Golan << GOH lahn >> Heights is a hilly area in the southwestern corner of Syria. Its steep western slopes overlook the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River in Israel. The Golan Heights covers 454 square miles (1,176 square kilometers). Most of its land is rocky, but a small part of it is fertile and supports agriculture. There are more than 30 Jewish settlements on the heights, with around 22,000 settlers. About 20,000 Syrians also live in the area, mostly Arabic-speaking people called Druses.
The Golan Heights has been a part of Syria since ancient times. In 1948, Israelis started farming settlements in disputed territory near their border with Syria, and Syrians began firing on the settlements from the Golan Heights. Since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, Israeli troops have occupied the Golan Heights. Israel has set up military and agricultural operations there. In 1981, Israel claimed legal and political authority in the Golan Heights. But Syria rejects this claim, and many other countries do not recognize it.
