Map of West Bank | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Inhabited since at least the 15th century B.C., the West Bank has been dominated by many different peoples throughout its history; it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in the early 16th century. The West Bank fell to British forces during World War I, becoming part of the British Mandate of Palestine. Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the West Bank was captured by Transjordan (later renamed Jordan), which annexed the West Bank in 1950; it was captured by Israel in the Six-Day War in 1967. Under a series of agreements known as the Oslo accords signed between 1993 and 1999, Israel transferred to the newly created Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for many Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank as well as the Gaza Strip. In 2000, a violent intifada or uprising began, and in 2001 negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip stalled. Subsequent attempts to re-start direct negotiations have not resulted in progress toward determining final status of the area.


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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: 5,860 km²
Land: 5,640 km²
Water: 220 km²
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
Rank: 171
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
Lowest point: Dead Sea -431 m
Highest point: Khallat al Batrakh 1,020 m

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: 2,900,034 (July 2020 est.)
Note: approximately 418,600 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank (2018); approximately 215,900 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem (2014)
Rank: 139
Growth rate: 1.77% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 57
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: 35.31% (male 525,645/female 498,458)
15-24 years: 20.75% (male 307,420/female 294,469)
25-54 years: 35.19% (male 516,758/female 503,626)
55-64 years: 5.12% (male 76,615/female 72,006)
65 years and over: 3.62% (male 48,387/female 56,650) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 71.2
Youth dependency ratio: 65.7
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.5
Potential support ratio: 18.2 (2020 est.) data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Median age
Total: 21.9 years
Male: 21.7 years
Female: 22.2 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 181

Population growth rate: 1.77% (2020 est.)
Rank: 57

Birth rate: 25.2 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 48

Death rate: 3.4 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 222

Net migration rate: -4.2 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 189

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: 76.7% of total population
Note:
Rate of urbanization: 3% annual rate of change

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: adequacy of freshwater supply; sewage treatment

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 12.8 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 14.4 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 11.1 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 103

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.9 years
Male: 73.8 years
Female: 78.1 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 109

Total fertility rate: 3.07 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 49

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

Drinking water source
Urban: 2.9% of population
Rural: 2.9% of population
Total: 3.2% of population (2017 est.)
Note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 1.45 physicians/1000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density: 1.3 beds/1000 population (2018)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0% of population
Rural: 0.7% of population
Total: 0.2% of population (2017 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: 1.4% (2014)
Note: estimate is for Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Rank: 123

Education expenditures: 5.3% of GDP (2017)
Note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Rank: 48

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97.2%
Male: 98.7%
Female: 95.7% (2018)
Note: estimates are for Gaza and the West Bank

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 14 years (2019)
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

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2014 US dollars; includes Gaza Strip

Real gdp growth rate:
Note: excludes Gaza Strip
Rank: 42

Real gdp per capita:
Note: includes Gaza Strip
Rank: 161

Gross national saving:
Note: includes Gaza Strip
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.)
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: 2.2% (2017 est.)
Note: includes Gaza Strip
Rank: 127

Labor force: 1.24 million (2017 est.)
Note: excludes Gaza Strip
Rank: 134
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:
Note: excludes Gaza Strip
Rank: 201

Youth unemployment

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

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.2%
Highest 10: 28.2% (2009 est.)
Note: includes Gaza Strip

Distribution of family income gini index

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:
Note: excludes Gaza Strip
Rank: 31

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:
Rank: 158

Exports:
Note: excludes Gaza Strip
Rank: 143
Commodities: stone, olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone

Imports:
Note: data include the Gaza Strip
Rank: 127
Commodities: food, consumer goods, construction materials, petroleum, chemicals

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 195

Debt external:
Note: data include the Gaza Strip
Rank: 157

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
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: 170,000 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity note: includes Gaza Strip
Installed generating capacity rank: 170
Generation sources fossil fuels: 78% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 90
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 (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 217
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) (2016 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9
Fixed lines rank: 93
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 4,135,363
Mobile cellular note: (includes Gaza Strip) (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 76
Mobile cellular rank: 129

Telephone system

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

Internet
Country code: .psnote - same as Gaza Strip
Users total: 2.673 million
Users note: (includes Gaza Strip)
Users percent of population: 57.4% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 106

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 371,299
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2017 est.)
Note: includes Gaza Strip
Rank: 93


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces: per the Oslo Accords, the PA is not permitted a conventional military but maintains security and police forces; PA security personnel have operated almost exclusively in the West Bank since HAMAS seized power in the Gaza Strip in 2007; PA forces include National Security Forces, Presidential Guard, Civil Police, Civil Defense, Preventative Security Organization, the General Intelligence Organization, and the Military Intelligence Organization (2020)

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups: Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade; HAMAS; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Kahane Chai; Palestine Islamic Jihad; Palestine Liberation Front; Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (2019)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in a title='Appendix-T' href='../appendix/appendix-t.html'>Appendix-T/a>


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2 (2013)
Rank: 208
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: 149

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 negotiation; Israel continues construction of a 'seam line' separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from Gaza and four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005; since 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: 858,758 (Palestinian refugees) (2020)
IDPs: 243,000 (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) (2019)

Illicit drugs