World Factbook
Israel
Medinat Yisra'el
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Area
land
21,497 sq km
water
440 sq km
total
21,937 sq km
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
Land use
other
68.5% (2023 est.)
forest
6.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
24.8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 12.5% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 4.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 7.6% (2023 est.)
Location
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
Coastline
273 km
Elevation
lowest point
Dead Sea -431 m
highest point
Mitspe Shlagim 2,224 m; note - this is the highest named point, the actual highest point is an unnamed dome slightly to the west of Mitspe Shlagim at 2,236 m; both points are on the northeastern border of Israel, along the southern end of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range
mean elevation
508 m
Irrigated land
1,927 sq km (2022)
Map references
Middle East
Land boundaries
total
1,068 km
border countries
Egypt 208 km; Gaza Strip 59 km; Jordan 327 km (20 km are within the Dead Sea); Lebanon 81 km; Syria 83 km; West Bank 330 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
continental shelf
to depth of exploitation
Natural hazards
sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes
Geography - note
note 1: Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) is an important freshwater source; the Dead Sea is the second saltiest body of water in the world (after Lake Assal in Djibouti) note 2: the Malham Cave in Mount Sodom is the world's longest salt cave at 10 km (6 mi); Mount Sodom is a hill about 220 m (722 ft) high that is 80% salt, with multiple salt layers covered by a veneer of rock
Natural resources
timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand
Area - comparative
slightly larger than New Jersey
Geographic coordinates
31 30 N, 34 45 E
Population distribution
population concentrated in and around Tel-Aviv, as well as around the Sea of Galilee; the south remains sparsely populated, with the exception of the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba
Major lakes (area sq km)
salt water lake(s)
Dead Sea (shared with Jordan and West Bank) - 1,020 sq km note - endorheic hypersaline lake; 9.6 times saltier than the ocean; lake shore is 431 meters below sea level