The
Arabah (
Hebrew ??????????,
HaArava;
Arabic ???? ?????,
Wadi ?Araba) is a section of the
Great Rift Valley lying between the
Dead Sea to the north and the
Gulf of Aqaba to the south. It forms part of the border between
Israel to the west and
Jordan to the east.
The Arabah is 166&_160;km (103 miles) long from the Gulf of Aqaba to the southern shore of the Dead Sea. Topographically, the region is divided into three sections. From the Gulf of Aqaba northward, the land gradually rises for 77&_160;km (48 miles), reaching a height of 230 m (755 ft) above sea level. From this height at the Dead Sea and Red Sea watershed divide, the land gradually slopes down to a point 15&_160;km south of the Dead Sea. From there, the Arabah drops sharply to meet the Dead Sea, which at 417 m (1373 ft) below sea level is the lowest point on earth.[citation needed]
The Arabah is very hot and dry, and consequently only lightly populated. The Jordanian administrative district of Wadi Araba is reported to have a population of 6775.[1] There are 5 major tribes that make up 8 settlements on the Jordanian side. These tribes are Al-S'eediyeen (Arabic ??????????), Al-Ihewat (????????), Al-Ammareen (????????), Al-Rashaideh (????????), and Al-Azazmeh (????????), as well as smaller tribes that include Al-Oseifat (????????), Al-Rawajfeh (????????), Al-Manaja'h (????????), and Al-Marzaqa (???????), among others. The main economic activity for the Arabah residents revolves around herding sheep, agriculture, handicrafts, and the Arab Jordanian Army.
There are a few kibbutzim on the Israeli side. The oldest kibbutz in the Arava is Yotvata, founded in 1957. Yotvata was named for an ancient town in the Arava that is mentioned once in the Bible. Kibbutz Lotan, which is one of Israel's newest kibbutzim, has a bird-watching center.
