Negev

The Negev (NEG-ev; Hebrew: הַנֶּגֶב) or Naqab (Arabic: النقب) is the name for a desert and semidesert area in southern Israel. Today, it forms the bulk of the Southern District of Israel, whose largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. 223,587), in the north of the Negev. At its southern end lie the Gulf of Aqaba and the resort city and port of Eilat. It contains several development towns, including Dimona, Arad, and Mitzpe Ramon, as well as a number of small Bedouin towns, including Rahat, Tel Sheva, and Lakiya. There are also several kibbutzim, including Revivim and Sde Boker; the latter became the home of Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, after his retirement from politics. The desert is home to the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, whose faculties include the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research and the Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies, both located on the Midreshet Ben-Gurion campus adjacent to Sde Boker. In October 2012, global travel guide publisher Lonely Planet rated the Negev second on a list of the world's top ten regional travel destinations for 2013, noting its current transformation through development; the area has seen the construction of spa resorts, wineries, and a new international airport. Notable sites include natural and cultural attractions such as the canyon and pools of Ein Avdat, Makhtesh Ramon, the Timna Park, the desert cities of the Incense Roa

Location: Israel.

Desert data from Wikidata (CC0).