| |
Israel Facts & Figures
History
General Information
Geography
Climate
Facility for Disabled
Health Care
Israel's Economy
Electrical Appliances
Leaving Israel
What to pack
Holy Land Biblical sites
Events in Israel
Israel Cities & Hotels
Make a Reservation
|
|
Israel is located in Southwest Asia between the Mediterranean and the deserts of Syria and Arabia. The country's geographical borders are the Mediterranean to the West, the Jordan Valley Rift to the East, the mountains of Lebanon to the North with Eilat Bay marking the country's southern tip. Although small in territory, Israel's landscape and climate are varied, and its dense population does not interfere with a wealth of plants and wildlife, as well as many natural attractions.
Geographic regions
Israel is divided into three main regions lengthwise: the coastal plain, the mountain region, and the Jordan Valley Rift.
Coastal plain: The country's western strip, stretching from Rosh ha-Nikra in the north to the Sinai Peninsula in the south. The plain is 4-7 kilometers wide in the north, expanding as it moves southward to about 50 kilometers.
The soil in the coastal plain is fertile; there are several water sources, and the region includes the country’s major transportation arteries. The coastal plain is densely populated with most of Israel's major cities, including Tel Aviv and Haifa. The plain is divided from north to south into the Galilee Plain, the Acre Plain, the Carmel Plain, the Sharon Plain, the Mediterranean Coastal Plain, and the Southern Coastal Plain. East of the coastal plain are the lowlands – moderate hills that create a transitional region between the coast and the mountains.
Mountain region: The mountainous region stretches from Lebanon in the north to Eilat Bay in the south, between the coastal plain and the Jordan Valley Rift. Its highest peaks are the Galilee's Mt. Meron at 1,208 meters above sea level, Samaria's Mt. Ba’al Hatsor at 1,016 meters and the Negev's Mt. Ramon at 1,037 meters above sea level.
Most of the less densely populated mountainous region is stone or rocky ground. The climate in the northern mountainous regions is Mediterranean and rainy, while the southern sections are a desert. The key stretches of the mountainous region are the Galilee in the north, the Carmel, the hills of Samaria, the Judean hills, and the Negev highlands. The contiguity of the mountainous region is interrupted at two points by major valleys – the Yizre'el Valley separating the Galilee mountains from the hills of Samaria, and the Be'er Sheva-Arad Rift separating the Judean hills from the Negev highlands. The eastern slopes of the Samarian hills and Judean hills are the Samarian and Judean deserts.
Jordan Valley Rift: The rift extends the entire length of Israel from the northern town of Metula to the Red Sea in the south. The rift was caused by seismic activity, and is part of the Afro-Syrian rift which extends from the Syrian-Turkish border to the Zambezi River in Africa. Israel's largest river, the Jordan, flows through the Jordan Valley and includes Israel's two lakes: the Kineret (Sea of Galilee), the largest body of fresh water in Israel, and the salt water Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. The Jordan Valley is divided from north to south into the Khula Valley, the Kineret Valley, the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea Valley and the Arava.
Golan Heights: The hilly Golan region is east of the Jordan River. The Israeli Golan Heights are the end of a large basalt plain, mostly located in Syria. North of the Golan Heights is Mt. Hermon, Israel's highest peak at 2,224 meters above sea level.
Rivers and Seas
With little rainfall, the water in most of Israel's streams is seasonal. Israel's largest river is the 250-kilometer Jordan which runs from the Khula Valley south through the Kineret to the Dead Sea. The Jordan originates in three short tributaries – Dan, Hermon and Snir – which travel through lovely landscape and attract many tourists.
There are also a number of perennial rivers in the coastal plain, including the Taninim (crocodiles) and Yarkon Rivers. Several steep streams descend eastwards from the mountainous region, some creating beautiful canyons (including Amud, Tirtsa, Prat, Kidron and Arugot). Israel's largest streams cut impressive canyons through the Negev landscape. The most prominent southern streams include Tse'elim, Tsin, Paran, Besor and Ha-Arava. In the winter months, there is a danger of flooding in the Negev streams.
Israel's main bodies of water are the Kineret and Dead Sea. The Kineret is the largest body of fresh water, a popular swimming site and also the location of many of Christianity's holy sites. The Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, attracts many nature-lovers as well as tourists interested in the waters' curative powers. The rest of Israel's bodies of water, including the remnants of the Khula Lake, are much smaller.
Fauna and Flora
Due to its location at a climatic and geographical crossroads, Israel offers a surprising wealth of plant life. Israel boasts a total of approximately 2,380 kinds of flora, including many endemic varieties found only here. The variety of flora is much larger than many far bigger countries.
The largest concentration of plant life can be found in the Mediterranean region, mostly in the forms of thicket and undergrowth. Much of Israel has been deforested by mankind, although there are a few impressive remnants of indigenous forest in the mountainous regions (for instance on Mt. Carmel and Mt. Meron in the Galilee). In the desert regions, plant life is sparse, with a few enclaves of subtropical species such as at Ein Gedi and in the Jordan Valley. The semi-arid region has both desert and Mediterranean plant life. Israel has several botanical gardens, such as at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Mt. Scopus campus, which is dedicated entirely to Israel's wild plant life.
Wildlife
Israel provides a habitat for rich wildlife, including animals originating in various zoogeographical regions that surround the country. This is particularly evident among insect and bird varieties, although reptiles and mammals are also well-represented. Israel has about 100 kinds of wild mammals, an impressive number in contrast to the 140 varieties of wild mammals living in all of Europe. Animals that originate in the cooler European region are found alongside mammals originating in desert regions of Arabia and Egypt with mammals that originate in Africa and in the Indian subcontinent. Although many Israeli mammals are rare or nocturnal, several are easily spotted including deer, ibex, hyrax and jackals. Among the country’s zoos are the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem, the Safari Park in Ramat Gan and the Khai Bar Reserve near Yotveta in the Arava.
About 510 species of birds have been spotted in Israel, most of them migratory species that fly through in the fall and spring. Israel is a bottleneck on many migration paths, and millions of birds pass through in the two seasons. Migrations can be observed in Ha-Khula Reserve, the bird site at Kibbutz Kfar Ruppin in the Beit She'an valley, as well as at the Kibbutz Lotan Bird Watching Center in the Arava and at the International Birding and Research Center in Eilat.
At Israel's southern tip, on the coast of the Red Sea, there is a rich world of marine life, including tropical fish and colorful coral. Many can be observed at Eilat's Underwater Observatory and Marine Museum, or by scuba diving in the area.
|
