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Geography of Israel
 Map of Israel  Map of Israel This article describes the geography of Israel.
- Location
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- Southwest Asia, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
- Geographic coordinates
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- Map references
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- Southwest Asia
- Area
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- Total: 20,770 kmē
- Land: 20,330 km²
- Water: 440 km²
- Land boundaries
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- Coastline
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- 273 km
- Maritime claims
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- Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
- Territorial sea: 12 nm
- Climate
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- Temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
- Terrain
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- Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Great Rift Valley
- Elevation extremes
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- Lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
- Highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m
- Natural resources
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- Copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur, asphalt, manganese, small amounts of natural gas and crude oil
- Land use
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- Arable land: 17.02%
- Permanent crops: 4.17%
- Other: 78.81% (1998 est.)
- Irrigated land
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- 1,990 kmē (1998 est.)
- Natural hazards
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- Sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes
- Environment--current issues
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- 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
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- 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
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- 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
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