The Negev covers more than half of Israel’s land area. This arid region occupies southern Israel, extending across more than 13,000 square kilometres, or at least 55% of the country’s land area.
The Negev is shaped like an inverted triangle. Its western edge meets the desert of the Sinai Peninsula, while the Arabah Valley forms much of its eastern boundary. Although commonly called a desert, the northern Negev around Beersheba is semi-arid, receiving more rainfall than the much drier southern areas near Eilat.
The landscape includes three enormous erosion features called makhteshim, or “craters”: Makhtesh Ramon, HaMakhtesh HaGadol and HaMakhtesh HaKatan. These are not volcanic craters; they are distinctive enclosed valleys formed by erosion in folded rock layers.
The region also has a long human history, including Nabataean trade routes and ancient desert settlements. Today it is home to Jewish and Bedouin communities, with Beersheba serving as its largest urban centre. A frequent mistake is to treat the Sinai or Judean Desert as Israel’s principal desert; the Negev is the region that occupies the country’s southern majority.