Editing Geography of Israel (section)

==Natural resources==
{{see also|Natural gas in Israel}}
Unlike much of the Middle East which is rich in lucrative [[crude oil]], Israel has limited natural resources. These include copper, [[phosphates]], [[bromide]], [[potash]], [[clay]], [[sand]], [[sulfur]], [[Bitumen|asphalt]], and [[manganese]].<ref name="cia" /> Small amounts of natural gas and [[crude oil]] are present, often too little to merit commercial extraction.<ref name="cia" /> In 2009, significant reserves of natural gas were discovered at the [[Tamar gas field|Tamar 1 offshore drilling]] site, 90 kilometers west of Haifa. It is the largest natural gas reserve ever discovered in Israel.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bar |first=Avi |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/israel-s-largest-ever-reserve-of-natural-gas-discovered-off-haifa-coast-1.268364 |title=Israel's largest-ever reserve of natural gas discovered off Haifa coast |work=Haaretz |date=18 January 2009}}</ref>