Continued...

East of the central highlands lies the Jordan Rift Valley, which forms a small part of the 6,500-kilometer (4,040-mi.) Great Rift Valley, through which the Jordan River runs from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, the lowest dry point on Earth.

The climate of the coastal areas can be very different from that of the mountainous areas, particularly during the winter months. During the winter, the northern mountains can get cold, wet and often snowy and even Jerusalem experiences snow every few years. The coastal regions, where Tel Aviv and Haifa are located, have a typical Mediterranean climate with cool, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. In the summer months between June and September, Israel's largest population centers rarely receive rain.