Makhtesh Ramon (;
lit. Ramon Crater/
Makhtesh ; ) is a geological feature of
Israel's
Negev desert. Located at the peak of Mount Negev, some 85 km south of the city of
Beersheba, the landform is not actually an
impact crater from a
meteor nor a
volcanic crater formed by a
volcanic eruption, but rather is the world's largest
makhtesh. The crater is 40 km long, 2–10 km wide and 500 meters deep, and is shaped like an elongated heart. The only settlement in the area is the small town of
Mitzpe Ramon (מצפה רמון, "Ramon Observation Point") located on the northern edge of the crater. Today the crater and surrounding area forms Israel's largest
national park, the Ramon Nature Reserve.