Terrain

The landscape of the Palestinian Territories is very varied. The Gaza Strip is flat, sandy and dry, whereas the coast is covered with dunes. The West Bank is hilly and fertile. The region's highest peak is the Tall Asur and its main rivers are the Jordan and the Yarmuk.

Climate

The Palestinian Territories have a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and short, wet and cool winters. Average temperatures and rainfall vary according to region (the coastal plain, the hilly region, the Jordan Valley and the desert).

Fauna/Flora

Over the centuries, the region's forests were cut down for use as fuel, which reduced vegetation cover at an alarming rate. Wild tulips, black irises and date palms are found in the desert areas. The marine life of the Palestinian territories is particularly interesting.

History/Politics

The first inhabitants of Palestine were the Canaanites who colonised the area around 3000 BC. Shortly afterwards, the country fell to Egypt and was invaded by different peoples over the centuries that followed. The Hebrews, Semitic people originally from Mesopotamia, came to the region and fought the Philistines in the 15th century BC. The defeats suffered against the Philistines caused the Hebrew states to unite as one kingdom which went on to be very prosperous. After the death of King Solomon, Israel was split up into two and was first ruled 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 centuries that followed saw frequent uprisings by the Israelis against Rome, which were, however, suppressed. The last uprising in AD 135 led to the Jewish Diaspora and from then on Judea was called Palestine.

After the fall of Rome, the area was part of the Byzantine Empire until 637, when it was conquered by Muslims. The area was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1517 and remained part of it until the end of the First World War. After the war, Great Britain and France split up the former Ottoman territories between themselves; Great Britain was given the mandate for Palestine by the League of Nations in 1922. The years that followed saw an increase in Jewish immigration, resulting in further conflict between the Zionists and the Arabs. In 1947, there was military a conflict between the Arabs and the Israelis, which was won by the latter. 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.

Conflicts between the Palestinians and Israelis intensified over the decades that followed, partly because of Israeli settlement policies, which led to Israel occupying the Golan Heights, West Bank, Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip. Palestinian resistance led to the "Intifada", a violent popular movement against the Israeli occupation. After long negotiations between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the Israeli Prime Minister Itzhak Rabin, a peace treaty was signed in 1993. As a result of this, both leaders received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994. The same year, the administration of the Gaza Strip was also handed to the Palestinian Authority, which has affected the majority of large towns in the West Bank. Rabin was assassinated in 1995 by a Jewish extremist, an act which has hindered the peace process in the region to this day. The Road Map that was proposed by the United States in 2003 for this purpose was accepted by the Palestinian and Israeli governments. A treaty, which aims to bring an end to four years of violent conflicts between the two countries, was signed in January 2005 by Ariel Sharon, Mahmud Abbas, Yassir Arafat's successor.

Economy

The economy of the Palestinian Territories is regulated by the Paris Protocol that was signed by Israel and the Palestinian authorities in 1994. The protocol has meant that the region's economy has been affected by Israel's macro-economy on a long-term basis. Despite the fertility of land in the West Bank, the lack of resources and Israeli policies have led to economic stagnation in the area. For this reason, the Palestinian authorities developed a strategic development plan in 1997 aimed at making the economy of both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip more independent and, in doing so, improve employment prospects for Palestinians in their own regions. The attacks of Palestinian suicide bombers have meant that the border has been closed, which has in turn led to many Palestinians often being unable to get to their workplace in Israeli areas. In 2003, inflation was 4.4%, whilst the unemployment rate was 50%.

Culture

The Palestinians' unfavourable living conditions have contributed to a strong literary tradition, which has turned into a way of immortalising their culture. Since 1948, the arts in general have become particularly important, becoming a testament of the people's attempt to maintain their identity.