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Palestine is small when compared with most other countries, 150 miles from north to south, and 70 miles from west to east at its widest point.
Despite its size it was always important because it lay in a strategic part of the world, straddling the major highway that joined ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt - these highways were called the Via Maris or Way of the Sea, and the King's Highway. There was a constant stream of travelers along the roads - for trade, religious pilgrimage, military purposes, etc. So when something significant happened in that part of the world, the people of Palestine were affected. 
There were four major regions: the Coastal Plain, the Central Hill Country, the Jordan Valley, and the Negev.

The Jordan Valley
This is a rift valley extending from Mount Hermon in the north down into east Africa.
The Jordan River originates in springs at the base of Mount Hermon and flows south into the Dead Sea. Dense patches of vegetation and cliffs border the river, making it a natural boundary between the east and west banks.
The Dead Sea has no outlet. It is the lowest sea on earth with a high concentration of salt, so that very little life can survive in its water.

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Israel and Palestine: Lands of the Bible - Bible Study Resource
Jordan Valley: Jordan River, Qumran, Dead Sea