- a partially reclaimed desert region and district in S Israel, bordering on the Sinai Peninsula. 4,700 sq. mi. (12,173 sq. km). Capital: Beersheba.
- the S part of Israel, on the Gulf of Aqaba: a triangular-shaped semidesert region, with large areas under irrigation; scene of fighting between Israeli and Egyptian forces in 1948. Chief town: Beersheba. Area: 12 820 sq km (4950 sq miles)
