Geography

Roughly the size of Wales, Israel is one of the world’s smallest nation states. It can be traversed from its northernmost tip on the border with Lebanon, to the southern port of Eilat on the Red Sea in under nine hours. At its widest point, Israel can be crossed from east to west in an hour and a half, and at its narrowest in a matter of minutes (were it not for the heavy Tel Aviv traffic!)

Israel is bordered by Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. The West Bank, which has never been annexed by Israel, sits between the Green Line and the Jordan River whilst the Gaza Strip runs along the Egyptian border.

The coastal plain along the Mediterranean is home to more than half of Israel’s 7 million people, packed in its most bustling and exciting cities, including Tel Aviv. As the location of most of Israel’s deep-water harbours, industry and beachside hotels, the Mediterranean coast is the heart of Israel’s economy.

The Jezreel Valley is the seat of most of Israel’s agriculture and the home of most of Israel’s cooperative communities – the kibbutzim and moshavim. It separates the rolling hills of the Galilee and Golan Heights from the more rocky hilltops of Judea and Samaria in the West Bank. It is nestled below Lake Kinneret, the Sea of Galilee, Israel’s largest lake and the country’s main water reservoir. Dotted along the coastline are some of Israel’s most important historical and religious sites.

The Jordan River, streaming from Mount Hermon, flows south from the Sea of Galilee through the Jordan Valley, which is part of the Syrian-African rift, and into the Dead Sea. This is the lowest point on Earth and one of the most saline lakes on the planet. Although the water level is rapidly falling as water from the Jordan River is being diverted for civilian use, it remains one of the most unusual terrains on Earth. 

The Dead Sea is bordered by the Negev Desert,  which sweeps across more
than half of Israel’s land but is very sparsely populated. Arid and hot, it is characterised by low sandstone hills and plains, with canyons and wadis, in which winter rains often produce flash floods. Along the desert’s west lies the Arava, Israel’s savannah region, which stretches along the Jordanian border to the sub-tropical Gulf of Eilat in the Red Sea, famous for its deep blue waters, coral reefs and exotic marine life.