Chula plain
The Chula Plain ( Hebrew עמק החולה Emek haChula "Chula valley"; Arabic سهل الحولة, DMG Sahl al-Ḥūla "Hula level"; in German also Hula level or Hule level ) is a level in Galilee in northern Israel at the foot of the Golan Heights .
geography
The Chula Plain is the furthest north in Israel, not far from the Lebanese border. Flanked by the Lebanese mountains on the west and Golan Heights on the east, the basin extends from Dan to Tel Chatzor north of Rosh Pina . In north-south direction, the valley measures around 25 kilometers, the width is up to 10 kilometers. With an area of around 180 square kilometers, the average height of the valley is 80 m .
The climate is very hot and dry in summer, whereas in winter it is cool with frequent night frosts.
In the northern part of the valley, the Jordan arises from the confluence of its three source rivers Banyas , Dan and Hasbani , before flowing through the Chula plain in a south direction.
history
The Chula Plain was geologically created by a volcanic eruption in prehistoric times, which blocked the southern end of the valley and thereby dammed the Chula Lake (also Hula Lake or Samachonite Lake after ancient Greek Σεμεχωνίτις), the water level of which was 100 m above today's valley floor. In the course of time, the Jordan dug a ravine through this barrier - the water level of the lake fell until essentially only a swamp remained, in which the northernmost papyrus deposits on earth grew.
In ancient times there were individual settlements on the edge of the Chula plain; the best known was Caesarea Philippi at the foot of Mount Hermon . Via Maris ran along the western edge of the plain . The settlements Hazor (today Tel Chatzor ) and Dan ( Tel Dan ) had already controlled important roads because of their location on the edge of the plain and thus gained importance. In the Bible the area is called "the water of Merom" (Joshua 11: 5 + 7).
Even in later centuries there were hardly any settlements. After the end of the crusader era, the area became even more boggy due to human intervention and was therefore almost deserted for a long time; malaria persisted in the swamps .
Many attempts at drainage failed. So let z. B. Ibrahim Pascha, after conquering the area around 1835, blasting rocks at the southern end of the valley so that the Jordan could flow better. The drainage of the area was not successful; only a few settlers could hold out.
The next targeted attempts at drainage were made at the end of the 19th century by Jewish immigrants with the support of Baron Edmond de Rothschild . There has been major drainage since the area was acquired by the Jewish National Fund in 1934; but only after the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 were the swamps largely drained between 1951 and 1958; this made the soil usable for agriculture. However, remnants of the swamps still exist today and are now nature reserves.
Before the Six Day War , the settlements on the plain were repeatedly shot at from the slopes of the much higher Golan, as were Israeli fishermen on the Sea of Galilee . The Golan Heights have been in Israeli hands since the end of the war and the use of the Chula Plain and the Sea of Galilee is harmless.
Settlement and economic use
In the area of the Chula Plain there is a whole series of agricultural settlements ( kibbutzim and moshavim ) that have emerged since the 1940s . Intensive agricultural use is possible due to the fertile soil and abundance of water; the basin is one of the most fertile areas of Israel. Fruit and cotton are grown, among other things, and fish farming also plays an important role. Tourism also plays an important role in the scenic plain.
There are hardly any urban settlements in the area of the Chula Plain. The only larger city is Kirjat Shmona on the northwestern edge of the plain, on the southern edge lie two smaller cities, Rosh Pina and Khatzor haGalelit .
Ecological importance
The Chula Plain is an important resting and resting place for many migratory birds that fly around the Mediterranean via the countries on its east bank. In the remaining nature reserves, the birds find undisturbed resting places and sufficient food on their way.
The abundance of water in the area also enables a rich native fauna and flora . In addition to water birds, water buffalo and wild cats live in the Chula nature reserve. In order to protect nature, other nature reserves, including the Banyas and the Dan, were created.
HaChula nature reserve
An area around Lake Chula (Agamon) between the places Merkaz Kah , Gonen and Hulata has been created by the INPA as a nature reserve haChula (החולה) with a nature trail, picnic areas and campground. Established in 1964, the reserve is the first nature reserve in Israel. The original, swampy landscape of the Chula Valley has largely been preserved in the reserve. The numerous water and migratory birds such as cormorants , cranes , pelicans , herons and storks , but also beaver rats , water buffalo , wild cats and wild boars can be observed from the paths and from the observation tower in the middle of the reserve . On November 16, 2011, an employee of the Israel Park and Nature Authority (IPNA) discovered a female specimen of the Hulesee frog, which had been considered extinct for almost 50 years .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Chulatal ( Memento of the original from January 12, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. at Jewish Agency
- ↑ Hule Nature Reserve ( Memento of the original from August 1, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. at PlanetWare.com
- ↑ Haaretz: [1] (accessed on November 17, 2011)
Coordinates: 33 ° 6 ′ 0 ″ N , 35 ° 36 ′ 36 ″ E