PALESTINE
THE WEST BANK & GAZA STRIP

Map of Gaza Strip       Map of West Bank

 

Full name
 

Occupied Palestinian Territories (unrecognised)

THE WEST BANK

THE GAZA STRIP
Population
 
 2,460,492 1,428,757
Government Type
 
 Palestinian Authority (established 1993) internationally recognised as the sole representative for the Palestinian people.
Head of State
 
 President Mahmoud ABBAS (since January 2005)
Head of Government
 
Prime Minister Ismail HANIYA (since March 2006)
"Linguistic" Groups
 

Palestinian Arab and other 83%,
Jewish 17% (illegal settlers)

 Palestinian Arab and other 99.4%, Jewish 0.6%
Religions
 

Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni),
Jewish 17% (illegal settlers),
Christian and other 8%

 Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 99%,
Christian 1%,
Languages
 
 Arabic,
Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians),
English (widely understood) 		Arabic,
Hebrew (spoken by many Palestinians),
English (widely understood)
Legal System
 
 As occupied territories, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank (military) orders are issues by the occupant, Israel. Laws from the Ottoman and British Mandate Period regulations are applied as well as Egyptian Law in the Gaza Strip and Jordanian Law in the West Bank.
GDP per capita $1,100 (2003 est.) $600 (2003 est.)
International HR Instruments Ratified PLO was recognised as observer to the United Nations in 1974; the Palestinian Authority took over in 1993. As an observer, the PA cannot ratify the UN conventions as a state party.