ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the physiographic and man-made factors that account for the three Palestinian belts, and particularly the unique Sharon zone. The analysis of the 1288 Yearbook suggests that there is a vital need for verifying the data of the regional yearbooks. According to the 1288 Yearbook, northeastern Safad had a relatively low density. It had a rich settlement history that can be traced back to ancient times. The Jordan Basin is part of the geologically unstable Syrian-African Rift Valley where earthquakes are more common than elsewhere in Palestine. By the end of the nineteenth century Tiberias started to benefit from the economic potential of its warm winter climate. The historical records confirm that the Safad and Tiberias regions, as well as the rest of the Jordan Rift Valley, had low population densities before the end of the nineteenth century. The greatest rural density in northern Palestine was found in the inland valleys and basins and on the coastal plain.
