Editing Geography of Israel (section)

==Location and boundaries==
{{main|Borders of Israel}}
[[File:LocationIsrael.svg|right|thumb|250px|Israel on the world map]]

Israel lies to the north of the equator around 31°30' north latitude and 34°45' east longitude.<ref name="cia" /> It measures {{convert|424|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} from north to south{{dubious|Poor source. At least 445&nbsp;km from Metula to Eilat, so 1949 borders.|date=March 2018}} and, at its widest point {{convert|114|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}, from east to west.<ref name="cia" /> At its narrowest point, however, this is reduced to just {{convert|15|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}. It has a land frontier of {{convert|1017|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} and a coastline of {{convert|273|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="cia" /> It is ranked 153 on the [[List of countries and outlying territories by total area]].<ref name="cia" />

Prior to the establishment of the [[Mandatory Palestine|British Mandate for Palestine]], there was no clear-cut definition of the geographical and territorial limits of the area known as "Palestine." On the eve of [[World War I]] it was described by ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'' as a "nebulous geographical concept."<ref>An Empire in the Holy Land: Historical Geography of the British Administration in Palestine, 1917–1929, Gideon Biger, St. Martin's Press and [[Magnes Press]], 1994, pp.40–41.</ref> The [[Sykes-Picot Treaty]] in 1916 divided the region that later became Palestine into four political units.<ref>An Empire in the Holy Land: Historical Geography of the British Administration in Palestine, 1917–1929, Gideon Biger, St. Martin's Press and Magnes Press, 1994, pp.46–52.</ref> Under the [[Mandatory Palestine|British Mandate for Palestine]], the first geo-political framework was created that distinguished the area from the larger countries that surrounded it. The boundary demarcation at this time did not introduce geographical changes near the frontiers and both sides of the border were controlled by the British administration.<ref>An Empire in the Holy Land: Historical Geography of the British Administration in Palestine, 1917–1929, Gideon Biger, St. Martin's Press and Magnes Press, 1994, pp.67–69.</ref>

Modern Israel is bounded to the north by Lebanon, the northeast by Syria, the east by Jordan and the West Bank, and to the southwest by Egypt. To the west of Israel is the Mediterranean Sea, which makes up the majority of Israel's {{convert|273|km|mi|abbr=on}} coastline and the Gaza Strip. Israel has a small coastline on the Red Sea in the south. The southernmost settlement in Israel is the [[City council (Israel)|city]] of [[Eilat]] whilst the northernmost is the [[Local council (Israel)|town]] of [[Metula]]. The [[territorial waters]] of Israel extend into the sea to a distance of twelve nautical miles measured from the appropriate baseline.<ref name="cia" />

The statistics provided by the [[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics]] include the [[annexed]] East Jerusalem and Golan Heights, but exclude the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The population of Israel includes [[Israeli settlers]] in the West Bank. The route of the [[Israeli West Bank barrier]] incorporates some parts of the West Bank.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width: 75px;" |Name
! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width: 200px;" |Status Description
! colspan="4" style="width: 300px;" | Population (thousands)
! colspan="2" style="width: 100px;" | Area (km<sup>2</sup>)
|-
! scope="col" style="width: 100px;" | [[Israelis]] (incl. [[Israeli Jews]] and [[Israeli Arabs]] in Israel proper, and incl. [[Israeli settlers]] in the [[Israeli-occupied territories]])
! scope="col" style="width: 50px;" | Cumulative Total
! scope="col" style="width: 100px;" | [[Palestinian people|Palestinians]] (incl. non-Israeli [[Palestinian return to Israel|Palestinians residing legally in Israel]])
! scope="col" style="width: 50px;" | Cumulative Total
! scope="col" style="width: 100px;" | Area
! scope="col" style="width: 50px;" | Cumulative Total
|-
| [[Green Line (Israel)|Israel (Green Line)]]
| Area sovereign to Israel since 1948
| 6,674<ref name="Otherfigures">Figure calculated from other sourced figures in table</ref>
| 6,674<ref name="Otherfigures" />
| 100–120<ref name="miftah.org">{{Cite web|url=http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=14464&CategoryId=4|title = MIFTAH - Family Reunification}}</ref>
| 100–120<ref name="miftah.org"/>
| 20,582<ref name="Otherfigures" />
| 20,582<ref name="Otherfigures" />
|-
| [[East Jerusalem]]
| [[Military occupation|Occupied]] and subject to [[Israeli law]] since 1967. Formal legislation on 1980 (see [[Jerusalem Law]])
| 455<ref name="JIIS">{{cite web |url=http://jiis.org/.upload/web%20C1009.pdf |title=Jerusalem Statistical Yearbook 2009/10 |author=Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies |access-date=5 October 2010 |author-link=Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110312041014/http://jiis.org/.upload/web%20C1009.pdf |archive-date=12 March 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| 7,129<ref name="Otherfigures" />
| 225 (double counted)<ref name="MeForum">{{cite journal |url=http://www.meforum.org/2124/the-politics-of-palestinian-demography |title= The Politics of Palestinian Demography |author=Middle East Forum |journal= Middle East Quarterly |date= March 2009 |access-date=5 October 2010}}</ref>
| 225<ref name="Otherfigures" />
| 336<ref name="OCHA Barrier">{{cite web |url=http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_barrier_report_july_2009_english_low_res.pdf |title=Barrier Report July 2009. Calculation based on East Jerusalem area of 346km2 being 97% west of the barrier, and 9.5% of the West bank including East Jerusalem being in the Seam Zone |author=Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs |access-date=5 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091013032616/http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_barrier_report_july_2009_english_low_res.pdf |archive-date=13 October 2009 |author-link=Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs }}</ref>
| 20,918<ref name="Otherfigures" />
|-
| [[Golan Heights]]
| [[Military occupation|Occupied]] since 1967, subject to [[Israeli law]] since 1981 (see [[Golan Heights Law]])
| 42<ref name="CBS Israel" />
| 7,172<ref name="CBS Israel" />
| n.a.
| n.a. ([[Syrians]])
| 1,154<ref name="CBS Israel Area" />
| 22,072<ref name="CBS Israel Area">{{cite web |url=http://www1.cbs.gov.il/shnaton57/st01_01.pdf |title= Israeli statistical Area data |author=Israel Central Bureau of Statistics |access-date=5 October 2010|author-link= Israel Central Bureau of Statistics }}</ref>
|-
| [[Seam Zone]] ([[West Bank]])
| Area between the [[Green Line (Israel)|Green Line]] and the [[Israeli West Bank barrier]]. [[Military occupation|Occupied]] in 1967
| 188<ref name="Btselem">{{cite web |url=http://www.btselem.org/English/Separation_Barrier/Statistics.asp |title=Separation Barrier Statistics |author=B'Tselem |access-date=5 October 2010 |author-link=B'Tselem |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031120125813/http://www.btselem.org/english/Separation_Barrier/Statistics.asp |archive-date=20 November 2003 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| 7,359<ref name="Otherfigures" />
| 35<ref name="Btselem" />
| 260<ref name="Otherfigures" />
| 200<ref name="OCHA Barrier" />
| 22,272<ref name="Otherfigures" />
|-
| Other [[Israeli settlement]]s and [[Israel Defense Forces|IDF]] Military Areas ([[West Bank]] Area C)
| Other Israeli settlements (not in [[East Jerusalem]] or the [[Seam Zone]]) and areas in the [[West Bank]] directly controlled by the [[Israel Defense Forces|IDF]]. [[Military occupation|Occupied]] in 1967
| 57<ref name="Otherfigures" />
| 7,473<ref name="CBS Israel">{{cite web |url=http://www.cbs.gov.il/population/new_2010/table1.pdf |title=Israeli Census data |author=Israel Central Bureau of Statistics |access-date=5 October 2010 |author-link=Israel Central Bureau of Statistics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091229062946/http://www1.cbs.gov.il/population/new_2010/table1.pdf |archive-date=29 December 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| 115<ref name="OCHA">{{cite web |url=http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_area_c_humanitarian_response_plan_fact_sheet_2010_09_03_english.pdf |title=Area C Humanitarian Response Plan Fact Sheet September 2010. Assumes 35,000 Palestinians estimated by B'Tselem to be living in the Seam Zone are included in the 150,000 OCHA estimate. |author=Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs |access-date=5 October 2010 |author-link=Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101011101200/http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_area_c_humanitarian_response_plan_fact_sheet_2010_09_03_english.pdf |archive-date=11 October 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| 375<ref name="Otherfigures" />
| 2,961<ref name="CIAWB Area">{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/west-bank/ |title=West Bank population. Based on total area of 5,640km2 including East Jerusalem and excluding water. Figure shown calculated from other figures sourced on page. |author=CIA World Factbook |access-date=5 October 2010}}</ref>
| 25,233<ref name="Otherfigures" />
|-
| [[Palestinian National Authority|Palestinian]] civil control ([[West Bank]] Areas A+B)
| [[Palestinian National Authority]] civil controlled area. Subject to "joint" military control with the [[Israel Defense Forces|IDF]]. [[Military occupation|Occupied]] in 1967
| 0
| 7,473<ref name="Otherfigures" />
| 2,311<ref name="CIAWB">{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/west-bank/ |title=West Bank population. Assumes CIA World Factbook number excludes Israeli settlers but includes estimated 225k Palestinians living in East Jerusalem |author=CIA World Factbook |access-date=5 October 2010}}</ref>
| 2,686<ref name="Otherfigures" />
| 2,143<ref name="OCHA" />
| 27,376<ref name="Otherfigures" />
|-
| [[Gaza Strip]]
| [[Palestinian National Authority|Palestinian]] governed area. [[Israel]] controls airspace, maritime border and its own border with Gaza. [[Military occupation|Occupied]] in 1967, [[Israel's unilateral disengagement plan|unilaterally disengaged]] in 2005, declared a foreign entity in 2007.
| 0
| 7,473<ref name="Otherfigures" />
| 1,552<ref name="CIAGS">{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/gaza-strip/ |title=Gaza Strip population. Excludes Israeli settlers, but includes estimated 225k Non-Israeli Palestinians in East Jerusalem |author=CIA World Factbook |access-date=5 October 2010}}</ref>
| 4,238<ref name="Otherfigures" />
| 360<ref name="CIAGS" />
| 27,736<ref name="Otherfigures" />
|}