Location: | Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon |
| Geographic coordinates: | 31 30 N, 34 45 E |
| Map references: | Middle East |
| Area: | total: 20,770 sq km
water: 440 sq km
land: 20,330 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than New Jersey |
| Land boundaries: | 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 |
| Coastline: | 273 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation |
| Climate: | temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas |
| Terrain: | Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m |
| Natural resources: | timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand |
| Land use: | arable land: 16.39%
permanent crops: 4.17%
other: 79.44% (2001) |
| Irrigated land: | 1,990 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural hazards: | sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes |
| Environment - current issues: | 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: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation |
| Geography - note: | 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
Source: CIA World Factbook
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