Geography of Israel

Israel is a small and interesting country at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea in West Asia. It is next to several countries and regions. Lebanon is 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. A tiny part of the Red Sea touches its southern edge near the Gaza Strip.

Israel is about 20,770 km² (8,019 sq mi) in size and stretches 424 km (263 mi) from north to south. Even though it is small, it has many different landscapes. Southern Israel is mostly the Negev desert, which covers more than half the country. Northern Israel has snow-capped mountains. The highest point under Israeli control is in the Mount Hermon massif, at 2,224 meters (7,297 ft). The lowest point on Earth is the Dead Sea, which lies between Israel and Jordan at −417 m (−1,368 ft) below sea level.

Central and northern Israel has fertile plains and hills. The Israeli coastal plain runs along the Mediterranean. Inland areas include the Judean Hills and the Jezreel Valley. The Sea of Galilee is a large freshwater lake in the north, near the Golan Heights. This area is occupied by Israel but its status is disputed internationally.

Location and boundaries

Main article: Borders of Israel

Israel is located near the top half of the Earth. It is about 424 km long and 114 km wide at its widest. At its narrowest point, it is only 15 km wide. Israel has 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 is to the west. The southernmost town in Israel is Eilat, and the northernmost is Metula.

Physiographic regions

Israel has 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 to Gaza. It is wide at Gaza and narrows toward the north. This area is fertile and known for its citrus orchards. It has streams that flow all year.

Central hills

Inland from the coastal plain is 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 highest point in the central highlands is 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 special craterlike landforms called makhteshim. The Negev has different ecological regions with varying 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. 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 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 in the northeast part of the country and is very important for freshwater. The Dead Sea, 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.

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

Current concerns include limited farmland and fresh water. Growing crops in the desert uses a lot of water. Other issues include air pollution from factories and vehicles, and pollution in groundwater from waste. Israel has joined many international agreements to protect the environment, such as agreements on protecting biodiversity, fighting climate change, and protecting endangered species. 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 communities where people worked together, but life there 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 near the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem.

Islands

Israel has the Rosh Hanikra Islands and the Achziv Islands in its waters. The government plans to build artificial islands near the coast. These new islands might have an airport, a place for ships, and other important buildings. Israel has limited space, so it needs new land.

Human geography

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

This part talks about the people in Israel. In 2013, about 8 million people lived there. Most of them were Jewish. The country has three large city areas: Gush Dan-Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Beersheba. There are also many smaller towns and villages.

People in Israel come from many places. Most are Jewish, but there are also Arab people, Muslims, Christians, Druze, and others. Some Jewish people follow special religious traditions, while others do not.

Overshoot index

Israel is a crowded place, with many people living close together. It has long, hot summers with little rain and short, cool winters with rain. In 2011, a group called Population Matters said Israel uses more resources than it can naturally replace. They put Israel near the top of the list, along with places like Singapore and Kuwait.