)

@Wallis and Futuna:Military

Military-note: defense is the responsibility of France

@Wallis and Futuna:Transnational Issues

Disputes-international: none

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WEST BANK

Introduction

Current issues: The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on 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, but have
not resumed since the initial meeting. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to
transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian
Authority, which includes a Palestinian Legislative Council elected in
January 1996, as part of interim self-governing arrangements in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities
for the Gaza Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4
May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in
additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28
September 1995 Interim Agreement and the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997
Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron. The DOP provides that
Israel will retain responsibility during the transitional period for
external security and for internal security and public order of
settlements and Israelis. Permanent status is to be determined through
direct negotiations.

@West Bank:Geography

Location: Middle East, west of Jordan

Geographic coordinates: 32 00 N, 35 15 E

Map references: Middle East

Area:
total: 5,860 sq km
land: 5,640 sq km
water: 220 sq km
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

Area-comparative: slightly smaller than Delaware

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

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

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

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m

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