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Location:
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Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
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Geographic coordinates:
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31 30 N, 34 45 E
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Map references:
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Middle East
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Area:
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total: 20,770 sq km
water: 440 sq km
land: 20,330 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than New Jersey
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,017 km
border countries: Egypt 266 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km
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Coastline:
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273 km
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Maritime claims:
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continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 12 NM
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Climate:
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temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
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Terrain:
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Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m
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Natural resources:
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timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand
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Land use:
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arable land: 17.02%
permanent crops: 4.17%
other: 78.81% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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1,990 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes
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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
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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: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation
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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
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