
Maritime claims:
Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian
Interim Agreement—permanent status to be determined through further
negotiation
Climate:
temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
Terrain:
flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point:
Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m
Natural resources:
NEGL
Land use:
arable land:
24%
permanent crops:
39%
permanent pastures:
0%
forests and woodland:
11%
other:
26% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land:
120 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment—current issues:
desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage treatment
Environment—international agreements:
party to:
none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Geography—note:
there are 24 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Gaza
Strip (August 1998 est.)
Location:
Middle East, west of Jordan
Geographic coordinates:
32 00 N, 35 15 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total:
5,860 sq km
land:
5,640 sq km
water:
220 sq km
note:
includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead
Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land
are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by
Israel in 1967
Area—comparative:
slightly smaller than Delaware
Land boundaries:
total:
404 km
border countries:
Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
temperate, temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot
summers, cool to mild winters
Terrain:
mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Dead Sea -408 m
highest point:
Tall Asur 1,022 m
Natural resources:
NEGL
Land use:
arable land:
27%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
32%
forests and woodland:
1%
other:
40%
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment—current issues:
adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment
Environment—international agreements:
party to:
none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Geography—note:
landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers;
there are 216 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West
Bank and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 1998 est.)
Source: CIA World Fact Book
