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Lebanon vs. Israel

Geography

LebanonIsrael
LocationMiddle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and SyriaMiddle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
Geographic coordinates33 50 N, 35 50 E31 30 N, 34 45 E
Map referencesMiddle EastMiddle East
Areatotal: 10,400 sq km

land: 10,230 sq km

water: 170 sq km
total: 21,937 sq km

land: 21,497 sq km

water: 440 sq km
Area - comparativeabout one-third the size of Marylandslightly larger than New Jersey
Land boundariestotal: 484 km

border countries (2): Israel 81 km, Syria 403 km
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
Coastline225 km273 km
Maritime claimsterritorial sea: 12 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
ClimateMediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; the Lebanon Mountains experience heavy winter snowstemperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
Terrainnarrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon MountainsNegev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley
Elevation extremeshighest point: Qornet es Saouda 3,088 m

lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m

mean elevation: 1,250 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

lowest point: Dead Sea -431 m

mean elevation: 508 m note - does not include elevation data from the Golan Heights
Natural resourceslimestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable landtimber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand
Land useagricultural land: 63.3% (2018 est.)

arable land: 11.9% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 12.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 39.1% (2018 est.)

forest: 13.4% (2018 est.)

other: 23.3% (2018 est.)
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.)
Irrigated land1,040 sq km (2012)2,250 sq km (2012)
Natural hazardsearthquakes; dust storms, sandstormssandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes
Environment - current issuesdeforestation; soil deterioration, erosion; desertification; species loss; air pollution in Beirut from vehicular traffic and the burning of industrial wastes; pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills; waste-water managementlimited 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
Environment - international agreementsparty to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
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
Geography - notesmallest country in continental Asia; Nahr el Litani is the only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, and ethnicitynote 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)
Total renewable water resources4.503 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)1.78 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Population distributionthe majority of the people live on or near the Mediterranean coast, and of these most live in and around the capital, Beirut; favorable growing conditions in the Bekaa Valley, on the southeastern side of the Lebanon Mountains, have attracted farmers and thus the area exhibits a smaller population densitypopulation 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

Source: CIA Factbook