| Geography | Israel |
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Location:
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Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon |
Geographic coordinates:
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31 30 N, 34 45 E |
Map references:
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Middle East |
Area:
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total: 20,770 sq km
land: 20,330 sq km
water: 440 sq km |
Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than New Jersey |
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 |
Coastline:
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273 km |
Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation |
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; Jordan 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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timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand |
Land use:
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arable land: 15.45%
permanent crops: 3.88%
other: 80.67% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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1,940 sq km (2003) |
Total renewable water resources:
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1.7 cu km (2001) |
Total renewable water resources - per capita:
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236 cubic meters per capita |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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Total: 2.05 cu km/yr (31%/7%/62%)
Per capita: 305 cu m/yr (2000) |
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation |
Geography - note:
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there are about 340 Israeli civilian sites - including 100 small outpost communities in the West Bank - as well as 42 sites in the Golan Heights, 0 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (July 2008 est.); Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) is an important freshwater source |
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