Sea of Gallilee
| Sea of Galilee | |
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Wooden longboat in the Sea of Galilee, Tiberias.
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| Coordinates | 32°50′N 35°35′E / 32.833°N 35.583°ECoordinates: 32°50′N 35°35′E / 32.833°N 35.583°E |
| Lake type | Monomictic |
| Primary inflows | Upper Jordan River and local runoff |
| Primary outflows | Lower Jordan River, evaporation |
| Catchment area | 2,730 km2 (1,050 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Israel |
| Max. length | 21 km (13 mi) |
| Max. width | 13 km (8.1 mi) |
| Surface area | 166 km2 (64 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 25.6 m (84 ft) |
| Max. depth | 43 m (141 ft) |
| Water volume | 4 km3 (0.96 cu mi) |
| Residence time | 5 years |
| Shore length1 | 53 km (33 mi) |
| Surface elevation | -212.07 m (695.8 ft) |
| Islands | 2 |
| Settlements | Tiberias, Tel Katzir |
| References | |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
The Sea of Galilee, also Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, or Lake Tiberias (Hebrew: יָם כִּנֶּרֶת, Judeo-Aramaic: יַמּא דטבריא; גִּנֵּיסַר Arabic: بحيرة طبريا), is a large freshwater lake in Israel. It is approximately 53 km (33 mi) in circumference, about 21 km (13 mi) long, and 13 km (8.1 mi) wide. Its area is 166.7 km2 (64.4 sq mi) at its fullest, and its maximum depth is approximately 43 m (141 feet). At levels between 215 metres (705 ft) and 209 metres (686 ft) below sea level, it is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth and the second-lowest lake in the world (after the Dead Sea, a saltwater lake). The lake is fed partly by underground springs although its main source is the Jordan River which flows through it from north to south.
The Sea of Galilee is situated in northeast Israel, between the Golan Heights and the Galilee region, in the Jordan Rift Valley, the valley caused by the separation of the African and Arabian Plates. Consequently, the area is subject to earthquakes, and in the past, volcanic activity. This is evident by the abundant basalt and other igneous rocks that define the geology of the Galilee.
The lake has been called by different names throughout its history, usually depending on the dominant settlement on its shores. With changing fate of the towns, the lake's name also changed.
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Wikipedia