Interim Self-Government
Arrangements ("the DOP"), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993,
provides for a transitional period not exceeding five years of
Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West
Bank. Permanent status negotiations began on 5 May 1996.

Map
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Location: 32 00 N, 35 15 E -- Middle East, west of Jordan

Geography
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Location: Middle East, west of Jordan

Geographic coordinates: 32 00 N, 35 15 E

Map references: Middle East

Area:
total area: 5,860 sq km
land area: 5,640 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Delaware
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

Land boundaries:
total: 404 km
border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

International disputes: 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

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

Natural resources: NEGL

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

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: NA

Geographic note: landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for
Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 202 Israeli settlements and
civilian land use sites in the West Bank and 26 in East Jerusalem
(August 1995 est.)

People
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Population: 1,427,741 (July 1996 est.)
note: in addition, there are 127,600 Israeli settlers in the West
Bank and 153,700 in East Jerusalem (August 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 45% (male 332,628; female 315,968)
15-64 years: 51% (male 368,180; female 362,880)
65 years and over: 4% (male 20,495; female 27,590) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 4.99% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 38.78 births/1,000 popula