How Big is Palestine?

How Big is Palestine? Before we answer this question, it is worth providing some introductory information about Palestine. Palestine is an Arab country located in Asia on the eastern Mediterranean coast, which is also known as the Levant. It is bordered by Jordan to the east, Lebanon to the north, and the Red Sea and Sinai, Egypt to the south. In the west, the Mediterranean Sea acts as a bridge connecting Africa, Asia, and Europe.

The area of historical Palestine	Is about 27,000 km2
The area of the Gaza Strip	About 1.3% of the area of Palestine, (360 square kilometers)
Size of the West Bank	Has a land area of 5,640 km²
Number of Governorates and Cities of Palestine	11 Governorates in the West Bank 5 Governorates in the Gaza Strip
The largest Governorate in the West Bank	Hebron
Number of Palestinian	13 Million Palestinians

Quick information about Palestine

Gaza and the West Bank

Palestine is divided into two areas: The West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip. Imagine the West Bank as an island with it bordering Jordan in the east. Gaza is a thin strip of land bordered by the Mediterranean on its west and Egypt in the south and west. To the east and north of Gaza and the west of the West Bank is the State of Israel, which maintains military control of the West Bank.

What is the Size of Palestine?

The area of historical Palestine is about 27,000 km2, the West Bank and Gaza which is what is now called Palestine are about 6,220 km2 combined. The area of the West Bank comprises approximately 21% of the historical area of Palestine (from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea), i.e. about 5860 km2, including the mountains of Nablus and the Jerusalem hills, the eastern part of Jerusalem, the Hebron Mountains and the western Jordan Valley.

The area of the Gaza Strip constitutes about 1.3% of the area of Palestine, it is approximately 360 square kilometers. The area is filled with refugees which is a contributing factor that helps to make it one of the most densely populated regions in the world.

West Bank Population

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has a land area of 5,640 km² plus a water area of 220 km², consisting of the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea The estimated population in 2017 consisted of 2,747,943 Palestinians and approximately 391,000 Israeli settlers. There are approximately another 201,200 Israeli settlers in East Jerusalem.The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to be illegal and a contravention of international law. Israel continues to dispute this.

The International Court of Justice advisory ruling (2004) concluded that events that came after the 1967 occupation of the West Bank by Israel, including the Jerusalem Law, Israel’s peace treaty with Jordan and the Oslo Accords, did not change the status of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) as occupied territory with Israel as the occupying power.

Gaza Population:

In 2010 approximately 1.6 million Palestinians lived in the Gaza Strip and almost 1.0 million of them are recognised by the United Nations as refugees. The majority of these Palestinians descend from refugees who were driven from or left their homes during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The Strip’s population has continued to increase since that time.

The Gaza Strip has a high proportion of children in the population, with 43.5% of the population being 14 or younger and in 2014 the median age was 18, compared to a world average of 28 and 30 in Israel. The only countries with a lower median age are countries in Africa such as Uganda.

The Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip are predominately Sunni Muslims. Most of the inhabitants are Sunni Muslims. There are an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 Arab Christians,making the region 99.8 percent Sunni Muslim and 0.2 percent Christian.

Number of Governorates and Cities of Palestine

Palestine has 16 governorates divided into 11 governorates in the West Bank, where Jenin is located in the far north and Hebron city in the far south, and 5 governorates in the Gaza Strip. The governorates of Palestine are Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah, Beira, Nablus, Salfit, Qalqiliya, Tulkarem, Tubas, Jenin, Jericho, the Jordan Valley, the northern Gaza Strip, Gaza, the central Gaza Strip, Khan Younis, and Rafah.

Hebron

The city of Hebron is the largest governorate in the West Bank in terms of area and population, where there are about one million people residing.

Ramallah

Ramallah is one of the most important governorates in the West Bank because it is where the ministries and government institutions of the Palestinian Authority are located. It is the de facto capital of Palestine due to its closeness to Jerusalem, which Palestinians consider their historical, and hopefully future, capital.

Settlements

There are a number of towns and villages found in pockets of land around the West Bank which are known as settlements. They are inhabited by Jewish Israelis and protected by the Israeli Defense Forces. The people living in the settlements often originate from other countries and have chosen to settle in the area. Settlements also cause a considerable amount of tension and controversy not only between Israelis and Palestinians, but within Israel and in the international community.

The establishment of Israeli settlements within the Occupied territories is considered to be illegal by the international community for one of two reasons:

1. The settlements are in violation of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

2. The settlements are in breach of international declarations.

Final remarks

We hope this has given you a better idea of the geography of Palestine. The Excellence Center is in a centrally located position in Hebron, making it an excellent point to begin your exploration of Palestine. Excellence Center staff will do everything they can to answer your questions and advise you regarding travel plans. There is a lot to see and do in the West Bank, we hope that you will enjoy discovering different places, landscapes and experiencing a taste of Palestine.