nt reached at Sharm al-Sheikh in
February 2005, along with an internally-brokered Palestinian
ceasefire, significantly reduced the violence. In the summer of
2005, Israel unilaterally disengaged from the Gaza Strip, evacuating
settlers and its military while retaining control over most points
of entry into the Gaza Strip. The election of HAMAS in January 2006
to head the Palestinian Legislative Council froze relations between
Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Ehud OLMERT became prime
minister in March 2006; following an Israeli military operation in
Gaza in June-July 2006 and a 34-day conflict with Hizballah in
Lebanon in June-August 2006, he shelved plans to unilaterally
evacuate from most of the West Bank. OLMERT in June 2007 resumed
talks with the PA after HAMAS seized control of the Gaza Strip and
PA President Mahmoud ABBAS formed a new government without HAMAS.

Geography
Israel

Location:

Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and
Lebanon

Geographic coordinates:

31 30 N, 34 45 E

Map references:

Middle East

Area:

total: 20,770 sq km
land: 20,330 sq km
water: 440 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries:

total: 1,017 km
border countries: Egypt 266 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km,
Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km

Coastline:

273 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation

Climate:

temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas

Terrain:

Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains;
Jordan Rift Valley

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m

Natural resources:

timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium
bromide, clays, sand

Land use:

arable land: 15.45%
permanent crops: 3.88%
other: 80.67% (2005)

Irrigated land:

1,940 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

1.7 cu km (2001)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 2.05 cu km/yr (31%/7%/62%)
per capita: 305 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic
earthquakes

Environment - current issues:

limited arable land and natural fresh water resources pose serious
constraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial and
vehicle emissi