Negev Desert

A large triangular desert occupying the southern half of Israel, encompassing a variety of landscape types including the dramatic makhtesh craters, sandstone canyons, and the flat gravel plain of the central Negev. The Ramon Crater (Makhtesh Ramon), the largest erosion crater in the world, is 40 kilometres long and exposes a cross-section of geological history in its coloured walls. The Negev was crossed by ancient incense trade routes whose remains include well-preserved Nabataean cities. Acacia trees, ibex herds, and raptors inhabit the scrubland and canyon systems.