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. Permanent status negotiations began on 5 May 1996. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes a Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho has taken place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement. The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility during the transitional period for external security and for internal security and public order of settlements and Israelis. Permanent status is to be determined through direct negotiations which began on 5 May 1996.


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Location: Middle East, west of Jordan

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 5,860 km²
Land: 5,640 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Delaware
Comparative note: Includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967

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
Extremes lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
Extremes highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m

Natural resources: Negligible

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

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population:
Note:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: NA
Adjective: NA

Ethnic groups:

Languages: Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers), English (widely understood)

Religions:

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years:
15-64 years:
65 years and over:

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA
Current issues Natural hazards: NA
International agreements: NA
International agreements note: Landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 199 Jewish settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank and 25 in East Jerusalem (August 1994 est.)

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
All ages:

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.76 years (1996 est.); 71.42 years (1995 est.)
Male: 70.17 years (1996 est.); 69.91 years (1995 est.)
Female: 73.44 years (1996 est.); 73 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

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: definition:NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: West Bank

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: The PLO flag. Three equal horizontal bands of black (top), white and green. On the host side there is a red triangle

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 Palestinian firms to compete with Israeli industry. GDP has been substantially supplemented by remittances of workers employed in Israel and Persian Gulf states. Such transfers from the Gulf dropped 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 dropped because of the decline of markets in Jordan and the Gulf states. The area's economic situation has worsened since Israel imposed stringent border restrictions in 1995 and 1996.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3%-4% (1995 est.)

Real gdp per capita:

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: Olives, citrus and other fruits, vegetables, beef, and dairy products

Industries:

Industrial production growth rate: Growth rate NA

Labor force: NA
By occupation construction: 28.2%
By occupation agriculture: 21.8%
By occupation industry: 14.5%
By occupation restaurants and hotels: 12.6%
By occupation other services: 22.9% (1991)
By occupation note: excluding Jewish settlers

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $43.4 million
Expenditures: $43.7 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY89/90)

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:
Commodities:
Partners:

Imports
Total value:
Commodities:
Partners:

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Capacity: NA kW
Production: NA kWh
Consumption per capita: NA kWh

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: NA telephones; note_8% of Palestinian households have telephones (1992 est.)
Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: NA
Note: Israeli company BEZEK is responsible for communication services in the West Bank

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

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
15-24 to 2437 m: 1
Under 914 m: 1

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs