Map of West Bank | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: From the early 16th century through 1917, the area now known as the West Bank fell under Ottoman rule. Following World War I, the Allied powers (France, UK, Russia) allocated the area to the British Mandate of Palestine. After World War II, the UN passed a resolution to establish two states within the Mandate, and designated a territory including what is now known as the West Bank as part of the proposed Arab state. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the West Bank was captured by Transjordan (later renamed Jordan), which annexed the West Bank in 1950. In June 1967, Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel transferred security and civilian responsibility for a number of Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority (PA) under a series of agreements signed between 1993 and 1999, the so-called 'Oslo Accords.' Roughly 60% of the West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem) remains under Israeli military control. Follow-on negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip stalled after the outbreak of an intifada in mid-2000. Since HAMAS's violent seizure of military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip in 2007, the PA has administered those areas of the West Bank under its control while Hamas maintains de facto control of Gaza. Fatah and HAMAS have made several attempts at reconciliation, but the factions have been unable to implement any agreements reached.


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Location: Middle East, west of Jordan, east of Israel

Geographic coordinates: 32 00 N, 35 15 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 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: 5,640 km²
Water: 220 km²
Rank: 172
Comparative: slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries
Total: 478 km
Border countries: (2) Israel 330 km; , Jordan 148 km

Coastline: 0 km
Note: (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 in west, flat plains descending to Jordan River Valley to the east

Elevation: -431 m
Note: lowest point: Dead Sea

Natural resources: arable land

Land use
Agricultural land: 43.3% (2011 est.)
Forest: 1.5% (2011 est.)
Other: 55.2% (2011 est.): note: includes Gaza Strip

Irrigated land
Note: 240 km²; note - includes Gaza Strip (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: droughts

Geography
Note: landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are about 380 Israeli civilian sites, including about 213 settlements and 132 small outpost communities in the West Bank and 35 sites in East Jerusalem (2017)


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Population
Distribution: Palestinian settlements are primarily located in the central to western half of the territory; Jewish settlements are found in pockets throughout, particularly in the northeast, north-central, and around Jerusalem: note: approximately 391,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank (2016); approximately 201,200 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem (2014)
Note: (July 2017 est.) (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 140
Growth rate: 1.81% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 56
Below poverty line: 18% (2011 est.)

Nationality
Noun: NA
Adjective: NA

Ethnic groups: Palestinian Arab, Jewish, other

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

Religions: Muslim 80-85% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 12-14%, Christian 1-2.5% (mainly Greek Orthodox), other, unaffiliated, unspecified <1% (2012 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 36.09% (male 518,376 /female 491,676)
15-24 years: 21.17% (male 302,474 /female 289,852)
25-54 years: 34.48% (male 489,559 /female 475,402)
55-64 years: 4.74% (male 68,317 /female 64,233)
65 years and over: 3.52% (male 44,662 /female 53,943) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 75.8 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 70.5 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.2 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 19.1 (2015 est.): note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Median age
Total: 21.4 years
Male: 21.2 years
Female: 21.6 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 183

Population growth rate: 1.81% (2018 est.)
Rank: 56

Birth rate: 26 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 47

Death rate: 3.5 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 217

Net migration rate: -4.5 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 186

Population distribution: Palestinian settlements are primarily located in the central to western half of the territory; Jewish settlements are found in pockets throughout, particularly in the northeast, north-central, and around Jerusalem

Urbanization
Urban population: 76.2% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 3% annual rate of change: note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: adequacy of freshwater supply; sewage treatment

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 13.6 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 15.3 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 11.9 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 104

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.4 years (2018 est.)
Male: 73.4 years (2018 est.)
Female: 77.6 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 108

Total fertility rate: 3.2 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 48

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 57.2%
Note: (includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank) (2014)

Drinking water source
Urban: 49.3% of population
Rural: 18.5% of population
Total: 41.6% of population (2015 est.): note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 1.3 physicians/1000 population (2014)

Hospital bed density: 1.26 beds/1000 population (2015)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 7% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 9.8% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 7.7% of population (2015 est.): note: note includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate note: NA
People living with hivaids note: NA
Deaths note: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
Rank: 118

Education expenditures:
Rank: 47

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2016 est.)
Total population: 96.9% (2016 est.)
Male: 98.6% (2016 est.)
Female: 95.2% (2016 est.): note: estimates are for Gaza and the West Bank

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years (2015)
Male: 12 years (2015)
Female: 14 years (2015): note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: West Bank
Etymology: name refers to the location of the region - occupied and administered by Jordan after 1948 - that fell on the far side (west bank) of the Jordan River in relation to Jordan proper; the designation was retained following the 1967 Six-Day War and the subsequent changes in government

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: In 2017, the economic outlook in the West Bank - the larger of the two areas comprising the Palestinian Territories - remained fragile, as security concerns and political friction slowed economic growth. Unemployment in the West Bank remained high at 19.0% in the third quarter of 2017, only slightly better than 19.6% at the same point the previous year, while the labor force participation rate remained flat, year-on-year.Longstanding Israeli restrictions on imports, exports, and movement of goods and people continue to disrupt labor and trade flows and the territory’s industrial capacity, and constrain private sector development. The PA’s budget benefited from an effort to improve tax collection, coupled with lower spending in 2017, but the PA for the foreseeable future will continue to rely heavily on donor aid for its budgetary needs and infrastructure development.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 147

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 45

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 175

Gross national saving:
Rank: 170

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 91.3% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 26.7% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 23% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 20% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -61% (2017 est.): note: excludes Gaza Strip

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.9% (2017 est.)
Industry: 19.5% (2017 est.)
Services: 77.6% (2017 est.)
Of origin: note: excludes Gaza Strip

Agriculture products: olives, citrus fruit, vegetables; beef, dairy products

Industries: small-scale manufacturing, quarrying, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs

Industrial production growth rate:
Rank: 127

Labor force:
Rank: 139
By occupation agriculture: 11.5%
By occupation industry: 34.4%
By occupation services: 54.1% (2013 est.)
By occupation: note: excludes Gaza Strip

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 202

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 18% (2011 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 28.2% (2009 est.)
Highest 10: 28.2% (2009 est.): note: includes Gaza Strip

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 103

Budget
Revenues: 1.314 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 1.278 billion (2017 est.): note: includes Palestinian Authority expenditures in the Gaza Strip
Surplus or deficit: 0.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 39

Taxes and other revenues: 13.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 207

Public debt:
Rank: 177

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 18

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 128

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 176

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 180

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 147

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 91

Current account balance:
Rank: 153

Exports:
Rank: 139
Commodities: stone, olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone

Imports:
Rank: 118
Commodities: food, consumer goods, construction materials, petroleum, chemicals

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 195

Debt external:
Rank: 158

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 80,930 (2012)
Access electrification total population: 98% (2012)
Access electrification urban areas: 99% (2012)
Access electrification rural areas: 93% (2012)
Access: note: data for West Bank and Gaza Strip combined
Production: 1.093 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 148
Consumption: 6.489 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 110
Exports: 0 kWh (2016)
Exports rank: 217
Imports: 5.473 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 36
Installed generating capacity:
Installed generating capacity rank: 170
Generation sources fossil fuels: 78% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 91
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 211
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 213
Generation sources other renewable sources: 22% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 34

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 214
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 215
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 215
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 212

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 215
Products consumption: 24,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 131
Products exports: 19 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 123
Products imports: 22,740 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 113

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 214
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 213
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 212
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 212
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 207

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 3.113 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 146

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 472,293
Fixed lines note: (includes Gaza Strip) (2017 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17
Fixed lines rank: 98
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 4,135,363
Mobile cellular note: (includes Gaza Strip) (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 150
Mobile cellular rank: 126

Telephone system
General assessment: continuing political and economic instability has impeded liberalization of the telecommunications industry (2018)
Domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed-line services; two Palestinian cellular providers, JAWWAL and WATANIYA MOBILE, launched 3G mobile networks in the West Bank in January 2018 after Israel lifted its ban (2018)
International: country code - 970; 1 international switch in Ramallah (2018)

Broadcast media: the Palestinian Authority operates 1 TV and 1 radio station; about 20 private TV and 40 radio stations; both Jordanian TV and satellite TV are accessible (2013)

Internet
Country code: .psnote - same as Gaza Strip
Users total: 2.673 million
Users note: (includes Gaza Strip) (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 57.4% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 102

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 371,299 (2017 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2017 est.): note: includes Gaza Strip
Rank: 89


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups
Home based Kahane Chai:
Foreign based HAMAS:
Foreign based Palestine Islamic Jihad:
Foreign based Palestine Liberation Front:
Foreign based Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine:


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2 (2013)
Rank: 210
With paved runways total: 2 (2013)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2013)
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 4,686 km (2010)
Paved: 4,686 km (2010): note: includes Gaza Strip
Rank: 153

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: the current status of the West Bank is subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiationIsrael continues construction of a 'seam line' separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West BankIsrael withdrew from Gaza and four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 809,738 (Palestinian refugees) (2017)
IDPs: 131,000 (includes persons displaced within the Gaza strip due to the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since June 2014 and other Palestinian IDPs in the Gaza Strip and West Bank who fled as long ago as 1967, although confirmed cumulative data do not go back beyond 2006) (2017)

Illicit drugs