Geography & Geology
The Golan Heights is
composed of two geologically distinct areas divided by the Sa'ar River: the
Golan Heights proper (approximately 1,070 sq. km.) and the slopes of the Mount
Hermon range (approximately 100 sq. km.).
While the Mt. Hermon range is mostly limestone, the
Golan Heights proper is mostly basalt and other types of volcanic rock,
forming a plateau that drops off to the west, to the Jordan River and Lake
Kinneret (in the Syrian-African Rift Valley), and to the south, to the
Yarmouk River. The plateau is crossed by a number of seasonal streams which
run through valleys, sometimes very deep, and flow west into the Jordan or
the Lake. The Golan proper may be divided into three regions: northern
(between Nahals Sa'ar and Gilabon), central (between Nahals Gilabon and
Dilayot), and southern (between Nahal Dilayot and the Yarmouk Valley).
The northern Golan has double the average rainfall of
the southern Golan, and often receives snow in the winter, as does the Mt.
Hermon area. Hydrologically, nearly the entire Golan lies within the Lake
Kinneret catchment basin, which supplies 30% of Israel's water requirements. Two of the Jordan
River's main sources, the Dan and the Banias Rivers, rise on the slopes of
Mt. Hermon -- in addition to many seasonal streams that rise on the Heights
and flow into the Lake, either directly or via the Jordan. In 1964, Syria
sought to divert the sources of the Jordan and prevent their waters from
reaching Israel, provoking a series of border incidents; the Syrian plan
was ultimately thwarted by IDF operations in the spring of 1965.
In ancient and classical times, the Golan was heavily
forested (see Ezekiel 27:5-6). Today, small remnants of these forests
survive near Odem and Mt. Avital in the north, and near Yehudiya in the
central Golan. Half of Israel's mammal and reptile species, and all of its
amphibians, can be found on the Heights.
Sources: Israeli Government Press Office
|