West Bank

Airports

2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Highways

small road network, Israelis developing east-west axial highways to service new settlements

Telecommunications

open-wire telephone system currently being upgraded; broadcast stations - no AM, no FM, no TV

Branches

NA

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service

Agriculture

accounts for about 15% of GNP; olives, citrus and other fruits, vegetables, beef, and dairy products

Budget

revenues $31.0 million; expenditures $36.1 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY88)

Currency

new Israeli shekel (plural - shekels) and Jordanian dinar (plural - dinars); 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot and 1 Jordanian dinar (JD) = 1,000 fils

Economic aid

NA

Electricity

power supplied by Israel

Exchange rates

new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 2.4019 (March 1992), 2.2791 (1991), 2.0162 (1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988), 1.5946 (1987); Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1 - 0.6760 (January 1992), 0.6810 (1991), 0.6636 (1990), 0.5704 (1989), 0.3709 (1988), 0.3387 (1987)

Exports

$150 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.) commodities: NA partners: Jordan, Israel

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

previously 1 April - 31 March; FY91 was 1 April - 31 December, and since 1 January 1992 the fiscal year has conformed to the calendar year

GNP

exchange rate conversion - $1.3 billion, per capita $1,200; real growth rate -10% (1990 est.)

Imports

$410 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.) commodities: NA partners: Jordan, Israel

Industrial production

growth rate 1% (1989); accounts for about 4% of GNP

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

11% (1991 est.)

Overview

Economic progress in the West Bank has been hampered by Israeli military administration and the effects of the Palestinian uprising (intifadah). Industries using advanced technology or requiring sizable investment have been discouraged by a lack of local capital and restrictive Israeli policies. Capital investment consists largely of residential housing, not productive assets that would enable local firms to compete with Israeli industry. A major share of GNP is derived from remittances of workers employed in Israel and Persian Gulf states, but such transfers from the Gulf dropped dramatically after Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990. In the wake of the Persian Gulf crisis, many Palestinians have returned to the West Bank, increasing unemployment, and export revenues have plunged because of the loss of markets in Jordan and the Gulf states. Israeli measures to curtail the intifadah also have pushed unemployment up and lowered living standards. The area's economic outlook remains bleak.

Unemployment rate

15% (1990 est.)

Climate

temperate, temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters

Coastline

none - landlocked

Comparative area

slightly larger than Delaware

Disputes

Israeli occupied with status to be determined

Environment

highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers

Land area

5,640 km2; includes West Bank, East Jerusalem, Latrun Salient, Jerusalem No Man's Land, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus

Land boundaries

404 km total; Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km

Land use

arable land 27%, permanent crops 0%, meadows and pastures 32%, forest and woodland 1%, other 40%

Maritime claims

none - landlocked

Natural resources

negligible

Note

landlocked; there are 175 Jewish settlements in the West Bank and 14 Israeli-built Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem

Terrain

mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east

Total area

5,860 km2

Long-form name

none

Note

The West Bank is currently governed by Israeli military authorities and Israeli civil administration. It is US policy that the final status of the West Bank will be determined by negotiations among the concerned parties. These negotiations will determine how the area is to governed.

Birth rate

35 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

Palestinian Arab and other 88%, Jewish 12%

Infant mortality rate

37 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

NA; excluding Israeli Jewish settlers - small industry, commerce, and business 29.8%, construction 24.2%, agriculture 22.4%, service and other 23.6% (1984)

Languages

Arabic, Israeli settlers speak Hebrew, English widely understood

Life expectancy at birth

68 years male, 71 years female (1992)

Literacy

NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

Nationality

NA

Net migration rate

2 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

NA

Population

1,362,464 (July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992); in addition, there are 95,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank and 132,000 in East Jerusalem (1992 est.)

Religions

Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 80%, Jewish 12%, Christian and other 8%

Total fertility rate

4.5 children born/woman (1992)