Syria vs. Israel
Geography
| Syria | Israel | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey | Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon |
| Geographic coordinates | 35 00 N, 38 00 E | 31 30 N, 34 45 E |
| Map references | Middle East | Middle East |
| Area | total: 187,437 sq km land: 185,887 sq km water: 1,550 sq km note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory | total: 21,937 sq km land: 21,497 sq km water: 440 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly more than 1.5 times the size of Pennsylvania | slightly larger than New Jersey |
| Land boundaries | total: 2,363 km border countries (5): Iraq 599 km, Israel 83 km, Jordan 379 km, Lebanon 403 km, Turkey 899 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 |
| Coastline | 193 km | 273 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm | territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: to depth of exploitation |
| Climate | mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold weather with snow or sleet periodically in Damascus | temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas |
| Terrain | primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west | Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Mount Hermon (Jabal a-Shayk) 2,814 m lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -208 m mean elevation: 514 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 resources | petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower | timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand |
| Land use | agricultural land: 75.8% (2018 est.) arable land: 25.4% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 5.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 44.6% (2018 est.) forest: 2.7% (2018 est.) other: 21.5% (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 land | 14,280 sq km (2012) | 2,250 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | dust storms, sandstorms volcanism: Syria's two historically active volcanoes, Es Safa and an unnamed volcano near the Turkish border have not erupted in centuries | sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes |
| Environment - current issues | deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; depletion of water resources; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water | 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 |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification | 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 - note | the capital of Damascus - located at an oasis fed by the Barada River - is thought to be one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities; there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights (2017) | 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) |
| Total renewable water resources | 16.802 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 1.78 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | significant population density along the Mediterranean coast; larger concentrations found in the major cities of Damascus, Aleppo (the country's largest city), and Hims (Homs); more than half of the population lives in the coastal plain, the province of Halab, and the Euphrates River valley note: the ongoing civil war has altered the 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 |
Source: CIA Factbook
