History of West Bank:
The Palestinian Territories include the West Bank. It is a sliver of land that separates Jordan from Israel. The area was included in the British Mandate of Palestine following World War I. However, the West Bank’s boundaries has shifted since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Israel seized control of the West Bank after the 1967 Six-Day War, and it has been under Israeli administration ever since. Approximately 500,000 Israelis currently reside on the West Bank. Israel and the other Arab countries are at odds over the territory.
Information about West Bank:
| Capital | |
| Population | 3,000,021 (Source: 2023 wikipedia) |
| Major Cities | Hebron, Nablus, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Gaza City, Bethlehem, Jericho, Nazareth, Ma’ale Adumim |
| Borders | Jordan and the Dead Sea to the east and by Israel (see Green Line) to the south, west, and north |
| Gross Domestic Product (GDP) | $4,007,000 (2022) |
| Currency | new Israeli shekel (ILS); Jordanian dinar (JOD) |
Flag of West Bank:
West Bank Economy Key Industries:
West Bank Major Industries: generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers
West Bank Agricultural Products: olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products
West Bank Natural Resources: arable land
West Bank Major Exports: olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone
West Bank Major Imports: food, consumer goods, construction materials
The Geography of West Bank:
Total Size of West Bank: 5,628 km2 (source: wikipedia)
Geographical Low Point of West Bank: Dead Sea -408 m
Geographical High Point of West Bank: Tall Asur 1,022 m
Climate of West Bank: Temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters
General Terrain of West Bank: mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east
World Region or Continent of West Bank: Middle East
Geographical Coordinates: 32 00 N, 35 15 E
The People of West Bank & Culture
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West Bank Languages Spoken: Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
West Bank Religions: Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8%
Interesting Facts about West Bank:
After hundreds of its citizens were slain in suicide bombs committed during a Palestinian uprising, Israel started constructing the barrier in 2002.
It is intended for the barrier to be around 790 km (491 miles) long. Approximately 405 km (252 miles) have been finished, and other sections are still under construction.
In violation of a judgment rendered on July 9, 2004, the Hague-based International Court of Justice, often known as the World Court, Israel has kept constructing the wall.
Israel claims that the barrier has been crucial in significantly lowering the number of Palestinian attacks inside its borders during the past five years.
Around 80% of the barrier’s fences and walls cross into Palestinian land, which the Palestinians claim is an act of unilateralism by Israel to establish a border that might stymie future state-building talks with Israel.