Move down the Mediterranean Coast, stopping at Akko , a port city that is the world-center of the Baha'i reli- gion, with the stunning Baha'i shrine and garden . Continuing down the coast, stop at Caesarea's Herodian ruins , before heading to Tel Aviv-Jaffa . Israel has a total land area of approximately 20,770 square kilometers. In addition to the Palestinian territories, it borders on Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Its western boundary is the Mediterranean Sea. A small stretch of coastline in the south also meets the Red Sea. LANDSCAPE & ENVIRONMENT_ The Israeli landscape is dominated by the Rift Valley, an enormous fissure between two tectonic plates that extends from Mozambique through eastern Israel to Tur- key. Located in this trough, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth, at 412m below sea level. The center of the country is characterized by highlands, with Mount Meron, at 1208m, as its highest peak. Along the Mediterranean lies a fertile coastal plane. The Negev Desert in the south comprises more than half of Israel's area. Israel struggles with limited arable land-less than 20% of its territory can support agriculture. There is also a major shortage of fresh water. The Jordan River, the country's main waterway, has been overexploited. The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel has been a prominent force in environmentalism since its founda- tion in 1953. Check out its web site for more information. FLORA & FAUNA_ Despite its small size, Israel is home to a rich variety of plants and animals. About 47,000 species have been identified there. Wildflowers are abundant almost every- where. In the more fertile regions, crops such as oranges, dates, and tobacco flour- ish. Israel plays host to many migrant bird species. Its terrestrial species include ibexes and gazelles , as well as wild boars and wild cats. HISTORY ANCIENT HISTORY The first true empire in world history emerged in the 24th century ВСЕ, when a dynasty of Semitic rulers conquered all of Upper Mesopotamia, including Asia Minor and southeastern Arabia. Substantial urban development led to the con- struction of several towns that appear in the Bible. The predominantly Canaanite population spoke a language from which the language spoken in Israelite times evolved, and of which biblical Hebrew was a dialect. An important trade route between Egypt and Mesopotamia, the territory that makes up modern-day Israel was periodically conquered by both civilizations, as well as by the chariot-racing Hyksos and Hittites. The Bible begins the recorded history of the area with the story of Abraham, the first of the Patriarchs. The Semitic-speaking people linked with him, who are referred to as the 'Apiru in meticulous Egyptian records, may have been the ancestors of the Hebrews. Whether or not the 'Apiru became the Israelites remains a mystery. Some theo- rize that the Israelites were highlanders who united in opposition to the urban, val- ley-dwelling Canaanite traders.