Hula Valley
| Hula Valley | |
|---|---|
 View of Hula Valley | |
| Naming | |
| Native name | |
| Geology | |
| Type | Valley |
| Geography | |
| Country |  Israel |
| State/Province | Northern District |
Population center | Kiryat Shmona |
| Coordinates | 33°06′12″N 35°36′33″E / 33.10333°N 35.60917°E |
Interactive map of Hula Valley | |
| Designations | |
|---|---|
Official name | Hula Nature Reserve |
| Designated | 12 November 1996 |
| Reference no. | 868 |
The Hula Valley (Hebrew: עֵמֶק הַחוּלָה, romanized: ʿEmeq haḤūlā; Arabic: سهل الحولة, romanized: Sahl al-Ḥūlat) is a topographic depression forming a valley and fertile agricultural region in northern Israel with abundant fresh water that used to be part covered by marshland and Lake Hula. These areas were a breeding ground for mosquitoes carrying malaria and were drained in the 1950s. A small section of the valley was later reflooded in an attempt to revive a nearly extinct ecosystem. It is a major stopover for birds migrating along the Great Rift Valley between Africa, Europe, and Asia, with an estimated 500 million migrating birds now pass through the Hula Valley every year.