Palestine Territories

At a glance Land People Economy Achievements and challenges Links with Australia Palestine Territories at a glance Did you know? The Dead Sea, in the southeast corner of the West Bank, is saltier than the ocean and, at more than 400 metres below sea level, is the lowest point on the surface of the Earth. Region Middle East Population Gaza Strip- 1,500,202 West Bank- 2,407,681(2008 estimates) Land Geography: Gaza Strip- narrow coastal strip of flat to rolling sand-covered plain West Bank- mostly rugged, hilly land with light vegetation in the west but barren and rocky in the east Climate: Gaza Strip- temperate, mild winters and dry, warm to hot summers West Bank- temperate, warm to hot summers and cool to mild winters depending on altitude   People Religion: Gaza Strip- Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 99.3%, Christian 0.7% West Bank- Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 75%, Jewish 17%, Other 8% Language: Arabic, Hebrew, English Economy GDP per person (PPP): US$1,100 GDP by sector: Agriculture 8%; Industry 13%; Services 79% Government Parliamentary democracy under the interim Palestinian National Authority. Governing parties: Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Fatah in the West Bank     Land Physical geography The Gaza Strip is a narrow piece of land with the Mediterranean as a western boundary, Israel as northern and eastern boundaries, and Egypt as a southern boundary. The terrain is flat desert with dunes near the coast. The highest point (Abu’Awdah) is 105 metres above sea level. It has an area of 360 square kilometres. The West Bank is landlocked, rugged and dry. There is some vegetation in the east but the west is largely barren. Much of the eastern boundary is formed by the Jordan River. The highest point (Tall Asur) is 1,022 metres above sea level while the southeast corner drops to the Dead Sea, over 400 metres below sea level. It has an area of 5640 square kilometres. The total area is less than the size of Melbourne (7694 square kilometres). Climate The Palestinian Territories experience a temperate climate with cool to mild winters and warm to hot summers. The mountainous central highlands of the West Bank serve as the main rainfall collection area. Temperatures are cooler here, becoming hotter as the land drops away to the Jordan Valley. Annual rainfall decreases from north to south while temperatures decrease from south to north. The climate of the Gaza Strip is more influenced by its proximity to the sea, being hotter and more humid than the West Bank. Environment Despite the arid appearance, the West Bank and Gaza Strip have a rich biodiversity with at least 50,000 living species including 100 mammals, 500 birds and over 2500 plants. The Palestinian Authority established the Wadi Gaza nature reserve in 2000, and there are also reserves in the far north and south of the Gaza Strip. A number of reserves have also been established in the eastern half of the West Bank. However, continuing conflict and economic sanctions prevent addressing the problems of water and ground pollution. People Nearly 40% of the Palestinian population lives in the Gaza Strip, which accounts for only 6% of the total land area. Gaza City is by far the largest urban area in the Palestinian Territories, with a population density of 6,593 people per square kilometre. The West Bank is predominantly rural. Major cities in West Bank include Jericho, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Hebron. Refugees make up about 28% of the population and many of these live in formal camps distributed throughout the region. People Culture and identity The vast majority of the population are Palestinian Arabs. The existence of the Palestinian Territories stems from the strong desire of the Palestinians, dispossessed by the establishment of Israel in 1948, to have a homeland of their own. Between 1994 and 1999, this progressively became a reality as Israel passed responsibility for the Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority. Modern Palestinian culture is closely influenced by the people’s struggle for territory and autonomy. Palestinians speak their own dialect of Arabic, which is closely related to Arabic spoken in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. Palestinian culture generally reflects that of the rest of the Arab world but again shows greater similarity to that of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. Traditional handcrafts include fine embroidery and weaving, pottery, glass-making and carving. There has always been a strong Palestinian literary tradition, especially in poetry, supported by a strong belief in the importance of education. The flag of the Palestine Territories has the Arabic colours black, white and green in horizontal stripes. A red triangle points into the middle of the white band. Health Like most aspects of everyday life for Palestinians, health is adversely affected by the ongoing conflict and economic sanctions. Acts of warfare are costly, damaging people, infrastructure, disrupting transport and limiting access to medical supplies. The infant mortality rate (16-19 deaths per 1000 live births) is rising and immunisation programs are under threat. Life expectancy is 74.29 years in the West Bank and 73.16 in the Gaza Strip. Deterioration of sewage disposal systems has led to temporary dump sites that present environmental dangers and especially threaten the quality of drinking water in some areas. Religion and beliefs There is religious freedom in the Palestinian Territories. The majority of the people are Sunni Muslims,. Christians, who are predominantly Eastern Orthodox or Roman Catholic, live mainly in Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Bethlehem. Other religious groups include Baha’i, Jews and Druze. Food and shelter Traditional Palestinian cuisine relies heavily on rice, kibbeh (wheat, meat and spice patties) and lentils. Sweets, desserts dates and nuts are also popular. In Gaza, seafood is a staple part of the menu. Mealtimes are important, lengthy and are seen as an opportunity to spend quality time with family. However, the ongoing conflict and economic difficulties means that many Palestinians are dependent on food aid. The economic and political upheavals have also left many people homeless. Refugee settlements are scattered throughout the towns and countryside and many apartments, rather than individual houses, have been built. Economy Wealth and poverty Since 2000, the Palestinian Territories have experienced an economic downturn, with conditions worse in the Gaza Strip than in the West Bank. Israel has imposed ‘closure policies’ as a result of security concerns, effectively sealing off the Palestinian Territories. The percentage of the population living below the poverty line in 2007 was 46% (West Bank) and 80% (Gaza Strip). Education and work Education levels among Palestinians have traditionally been high, although these have intermittently been undermined by the effects of war. Education is seen as a way to improve the quality of life, especially by those living in refugee camps. The literacy rate is 96.7% for males and 88% for females. Economic participation in the labour force has fallen to 33.6% (2007) because of the constricted economic situation brought about by the continuing conflicts with Israel. The unemployment rates in 2007 were 18.6% (West Bank) and 34.8% (Gaza Strip). Industries and products Businesses are generally small family businesses that produce textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs Agricultural products include olives, citrus, vegetables,and beef and dairy products. Trade The Palestinian Territories export citrus fruit, flowers, textiles, olives, vegetables and limestone, while they import food, consumer goods and construction materials. Major trading partners of the Palestinian Territories include each other, Israel, Jordan and Egypt. Achievements and challenges Current insecurity erodes development gains and increases the cost of aid interventions. Divisions within the Palestinian community, most obviously between the Hamas and Fatah factions in the Gaza Strip and West Bank respectively, threaten political stability within the Palestinian Territories. A shortage of a reliable water supply means that about half of the population receives less that the World Health Organization’s recommended 60 litres of water per day. Despite the disruptions, the Palestinian Territories have managed to raise the rate of childhood immunisation to over 95% and the General Union of Palestinian Women has established effective vocational training centres and educational institutes in many refugee camps. Links with Australia Australia supports sustainable development in the Palestinian Territories by helping to foster the establishment and growth of a secure, stable and effective Palestinian state. Most of Australia’s aid is aimed at improving essential services such as basic health care and food security. In the 2006 census, there were 2640 people of Gaza-West Bank background living in Australia, with the majority living in NSW and Victoria. Main Sources: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html http://www20.sbs.com.au/worldguide/index.php http://hdr.undp.org/ http://www.ausaid.gov.au/country/

Bethlehem, in the central West Bank, means ‘house of meat’ in Arabic and ‘house of bread’ in Hebrew. It is said to be the birthplace of King David and Jesus of Nazareth. Rachel, Abraham’s wife, is also buried there and her tomb is a holy Jewish site. Photographer: Jon Arnold, Photolibrary.com/Jon Arnold Travel