Palestine (Arabic: فلسطイن, English: State of Palestine), abbreviated as “Palestine”, is a country located in the Middle East and western Asia, mainly divided into two parts: the West Bank of the Jordan River and the Gaza Strip: the Gaza Strip covers an area of 365 square kilometers, the West Bank covers an area of 5884 square kilometers, and the actual controlled territory is 2500 square kilometers. According to the map drawn by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation in October 1997, the West Bank of the Jordan River is divided into 8 provinces, and the Gaza Strip is divided into 5 provinces, with the capital cities being Jerusalem (legal) and Ramsar (actual). The population of Palestine is approximately 14.8 million, while the population of Gaza Strip and West Bank is 5.61 million (as of 2024), with the rest being refugees and expatriates. [84]
Palestine, formerly known as Canaan, includes present-day Israel, Jordan, Gaza, and the West Bank of the Jordan River. Throughout history, both Jews and Arabs have resided here. On November 15, 1988, the 19th special session of the Palestinian National Council adopted the Declaration of Independence, declaring acceptance of General Assembly Resolution 181 and establishing the State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital. In May 1994, according to the agreement reached between Palestine and Israel, the Palestinian side implemented limited autonomy in Gaza, Jericho and other areas. After 1995, according to agreements signed by both Israel and Palestine, the Palestinian controlled area gradually expanded, currently including the entire Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank, with a total area of approximately 2500 square kilometers. [1]
The Palestinian economy heavily relies on foreign aid, and its economic development is constrained by Israel. The ongoing Israeli Palestinian conflict has severely restricted the development of the Palestinian economy. The main economic data for 2021 are as follows: Gross Domestic Product (GDP): 15.027 billion US dollars, GDP growth rate: 7.1%. [1]
On January 19, 2025 local time, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that the first phase ceasefire agreement in Gaza will come into effect at 11:15 am local time in Israel on the 19th.
Chinese name
State of Palestine [1]
Foreign Name
State of Palestine [1]
فلسطイن (Arabic)
abbreviation
Palestine
Belonging continent
Asia
Capital City
Jerusalem (legal), Allah (actual)
major city
Jericho, Jennin, Bethlehem, Gaza, etc
National Day
November 15, 1988
National Anthem
My Redemption
Country code
PSE [18]
official language
Arabic
Currency
Israel’s New Shekel
Time Zone
UTC+2
political system
Semi presidential republic
National leaders
Mahmoud Abbas (President)
population size
5.5 million [89] (as of the end of 2024)
population density
847.4 people per square kilometer 17
Main ethnic groups
Arab
Main religions
Islam (Sunni)
land area
5884 km ² (365 km ² in Gaza Strip)
Water area ratio
3.5%
Total GDP
17.396 billion US dollars 84
Per Capita GDP
Approximately $3249 84
International telephone area code
nine hundred and seventy
International Domain Abbreviations
.ps
Road traffic
keep to the right
Climate Type
Mediterranean climate
Main universities
Najah University
The main ethnic groups in Palestine are Jews and Arabs.
5.5 million (as of the end of 2024), including 3.4 million in the West Bank and 2.1 million in Gaza. Arabic is commonly used and the main belief is Islam