Israel vs. Egypt
Geography
| Israel | Egypt | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon | Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula |
| Geographic coordinates | 31 30 N, 34 45 E | 27 00 N, 30 00 E |
| Map references | Middle East | Africa |
| Area | total: 21,937 sq km land: 21,497 sq km water: 440 sq km | total: 1,001,450 sq km land: 995,450 sq km water: 6,000 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than New Jersey | more than eight times the size of Ohio; slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico |
| Land boundaries | total: 1,068 km border countries (6): 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 | total: 2,612 km border countries (4): Gaza Strip 13 km, Israel 208 km, Libya 1115 km, Sudan 1276 km |
| Coastline | 273 km | 2,450 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: to depth of exploitation | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or the equidistant median line with Cyprus continental shelf: 200 nm |
| Climate | temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas | desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters |
| Terrain | Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley | vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta |
| Elevation extremes | 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 lowest point: Dead Sea -431 m mean elevation: 508 m note - does not include elevation data from the Golan Heights | highest point: Mount Catherine 2,629 m lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 m mean elevation: 321 m |
| Natural resources | timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, rare earth elements, zinc |
| Land use | agricultural land: 23.8% (2018 est.) arable land: 13.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 3.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 6.3% (2018 est.) forest: 7.1% (2018 est.) other: 69.1% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 3.6% (2018 est.) arable land: 2.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.) forest: 0.1% (2018 est.) other: 96.3% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 2,250 sq km (2012) | 36,500 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes | periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes; flash floods; landslides; hot, driving windstorms called khamsin occur in spring; dust storms; sandstorms |
| Environment - current issues | limited arable land and restricted natural freshwater resources; desertification; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides | agricultural land being lost to urbanization and windblown sands; increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam; desertification; oil pollution threatening coral reefs, beaches, and marine habitats; other water pollution from agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and industrial effluents; limited natural freshwater resources away from the Nile, which is the only perennial water source; rapid growth in population overstraining the Nile and natural resources |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Marine Life Conservation | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban |
| 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); its survey is not complete and its length will undoubtedly increase; Mount Sodom is actually a hill some 220 m (722 ft) high that is 80% salt (multiple salt layers covered by a veneer of rock) note 3: in March 2019, there were 380 Israeli settlements,to include 213 settlements and 132 outposts in the West Bank, and 35 settlements in East Jerusalem; there are no Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, as all were evacuated in 2005 (2019) | note 1: controls Sinai Peninsula, the only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics; dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues; prone to influxes of refugees from Sudan and the Palestinian territories note 2: the earliest evidence for wild sorghum cultivation occurs in southern Egypt and dates to roughly 7500 B.C. |
| Total renewable water resources | 1.78 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 57.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| 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 | approximately 95% of the population lives within 20 km of the Nile River and its delta; vast areas of the country remain sparsely populated or uninhabited as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
