Negev << NEH gehv >> is the triangular southern half of Israel. It extends from Beersheba south to the port of Elat on the Gulf of Aqaba. The Negev is a semidesert tableland from 1,000 to 2,000 feet (300 to 610 meters) above sea level. It includes both flatlands and limestone mountains. Much of the Negev is covered by a layer of fertile loam, but rainfall needed for growing crops is insufficient. The Israelis have farmed part of the Negev by irrigation. They have irrigated the land with water brought from the Sea of Galilee through the National Water Carrier, a system of pipelines, canals, and tunnels. The Israelis have also mined phosphates and copper in the Negev.
