Lebanon vs. Israel
Geography
| Lebanon | Israel | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria | Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon |
| Geographic coordinates | 33 50 N, 35 50 E | 31 30 N, 34 45 E |
| Map references | Middle East | Middle East |
| Area | total: 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 - comparative | about one-third the size of Maryland | slightly larger than New Jersey |
| Land boundaries | total: 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 |
| Coastline | 225 km | 273 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm | territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: to depth of exploitation |
| Climate | Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; the Lebanon Mountains experience heavy winter snows | temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas |
| Terrain | narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains | Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley |
| Elevation extremes | highest 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 resources | limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land | timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand |
| Land use | agricultural 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 land | 1,040 sq km (2012) | 2,250 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | earthquakes; dust storms, sandstorms | sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes |
| Environment - current issues | deforestation; 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 management | 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, 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 - note | smallest 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 ethnicity | 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 | 4.503 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 1.78 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | the 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 density | 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
