The region has an extremely diverse terrain that falls generally into
four parallel zones.
From west to east they are the coastal plain ; the hills and mountains
of Galilee, Samaria, and Judea; the valley of the Jordan river.; and
the east plateau.
In the extreme south lies the Negev , a rugged desert area .
Elevations range from 395 mile (1296 ft) below sea level on the shores
of the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the surface of the earth, to
1020 mile (3347 ft) atop nearby Mt. Hebron .
The region has several fertile areas , which constitute its principal
natural resource . The water supply of the region, however , is not
abundant , with virtually all of the modest annual rainfall coming
in the winter months .
The Jordan River, the region's only major stream, flows south through
Lake Tiberias (the regions only large freshwater lake) to the intensely
saline Dead Sea. |