West Bank

From MaxTravelz

Asia : Middle East : Palestinian Territories : West Bank

This is an article about the former West Bank of Jordan, now with parts under the Palestinian Authority and parts under Israeli authority. Another West Bank exists in the Middle East: the West Bank of Luxor in Egypt.

The West Bank is a Palestinian enclave in the Middle East between Israel and Jordan, to the north of the Dead Sea. It is known as the West Bank because it lies on the western bank of the Jordan River.

This part of the world is steeped in biblical history and contains sites of religious and archaeological significance to Jews, Christians and Muslims.

Flag

Quick Facts
Capital
Government
Currency	new Israeli shekel (ILS); Jordanian dinar (JOD)
Area	total: 5,860 sq km note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967 water: 220 sq km land: 5,640 sq km
Population	2,163,667 (July 2002 est.) note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (February 2002 est.)
Language	Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Religion	Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8%

Regions

Map of West Bank

Cities

Other destinations

Qumran

Understand

The regions of Judea, Samaria and Benjamin are sometimes known as the Occupied Territories, because Israel captured this land in 1967, the West Bank remains disputed territory due to Palestinian demands that it be a part of a future Palestinian state. Some Israelis see the West Bank territories as historically Jewish land and a biblical birthright and seek to resettle it by building settlements there. Israel is also building a security barrier within the West Bank, aimed at both preventing the infiltration of terrorists into Israel's pre-1967 borders and creating a de factor border ahead of future negotiations.

Climate

Temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters.

Terrain

Mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east.

lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m

History

The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993, provided for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes the Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of the interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement. The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility during the transitional period for external security and for internal security and public order of settlements and Israeli citizens. Direct negotiations to determine the permanent status of Gaza and West Bank had begun in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus, but have been derailed by a second intifadah that broke out in September 2000. The resulting widespread violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israel's military response, and instability within the Palestinian Authority continue to undermine progress toward a permanent agreement.

Get in

By plane

There are no civilian airports within the West Bank, and the the nearest major airport is Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion. From Ben Gurion Airport, it is possible to take a 50 minute taxi or train ride to Jerusalem.

Note that Palestinian citizens and their descendants living abroad cannot travel to Israel or the Palestinian Authority through Ben Gurion Airport. The Israeli government requires them to fly to Amman, Jordan and enter via the Allenby Bridge border crossing in the West Bank.

By car

To enter the Palestinian Authority, take a taxi from East Jerusalem to the city you are travelling to. Before entering Area A, you will come to a checkpoint, where you will be required to show your passport, verify your citizenship, and complete a security check. You will also have to sign a waiver form, reliniquishing the Israeli government of responsibility should anything happen to you during your stay. From the checkpoint you can take a Palestinian taxi to your destination.

Driving in the West Bank is not recommended at any time, due to the political situation. You cannot drive hired/rental cars from Israel into the Palestinian Authority, specifically areas designated as "Area A" under the Oslo accords. As most car-hire companies in Israel have different rules, agreements and regulations, you may or may not be able to drive a hired/rented car to areas in the West Bank under Israeli authority. Enquire with whatever company you plan on using to get their policy on the issue.

If you do happen to drive to areas within the West Bank, take heed and uphold security precautions at all times. Terrorists and militant groups frequently attack cars travelling in the West Bank with Israeli licence plates. This has resulted in many civilian deaths. Additionally, while roads in Israel proper are kept in excellent condition, this may not be true in the West Bank. Damage to cars resulted from driving in the West Bank may not be covered, as many insurance policies are invalid outside of Israel proper.

It is also not possible to drive from Jordan to the West Bank.

By bus

Bus service to Israeli areas in the West Bank can be found at almost any of the major Israeli bus stations. The national bus carrier, Egged (אגד) is responsible for all public bus service, and has one of the most effective bus systems in the world. Despite this, travelling by bus in Israel is not recommended at this time, due to the political situation. Palestinian terrorist and militant groups have bombed buses in the past, resulting in many deaths. The Israeli government, however, has installed enhanced security on buses and bus stops. Still, travelling by bus is strongly discouraged.

By boat

There are no passenger services across the Dead Sea, as the highly saline water wreaks havoc on boat engines.

Get around

Talk

The main languages in the West Bank are Arabic and Hebrew, although English is widely understood. Avoid speaking Hebrew in Arab cities and Arabic in Jewish cities, as it may arouse suspicion.

Buy

Currency is Israeli Shekels, though US dollars seem to be widely accepted, especially at tourst shops (Jericho and Bethlehem, for example)

Eat

Falafels, Schwarma, Hummus and other Arab cuisine.

Drink

Sleep

Learn

Work

Stay safe

Stay healthy

Respect

Contact

Get Out

Delays may occur at checkpoints unexpectedly, especially if there has been recent violence or political events. Sometimes it may be quicker to walk through a checkpoint on foot rather than on a vehicle, and then take a taxi to your destination once you get through.

This article is an import from the CIA World Factbook 2002. It's a starting point for creating a real MaxTravelz country article according to our country article template. Please plunge forward and integrate it into the above article.

Geography

Geographic coordinates: 32 00 N, 35 15 E
Map references: Middle East
Area: total: 5,860 sq km
note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967
water: 220 sq km
land: 5,640 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Delaware
Natural resources: arable land
Land use: arable land: NEGL%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: droughts
Environment - current issues: adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment
Geography - note: landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank and 29 in East Jerusalem (February 2002 est.)

People

Population: 2,163,667 (July 2002 est.)
note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (February 2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.39% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 34.94 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 4.26 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 21.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.47 years
female: 74.29 years (2002 est.)
male: 70.76 years
Ethnic groups: Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17%
Religions: Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8%
Languages: Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)

Economy

Economy - overview: Economic output in the West Bank is governed by the Paris Economic Protocol of April 1994 between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Real per capita GDP for the West Bank and Gaza Strip (WBGS) declined by about one-third between 1992 and 1996 due to the combined effect of falling aggregate incomes and rapid population growth. The downturn in economic activity was largely the result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of border closures in response to security incidents in Israel - which disrupted labor and commodity market relationships between Israel and the WBGS. The most serious social effect of this downturn was rising unemployment; unemployment in the WBGS during the 1980s was generally under 5%; by 1995 it had risen to over 20%. Israel's use of comprehensive closures during the next five years decreased and, in 1998, Israel implemented new policies to reduce the impact of closures and other security procedures on the movement of Palestinian goods and labor. These changes fueled an almost three-year-long economic recovery in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; real GDP grew by 5% in 1998 and 6% in 1999. Recovery was upended in the last quarter of 2000 with the outbreak of Palestinian violence, which triggered tight Israeli closures of Palestinian self-rule areas and severely disrupted trade and labor movements. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, internal turmoil and Israeli military measures in Palestinian Authority areas have resulted in the destruction of much capital plant and administrative structure, widespread business closures, and a sharp drop in GDP. Another major loss has been the decline in earnings of Palestinian workers in Israel.
Population below poverty line: 50% (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: services 66%, industry 21%, agriculture 13% (1996)
Unemployment rate: 26% (includes Gaza Strip) (2001 est.)
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
Electricity - production: NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; at the same time, some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants
Agriculture - products: olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products
Exports - commodities: olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone
Imports - commodities: food, consumer goods, construction materials
Currency: new Israeli shekel (ILS); Jordanian dinar (JOD)
Currency code: ILS; JOD
Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.2757 (December 2001), 4.2057 (2001), 4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999), 3.8001 (1998), 3.4494 (1997); Jordanian dinars per US dollar - fixed rate of 0.7090 (from 1996)
Fiscal year: calendar year (since 1 January 1992)

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 95,729 (total for West Bank and Gaza Strip) (1997)
Telephone system: note: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for communication services in the West Bank
Radio broadcast stations: note: the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts from an AM station in Ramallah on 675 kHz; numerous local, private stations are reported to be in operation (2000)
Radios: NA; note - most Palestinian households have radios (1999)
Televisions: NA; note - many Palestinian households have televisions (1999)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 8 (1999)

Internet users: 60,000 (includes Gaza Strip) (2001)

Transportation

Highways: total: 4,500 km
paved: 2,700 km
unpaved: 1,800 km (1997 est.)
note: Israeli have developed highways to service Jewish settlements

Airports: 3 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation

This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is very little information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!