1) The Jordan Valley region:
extends along the western bank at
the Jordan River from the village of Bardal in the north to the
northern tip of the Dead Sea in the south. It is approximately 70 Km
long with a total area of about 400,000 dunums. Elevation ranges
from 200 – 300 m below sea level to approximately 100 m above sea
level in the north and 200 m in the south. The climate is
semi-tropical characterized by hot summers and warm winters. Annual
rainfall ranges from 20 mm in the northern parts of the valley to
100 mm in the south. The northern Jordan Valley does get
adequate rainfall as there are no hills blocking it from the sea
winds. The lower Jordan Valley has a different transitional climate,
between dry steppe and the extreme desert conditions of the Dead Sea
region. 2) Eastern Slopes region: extends along the eastern side of
the West Bank, east of Jenin in the north to thr eastern hills of
Hebron district in the south. The total area is approximately 1.5
million dunums. Elevation ranges from 800 m above sea level to
approximately 150 m below sea level. The climate is semi-dry with
low annual rainfall. This area is used mainly for grazing sheep and
goats. Native plants include some trees and
shrubs, among these are Ceratonia siliqua, pestacialentiscus and
remnant of Pestacia (in the northern parts ) and Sarcopoterium
spinosum, Thymus capitatus Artemisia herba alba, Ononis
natrix,Ballota undulate, Hordeum bulbosum,Poa bulbosa . The climate of the West Bank,
especially in the south, is influenced by the nearby Negev and
Arabian deserts. Desert storms move through in the spring and early
summer carrying hot winds full of sand and dust (khamaseen).
Palestine Wildlife Society (PWLS),
founded in 1999 in Beit Sahour- Bethlehem District is one
organization whose mission is the conservation and enhancement of
plantlife , biodiversity and wildlife in Palestine. Palestinian economy has always
depended on agriculture. Of the total cultivated area, olives and
grapes predominate, and with almonds and fruit trees occupying 60%
of the area. Winter cereals, grain legumes are cultivated on 35% of
the area. Vegetables are the main crops in the remaining 5% of land,
and they are irrigated from artesian wells and the springs. this is a flat coastal plain with a
temperate climate, dry, hot summers and mild winters. Its resource
is natural gas. Fishing is a source of livelihood, but fishing boats
are often prevented by an Israeli naval blockade of coastal waters.
Several Arab-Israeli peace deals have been
signed: 1979 Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, under
which Egypt recognized the State of Israel and established
diplomatic relations in return for the Sinai Peninsula. The Oslo
Peace Accords in 1991 called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces
from Gaza and Jericho; the Palestinian Authority established itself
as a self-governing body in Gaza. The Oslo Accords were to lead to
demilitarized, self-governing Palestinian state, but left the
important issues like the status of Jerusalem, the status of
settlements, and the
right of return of the Palestinian refugees
unanswered. Nature
reserves:
Palestine’s
Constitution,Universities,
Tourism
PALESTINE
Back to: States
Location: Gaza bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt
and Israel
West Bank: west of Jordan
Area: West Bank: 5,860 sq km Gaza: 360 sq km
Coastline: (Gaza) 40 km
Elevation extremes:
Gaza: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m
West Bank: lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m
Pop (Gaza): 1,324,991
Pop (West Bank): 2,311,204
Age structure:
Gaza 0-14 years: 49%
15-64 years: 48.3%
65 years and over: 2.7%
West bank 0-14 years: 43.8%
15-64 years: 52.8%
65 years and over: 3.5%
Member: Arab League
At this time, Palestine is made up of the West Bank, west of the
Jordan River; and the Gaza Strip on the Mediterranean Sea. The main
cities are Jerusalem, Hebron, Jericho, Nablus, and Gaza City. The
total Palestinian population of 7million are citizens of the West
Bank, Gaza, Israel, and many are refugees in Arab countries.
Palestinian can be divided into distinct topographic regions:
The soil is sandy and calcareous. The region grows off-season
vegetables and semi-tropical fruit trees including bananas and
citrus. Natural plants are mainly Ziziphus spina_christi, Acacia
raddiana, Acacia birtilis, Tamarix galica, and Atriplex halimus .
3) The Central Highlands Region:
the largest region in the West Bank with an approximate area of 3.5
million dunums. Its length is 120 Km from Jenin in the north to
Hebron in the south. It is mountainous with some areas exceeding an
elevation of 1000 m. It has annual rainfall ranging from 400 mm to
about 700mm. Soils in the valleys between the hills and mountains
are alluvial, in the mountains the dominant soils are Terra-Rosa,
and Rendzina soils on the eastern and southern slopes. Native plants
include Aleppo Pine and Maquis, Evergreen Oak, Carob-Lentisk Maquis,
Garique and Batha. Today they are found only in a small area.
4) Coastal region (Gaza Strip):
Palestine has been at the crossroads of empires from ancient times.
It was once known as Canaan. Jerusalem was built around 3000BC. King
David conquered it in 1000BC followed by his son Solomon the Wise.
The kingdom was divided into two parts: Judea with the capital at
Jerusalem, and Israel with the capital Samaria. In 332 BC Alexander
of Macedon took control of Jerusalem, followed by the Romans in 66
AD. Seventy years after the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and the
spread of Christianity, the Jews took Jerusalem, and in 135AD the
Roman Emperor Hadrian destroyed the city and exiled the Jews from
Jerusalem.
The Persian armies came next in 614 AD. In 636 AD the Arab Muslims
conquered Jerusalem and the Levant, led by the Caliph Omar ibn al
Khattab to become a part of the Arab Empire. From then till 1948 and
-- with the exception of the years of the Crusades1099-1187 AD – the
region came under the rule of one Arab Islamic dynasty after the
other: the Rashidun, the Ummayads, the Abbasids, the Tulunids,
Akhshids, Fatimids, Seljuks. Mamluks, Ottoman Turks.
In 1917 Britain occupied Palestine and set up a military rule, they
installed Herbert Samuel as the ruler. He worked under the influence
of the Zionist movement. From 1933 the Jewish immigration to
Palestine increased as Jews escaped Nazi Germany and persecution in
Europe. An Arab Nationalist movement under the leadership of Hajj
Amin al Husseini was formed to fight British power and stem the flow
of Jewish immigrants. Two conferences were held in London for that
purpose, in 1946 and 1947 but they failed to reach agreement between
Arab and Jews.
Before the withdrawal of Britain, the mandatory power from Palestine
it had passed the question of Palestine on to the United Nations.
The UN proposed a partition plan to establish an Arab state and a
Jewish state. Partition resolution 181 was passed on 29 January
1947. As a result, the State of Israel was established on 15 May
1948 in Palestine, and was immediately recognized by the US and USSR
and the UN. The Jewish population of that State was 550,000 Jews and
500,000 Arabs. Arabs owned 2/3 of the land area.
On 4 March 1949 Israel was accepted as a member of the United
Nations.
Four Arab Israeli wars have been fought: 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973.
One of the main stumbling blocks to a peace settlement is the status
of the 4,000,000 Palestinian refugees in the neighboring Arab
countries who demand a right to return to their homes ion accordance
with UN Resolution 194. The demand is rejected by Israel.
Throughout this time until the present (2005) the occupation
realities (restriction of movement for the Palestinian population,
home demolitions, building of settlements on Arab land, the building
of the separation wall and restricted highways in the West Bank)
have made it impossible to reach a final just peace for Palestine
and Israel.
Cities:
Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Hebron, Nablus, Rafah, Gaza, Jenin,
Haifa, Yafa, Acre