West Bank vs. Israel
Geography
| West Bank | Israel | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Middle East, west of Jordan, east of Israel | Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon |
| Geographic coordinates | 32 00 N, 35 15 E | 31 30 N, 34 45 E |
| Map references | Middle East | Middle East |
| Area | total: 5,860 sq km land: 5,640 sq km water: 220 sq km note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967 | total: 21,937 sq km land: 21,497 sq km water: 440 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Delaware | slightly larger than New Jersey |
| Land boundaries | total: 478 km border countries (2): Israel 330 km, Jordan 148 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 | 0 km (landlocked) | 273 km |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: to depth of exploitation |
| Climate | temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters | temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas |
| Terrain | mostly rugged, dissected upland in west, flat plains descending to Jordan River Valley to the east | Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Khallat al Batrakh 1,020 m 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 lowest point: Dead Sea -431 m mean elevation: 508 m note - does not include elevation data from the Golan Heights |
| Natural resources | arable land | timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand |
| Land use | agricultural land: 43.3% (2018 est.) arable land: 7.4% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 11% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 24.9% (2018 est.) forest: 1.5% (2018 est.) other: 55.2% (2018 est.) note: includes Gaza Strip | 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 | 240 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2012) | 2,250 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | droughts | sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes |
| Environment - current issues | adequacy of freshwater supply; sewage treatment | 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 |
| Geography - note | landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are about 380 Israeli civilian sites, including about 213 settlements and 132 small outpost communities in the West Bank and 35 sites in East Jerusalem (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 | 837 million cubic meters (2017 est.) note: data represent combined total from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. | 1.78 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | Palestinian settlements are primarily located in the central to western half of the territory; Jewish settlements are found in pockets throughout, particularly in the northeast, north-central, and around Jerusalem | 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
