Introduction
Israel's area within boundaries and cease-fire lines, including the areas
under Palestinian self-government, is 10,840 square miles (27,800 sq. km.).
Long and narrow in shape, it is some 290 miles (470 km.) in length and
about 85 miles (135 km.) across at the widest point. The country is
bordered by Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan to the
east, Egypt to the southwest and the Mediterranean Sea to the west.
Mountains and plains, fertile fields and desert are often minutes apart.
The width of the country, from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the
Dead Sea in the east, can be crossed by car in about 90 minutes; and the
trip from Metulla, in the far north, to Eilat at the country's southern
tip takes about six hours.
Geographical Features
The country may be divided into four geographical regions: three parallel
strips running north to south and a large, mostly arid zone in the southern
half.
The coastal plain runs parallel to the Mediterranean Sea and is composed of a
sandy shoreline, bordered by stretches of fertile farmland extending up to 25
miles (40 km.) inland. In the north, expanses of sandy beach are occasionally
punctuated by jagged chalk and sandstone cliffs which drop sheerly to the
sea.
The coastal plain is home to over half of Israel's nearly 5.8 million
people and includes major urban centers, deepwater harbors, most of the
country's industry and a large part of its agriculture and tourist
facilities.
Several mountain ranges run the length of the country. In the northeast, the
basalt landscapes of the Golan Heights, formed by volcanic eruptions in the
distant past, rise as steep cliffs overlooking the Hula Valley. The hills of
Galilee, largely composed of soft limestone and dolomite, ascend to heights
ranging from 1,600 to 4,000 feet (500 to 1,200 m.) above sea level. Small
perennial streams and relatively ample rainfall keep the area green all year
round. Residents of Galilee and the Golan, some 17 percent of Israel's
population, are engaged in agriculture, tourism-related enterprises and light
industry.
The Jezreel Valley, separating the hills of Galilee from those of
Samaria, is the country's richest agricultural area, cultivated by many
cooperative communities (kibbutzim and moshavim). The rolling hills of Samaria and Judea present a mosaic of rocky hilltops and
fertile valleys, dotted with age-old silver-green olive groves. The terraced
hillsides, first developed by farmers in ancient times, blend into the
natural landscape. The population is concentrated mainly in small urban
centers and large villages.
The Negev, comprising about half of Israel's land area, is inhabited by
only 8 percent of the population, living mainly in the northern part,
supported by an agricultural and industrial economy. Further south, the
Negev becomes an arid zone characterized by low sandstone hills and
plains, abounding with canyons and wadis in which winter rains often
produce flash floods. Continuing southward, the region gives way to an
area of bare craggy peaks, craters and rock-strewn plateaus, where the
climate is drier and the mountains are higher. Three erosive craters, the
largest of which is about 5 miles (8 km.) across and 21 miles (35 km.)
long, cut deeply into the earth's crust, displaying a broad range of
colors and rock types. At the tip of the Negev, near Eilat on the Red Sea,
sharp pinnacles of gray and red granite are broken by dry gorges and sheer
cliffs, with colorful layers of sandstone glowing in the sunlight.
The Jordan Valley and the Arava, running the length of the country in the
east, are part of the Syrian-African Rift which split the earth's crust
millions of years ago. Its northern stretches are extremely fertile, while
the southern portion is semi-arid. Agriculture, fishing, light industry
and tourism constitute the area's main sources of income.
The Jordan River,
flowing from north to south through the Rift, descends over 2,300 feet
(700 m.) in the course of its 186 mile (300 km.) route. Fed by streams
from Mount Hermon, it runs through the fertile Hula Valley into Lake
Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and continues winding through the Jordan Valley
before emptying into the Dead Sea. While it swells during the winter rainy
season, the river is usually quite narrow and shallow.
Lake Kinneret, nestled between the hills of Galilee and the Golan at 695 feet
(212 m.) below sea level, is 5 miles (8 km.) wide and 13 miles (21 km.) long.
The Kinneret is the country's largest freshwater lake and serves as its main
reservoir. Along its shores are some important historical and religious
sites, as well as agricultural communities, fishing enterprises and tourist facilities.
The Arava, Israel's savannah region, begins south of the Dead Sea and
extends to the Gulf of Eilat, Israel's outlet to the Red Sea. Adaptation
of sophisticated farming techniques to climatic conditions, where the
average annual rainfall is less than one inch (25 mm.) and summer
temperatures soar to 104 degrees F (40 deg C), has made it possible to grow
out-of-season fruit and vegetables, mainly for export. The sub-tropical
Gulf of Eilat, noted for its deep blue waters, coral reefs and exotic
marine life, lies at the southern tip of the Arava.
|