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Golan Heights, c.500 sq mi (1,250 sq km), strategic upland region in SW Syria. It borders S Lebanon, NE Israel, and NW Jordan. It takes its name from the ancient city of Golan and was known as Gaulanitis in New Testament times. It is a rocky plateau overlooking Israel where elevations range from c.6,500 ft (2,000 m) in the north to below sea level along the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberias) and the Yarmuk R. in the south. The Golan Heights were fortified and used for artillery attacks on Israel after 1948. The region was captured by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967 (see Arab-Israeli Wars) and formally annexed by Israel in 1981. A number of Israeli settlements have been established in the area. Ultimate control of the Golan Heights has been a stumbling block to Israeli-Syrian peace talks.
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