Location: | Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey |
| Geographic coordinates: | 35 00 N, 38 00 E |
| Map references: | Middle East |
| Area: | total: 185,180 sq km
note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory
water: 1,130 sq km
land: 184,050 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly larger than North Dakota |
| Land boundaries: | total: 2,253 km
border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km |
| Coastline: | 193 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 41 nm |
| 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 |
| Terrain: | primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m
highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m |
| Natural resources: | petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower |
| Land use: | arable land: 25.22%
permanent crops: 4.43%
other: 70.35% (2001) |
| Irrigated land: | 12,130 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural hazards: | dust storms, sandstorms |
| Environment - current issues: | deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water |
| Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification |
| Geography - note: | there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (February 2002 est.)
Source: CIA World Factbook
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