Israel's geography and relatively small size have been some of the factors behind the decades of conflict between it and surrounding nations, an expert told ABC News.

A trip to Yosemite National Park would take you off the map entirely. All told, Israel plus Gaza and the West Bank cover about 10,600 square miles of land — 2½ times the area of Los Angeles County.

In these maps, we’ve placed the geography of the Middle East in the context of Texas to emphasize the proximity of clashes in this troubled part of the world. If Austin were Tel Aviv . . .

Here’s a look at the geography of one of the most densely populated places in the world. The Gaza Strip is a narrow enclave in the Middle East surrounded by Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea.