Country Information on the Palestinian Territories

Terrain The landscape of the Palestinian Territories is very varied. The Gaza Strip is flat, sandy and dry and the coast is covered with dunes. The landscape in the West Bank is predominantly hilly. The Jebel Jermac is the highest elevation in the region. The main rivers are the Jordan and the Yarmuk, Naher. Climate The Palestinian Territories have a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and short, wet, and cool winters, average temperature and rainfall vary according to altitude between the regions: the coastal plain, hilly region, Jordan Valley and the Naqab Desert. Fauna/Flora During the course of the centuries, the forests of the region were cut down for fuel and therefore the growth of vegetation drastically undermined. The desert areas are now host to wild tulips, irises and date palms and the marine life is particularly interesting. History/Politics The first inhabitants of the region of Palestine were the Canaanites who colonised the area around 3000 BC. Shortly afterwards, the country fell to Egypt and was ruled by different peoples in the following centuries. In the 15th century BC, the Semitic people - originally from Mesopotamia - came to the region setting off conflict with the Philistines. The defeats against the Philistines caused the separate Hebrew peoples to unite as one kingdom, which would soon experience a golden age. After the death of King Solomon, Israel was split up and ruled first by the Assyrians and Babylonians, the Persians in the 6th century BC, Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC and then by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. The following centuries saw frequent uprisings by the Israelis against Rome, which were, however, suppressed. The last uprising in 135 AD led to the Jewish Diaspora and from then on Judea was called Palestine. After the fall of Rome the area belonged to Byzantine until 637, when it was conquered by the Arabs. The area was conquered in 1517 by the Ottoman Empire and stayed under its government until the end of the First World War. Hereafter, Great Britain and France split up the former Ottoman territories between themselves, in 1922, Great Britain was given the mandate for Palestine by the League of Nations. The following years saw increased migration to the area by Jews resulting in further conflict between them and the Arabs. In 1947 the friction escalated into military conflict which was won by the Israelis. In the same year, the UN voted for the division of Palestine, which was, however, rejected by the Arab population. The official foundation of the State of Israel followed in 1948. The settlement policies of the Israelis led over the following decades to an intensification in the conflict with the Palestinians and saw Israel occupy the Golan Heights, West Bank, Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip. The Palestinian resistance found expression in the announcement of the "Intifada", which has resulted in bloody protest to this day. After protracted negotiations between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the Israeli Prime Minister Itzhak Rabin, a peace treaty was signed in 1993, for which both leaders received the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1994, administration of the Gaza Strip was also handed to the Palestinian Authority, the principle of self-administration has been applied almost all the large towns in the West Bank till today. Rabin was assassinated in 1995 by a Jewish extremist, an act which has hindered the peace process in the region to this day. Economy Economic issues in the West Bank are governed by the Paris Economic Protocol of April 1994, signed by Israel and the Palestinian Authority, under which the economy of the region has long been under the macro-economic influence of Israel. Despite the fertility of land in the West Bank, lack of resources and Israeli policy have led to economic stagnation in the area. For this reason, the autonomous authorities developed a strategic development plan aimed at giving the economy in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip more independence an in so doing also improve the employment prospects in the areas. Before this, the activities of Palestinian suicide bombers and the consequent closing of the borders had hindered the efforts of Palestinians to find work. In 2001 inflation was at 1% and in 2002 unemployment at 53% Culture The frequently adverse living conditions of the Palestinians have contributed to a strong literary tradition, this and art in general have won a special importance since 1948 which is set to keep the Palestinian cultural identity alive and in the world's conscience.