Map of West Bank | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements ("the DOP"), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993, provides for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.


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Location: Middle East, between Jordan and Israel

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 5,860 km²
Land: 5,640 km²

Land boundaries: total 404 km, Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none; landlocked

Climate: temperate, temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters

Terrain: mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east

Elevation

Natural resources: negligible

Land use
Arable land: 27%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 32%
Forest and woodland: 1%
Other: 40%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 1,404,114 (July 1993 est.) 134,000 in East Jerusalem (1993 est.)
Growth rate: 2.9% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: NA
Adjective: NA

Ethnic groups: Palestinian Arab and other 88%, Jewish 12%

Languages: Arabic, Hebrew spoken by Israeli settlers, English widely understood
Total population: NA%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

Religions: Muslim 80% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 12%, Christian and other 8%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.9% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 33.78 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 5.32 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.52 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers
Current issues note:

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 35.4 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.93 years
Male: 68.48 years
Female: 71.46 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.37 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: none

Government type

Capital

Administrative divisions

Dependent areas

Independence

National holiday

Constitution

Legal system

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation

Diplomatic representation

Flag description

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Economic progress in the West Bank has been hampered by Israeli military administration and the effects of the Palestinian uprising (intifadah). Industries using advanced technology or requiring sizable investment have been discouraged by a lack of local capital and restrictive Israeli policies. Capital investment consists largely of residential housing, not productive assets that would enable local firms to compete with Israeli industry. A major share of GNP is derived from remittances of workers employed in Israel and Persian Gulf states, but such transfers from the Gulf dropped dramatically after Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990. In the wake of the Persian Gulf crisis, many Palestinians have returned to the West Bank, increasing unemployment, and export revenues have plunged because of the loss of markets in Jordan and the Gulf states. Israeli measures to curtail the intifadah also have pushed unemployment up and lowered living standards. The area's economic outlook remains bleak.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -10% (1990 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1,200 (1990 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for about 15% of GNP; olives, citrus and other fruits, vegetables, beef, and dairy products

Industries:

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 1% (1989; accounts for about 4% of GNP

Labor force: NA
By occupation small industry commerce andbusiness: 29.8%
By occupation construction: 24.2%
By occupation agriculture: 22.4%
By occupation serviceandother:
Note:

Unemployment rate: 15% (1990 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $31.0 million; expenditures $36.1 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY88)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year (since 1 January 1992)

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $150 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.)
Commodoties: NA
Partners: Jordan, Israel

Imports: $410 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.)
Commodoties: NA
Partners: Jordan, Israel

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 2.6480 (November 1992), 2.2791 (1991), 2.0162 (1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988), 1.5946 (1987; Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1 - 0.6890 (January 1993), 0.6797 (1992), 0.6808 (1991), 0.6636 (1990), 0.5704 (1989), 0.3709 (1988)


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Electricity
Production: power supplied by Israel

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2
Usable: 2
With permanentsurface runways: 2
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 0
With runways 1220-2439 m: 1

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Israeli occupied with status to be determined

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs