Golan Heights,
region in southwestern Syria, occupied by Israel since The Six-Day War of June
1967. The area of the Golan Heights is about 1250 sq km (about 483 sq mi).
The Golan Heights is a hilly, basalt plateau
with a largely rocky terrain. A high escarpment overlooks Israel to the west and
provides a vantage point over the city of Damascus and the southern Syrian plain
to the north and east. In the northern part of the region is a mountain range
that extends into Lebanon and rises to a peak of 2814 m (9232 ft) at Mount
Hermon, the highest point on the Golan Heights. Mount Hermon is divided among
Lebanon, Israel, Syria, and several United Nations (UN) demilitarized zones. The
foothills surrounding Mount Hermon are used primarily as pastureland for
livestock raising, while more fertile, agricultural land is located mainly in
the south. The Golan Heights and its surrounding area contain various freshwater
sources that are of great economic importance to Israel; these include Lake
Tiberias (Sea of Galilee), a large reservoir located below the region's western
boundary.
Prior to 1967 the Golan Heights was home to
approximately 100,000 Syrians. When Israel invaded the region in 1967, most of
the Syrian population fled or were forced to leave. Several thousand Syrians
remained, however. Today the Golan has a population (1994 estimate) of about
30,000. This number includes about 16,000 Syrians and 14,000 Israeli settlers.
Most Syrians remaining in the Golan are Druze who live in a number of towns and
villages, particularly in Majdal Shams, the largest non-Syrian town in the Golan
Heights. Since 1967, Israel has built 32 illegal settlements in the Golan
Heights despite international condemnation.
Syria tried to recapture the area in October 1973, when Syrian and Egyptian armies attacked Israel in the Yom Kippur War. The Israeli army suffered heavy casualties in the surprising attack, but managed to stand back against the Arab armies. Syria regained some land including the main city of Quneitra in the disengagement agreements signed following the war. Since that time, a buffer zone between the Syrian and Israeli armies has been patrolled by UN forces.
In 1981 Israel annexed the Golan Heights by
extending Israeli civil law to the region. This step was met with Syrian, Arab
and international condemnation.
The Heights are the main topic in the Syrian- Israeli peace talks started in 1991. The talks were stalled for a long time because of Israel’s refusal to withdraw completely from the Golan.
More photos from the
Golan Heights
UN
Security Council Resolution 497