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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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Area:
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Total: 20,770 sq km
land: 20,330 sq km
water: 440 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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territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation |
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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: 16.39%
permanent crops: 4.17%
other: 79.44% (2001) |
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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:
|
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: 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 |
