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About Palestine
Palestine is found at the center of the world map, in a geographical location that connects three continents together making a cultural and economic bond between Asia, Europe, and Africa. Palestine consists of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, forming the area of 6,020 km2; which is 23% of the total area of Palestine while it was under the British Mandate, before the Israeli occupation in 1948. The total population in Palestine is 3.8 million, 2.4 of them live in the West Bank in an area of 5,655 km2, and the remaining 1.4 million live in Gaza Strip in an area of 365 km2.
Palestine and Israel are known to be the holy land of the three major religions in the world, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Many cities in the Palestinian territories are considered to have religious and archeological significance since the beginning of time, as Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Hebron, and Nablus are known for the religious sites found in them, and Jericho is known to be the oldest city in the history of mankind.
Hebron and Nablus are also known to be two of the most important industrial cities in Palestine, as Nablus is famous for its sweets and soap, and Hebron is known for its glass industry.
History
At present, the Palestinian territories are a part of Palestine before 1948. In 1948 the war broke out between the developing Israeli state and the neighboring Arab countries in which the Arab armies were defeated, that eventually led to drawing new internationally-recognized borders for Israel. The enmity between Israel an the Arabs led to much bloodshed on both sides forcing many Palestinians to take refuge in neighboring Arab countries, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip. In 1967 the West Bank and Gaza Strip were occupied by Israel and are still under Israeli occupation to this present day. Before the Israeli occupation, the West Bank was under the Jordanian occupation that took place in 1950 and was legitimized by Jordan and the United Kingdom, and Gaza Strip was under Egyptian control at that time.
Economy
Productivity
An annual productivity of $20,863 was in the Palestinian territories in the industrial sector while the average salary of the worker was $4,328. Within the industrial sector the annual productivity was $31,400, in food and beverages $17,462, and in mining and quarrying $45,259, furniture $13,836, the construction sector $42,231, Internal trade $26,066, Services $ 9,483, Transport & Storage & 46,937.
Due to the troubled political situation in Palestine, the Palestinian economy has been through ups and downs. GDP growth averaged over 10% a year in the period between 1994 and 1999, however it slumped in 2000 because of the violence that broke out between the Palestinians and Israelis, and the Palestinian economy went through one of the worst downturns in modern history. Nevertheless GDP kept bouncing back out of its slump, as in 2003 it went up by 8.5% and by 6% in 2005. In 2007, GDP in constant prices was $4,135.5 million. And it has now reached the same level as in 1999.
The second Intifada that started in 2000 caused a 26% drop in GDP per capita, but the past three years witnessed improvement in the Palestinian economy, and GDP per capita reached $1,113 in 2007. the final consumption in the West Bank and Gaza Strip reached $6.07 billion in 2006, as the latest GDP data showed, this number was %5.5 billion before the Intifada. While the investment level is lower by 58% than in 1999 at $0.79 billion.
Domestic production financed around two thirds of consumption and investment while the remaining third was served by imports. The total Palestinian imports reached $2.7 billion in 2006.
Half of the Palestinian population being under the age of 18 led to speculation of growth in the local demand and labor force in the coming decades. Youth is an important asset for local international businesses, and Palestine will build its future competitiveness on the human capital base of which they form.
Main Economic Sectors in Palestine
• Advertising
• Agriculture
• Audit Firms
• Automotive
• Banking
• Construction
• Consulting services
• Financial services
• Food and Beverages
• Food Processing
• Forestry & Fishing
• Industrial
- Soaps
- Paints
- Detergents
- Plastics
• Information & Communication Technology
• Investment
• Logistics
• Manufacturing & Mining Sector
• Metal Product & Engineering
• Pharmaceuticals and Medical
• Quarrying and Stone
• Services
• Textiles & Garments
• Tourism
• Trade
• Transportation
Well known for;
• Olive trees
• Manufacturing soap
• Hand made crafts mainly representing the holy places
• Embroidery
• Dead Sea
• Religious sites
• Sweets, Knafeh
Climate
The climate in Palestine is hot and dry in summer, and cold in winter due to its location on the Mediterranean. The temperature and climate of Palestine makes it a good agricultural place.
Gaza Strip is mainly coastal plain and sand dunes, while the West Bank is more diverse, featuring four topographic zones. The Jordan River Valley is a fertile plain, providing excellent agricultural lands, while the Eastern Slopes overlooking the Valley are a rocky area leading down to the Dead Sea. At 1,000 meters above sea level in some places the Central Highlands constitute the largest zone, and a semi-coastal zone is found in the west and north-west. |
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