Palestine, historic region, the extent of which has varied greatly since ancient times, situated on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, in southwestern Asia. Palestine is now largely divided between Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories, parts of which are self-administered by Palestinians.

Palestinian National Authority (PNA)

An Interim body was created in 1994 to administer Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The PNA shares power with and is subordinate to the government of Israel, which seized the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the Six-Day War of 1967. Israel unilaterally relinquished internal administrative control of the Gaza Strip in 2005 and evacuated Israeli settlers from the territory.

Gaza Airport Opening The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) operates the Yasir Arafat International Airport, which opened as the Gaza International Airport in November

West Bank

Territory in southwestern Asia, bounded on the north, west, and south by Israel, and on the east by Jordan. It is located on the western bank of the Jordan River in the northeast, and on a portion of the Dead Sea in the southeast. The West Bank covers about 5,860 sq km (2,263 sq mi). Once part of Palestine, the West Bank was annexed by Jordan in 1950, then occupied by Israel in 1967. Israel continues to maintain control over the West Bank, which today is populated by a large Palestinian majority and Israeli minority. However, after Israel and the Palestinians reached a number of agreements between 1993 and 1998, almost all Palestinian population centers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were transferred to Palestinian administration under the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

Land Resources

Limited rainfall and poor soil quality restrict human activity in the West Bank. Agriculture and human settlement are concentrated along a hilly spine that runs from north to south and on the western slopes leading to the Mediterranean coastal plain. Vegetables and other field crops are grown in the northern valleys, and olives are cultivated in the hill areas.

The hill areas of the West Bank have a Mediterranean climate, with cool, wet winters and mild summers. Rainfall occurs mostly at high elevations in the northwest, and is of critical importance for Palestinians and Israelis as it replenishes groundwater supplies in Israel and the West Bank. Rain levels decrease from north to south and from west to east, and the eastern third of the territory is arid and desiccated, with warm winters and hot summers. Settlement and economic activity are sparse in this area, and with the exception of the oases and spring-fed farms in the Jordan Valley, the eastern West Bank is used primarily for livestock grazing. The Jordan River links the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberias) and the Dead Sea, but provides little water for irrigation. The region’s mineral resources consist mainly of salt and potash found in the Dead Sea.

Agriculture

Harvesting Grain Agriculture is the main industry on the West Bank. Here two Palestinian women harvest grain on a farm.

Economy

The economy of the West Bank changed profoundly after Israel occupied the region in 1967. From a predominantly agrarian economy, the West Bank grew increasingly dependent on service-sector jobs generated by Israel’s more robust economy. Wage labor drew Palestinians into a range of employment in Israel, primarily as menial workers. Over time, Palestinians came to dominate the Israeli construction industry, providing labor for building in Israel as well as in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. 

Today the West Bank has a modest economy; agriculture is the primary economic activity of the region. Chief products include citrus and other fruits, olives, and cereals; sheep and goats are the principal livestock. Due to a low level of investment capital, the West Bank supports only a few small industries, which include food processing, textiles, and cement manufacturing. Both the Israeli new sheqel and the Jordanian dinar are circulating currency in the West Bank. Under Israeli occupation, banking services were provided by Israeli commercial banks. Since the beginning of Palestinian administration in 1994, a number of Arab banks have also entered the market. The eruption of a second intifada in 2000 disrupted an already weak West Bank economy, resulting in high unemployment and widespread poverty.

Gaza Strip

Region in southwestern Asia, bordered on the south by Egypt, on the west by the Mediterranean Sea, and on the north and east by Israel. The area of the Gaza Strip is 378 sq km (146 sq mi); its shape and size were determined by the armistice agreement signed by Israel and Egypt after the first Arab-Israeli War (1948-1949). From 1967 until 1994 the Gaza Strip was occupied and administered by Israel. In May 1994 it became a largely autonomous zone under the leadership of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), although some Jewish settlements remained and were under the protection of Israeli military forces. In August 2005 Israel began unilaterally evacuating Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip, and the last Israeli soldiers departed soon after.

Land and Resources

The Gaza Strip is a narrow territory extending from the northern Sinai Peninsula into Israel's Mediterranean coastal plain. The region is largely flat and sandy, with dunes stretching inland from the coast, particularly in the south. Rainfall diminishes from north to south, with an average annual accumulation of about 150 to 400 mm (about 6 to 16 in). The Gaza Strip contains little fertile soil, and only 13 percent of its land is arable. There are a number of sandy beaches and fishing villages along the region's coastline.

Gaza city is the economic center for a region in which citrus fruits and other crops are grown. The city contains some small industry, including textiles and food processing. A variety of wares are sold in Gaza's street bazaars, including carpets, pottery, wicker furniture, and cotton clothing; commercial development in the city is minimal. Gaza serves as a transportation hub for the Gaza Strip, and contains a small port that serves a local fishing fleet.

Animal Population(West Bank and Gaza) 

Human Population

The Gaza Strip has one of the highest overall growth rates and population densities in the world. The 2006 population was 1,428,757, giving the region a population density of 3,750 persons per sq km (9,712 per sq mi).

Despite the region's limited land and water resources, agriculture and livestock raising dominated the economy of the Gaza Strip for centuries and continue to support many Gazans. Principal crops grown in the region include citrus fruits, vegetables, and other field crops; some of the citrus fruit is exported to European countries. The region also contains some light industry, most of it centered in the city of Gaza, which also maintains a small port for the region's fishing fleets.

Gaza, Gaza Strip The city of Gaza serves as administrative center of the Gaza Strip, a region that passed from Israeli to limited Palestinian control in 1994.. The Palestinian National Authority is headquartered here.