History of Modern Palestine
In the 19th century, the Zionist movement began efforts to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine, despite lacking historical justification. After the First Zionist Congress in 1897, the movement intensified Jewish immigration and settlement in Palestine.
In 1916, the Sykes-Picot Agreement placed Palestine under British mandate after WWI. In 1917, the Balfour Declaration supported establishing a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Britain facilitated Jewish immigration and settlement.
The Palestinian people resisted through revolts in 1921, 1929, and 1936-39. In 1947, the UN partition plan proposed independent Arab and Jewish states. This led to the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, resulting in the establishment of Israel and displacement of many Palestinians.
After 1948, the West Bank and Gaza came under Jordanian and Egyptian control respectively. Palestinian resistance continued through guerrilla operations. In 1967, the Six-Day War gave Israel control of all Palestinian territories.
After the Oslo Accords, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) agreed to finalize a peace process and establish a Palestinian state within the territory occupied by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War. This includes the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. The Oslo Agreements laid the framework for the Palestinian National Authority to govern parts of these territories, though the final status of borders and sovereignty remains unresolved in the ongoing Israeli occupation.
Palestinian resistance persisted, including the 1987 First Intifada. The 1993 Oslo Accords established a Palestinian National Authority, but Israel continued settlement expansion. This led to the Second (Al-Aqsa) Intifada starting in 2000, which was brutally suppressed by Israel.
In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew settlements from Gaza while maintaining control over its borders, while occupation and settlement expansion continued in the West Bank.
Since 2012, the State of Palestine has held the status of a non-member observer state at the United Nations. This limited status grants the Palestinian territories certain rights and privileges, but falls short of the full membership status accorded to UN member states. As a non-member observer, Palestine is able to participate in UN debates, access certain UN agencies and bodies, and take part in the work of the General Assembly. However, the path to full UN membership can only be decided upon by the UN Security Council, which has yet to take up the issue of Palestinian statehood amid the continuing Israeli occupation. The non-member observer status represents a diplomatic upgrade for the Palestinian Authority, but the lack of full UN membership limits Palestine's ability to wield influence on the global stage. Ultimately, the decision on whether to grant Palestine full UN membership remains in the hands of the Security Council.
The climate of Palestine is shaped by its geographic location and diverse terrain. In general, Palestine experiences a Mediterranean climate, characterized by moderation, with hot, dry summers and cold, rainy winters.
However, the climate varies significantly across Palestine due to the diversity of surface features. The average annual temperature ranges from 25°C in the Jordan Valley, to 15°C in the mountainous areas, to 20°C in the coastal regions. Rainfall amounts also fluctuate from one area to another and from year to year.
Palestine is home to numerous springs, with approximately 860 located across the mountainous regions and valleys.
The majority of Palestine's rivers are short and seasonal in their flow. The Jordan River, at 320 km long, is the most significant river. Several shorter rivers also descend the western slopes of the highlands, flowing into the Mediterranean Sea. These include the Maqta River, Wadi al-Qarn, the Zarqa River, and the Auja River.
The climate of Palestine is shaped by its geographic location and diverse terrain. In general, Palestine experiences a Mediterranean climate, characterized by moderation, with hot, dry summers and cold, rainy winters.
However, the climate varies significantly across Palestine due to the diversity of surface features. The average annual temperature ranges from 25°C in the Jordan Valley, to 15°C in the mountainous areas, to 20°C in the coastal regions. Rainfall amounts also fluctuate from one area to another and from year to year.
Palestine is home to numerous springs, with approximately 860 located across the mountainous regions and valleys.
The majority of Palestine's rivers are short and seasonal in their flow. The Jordan River, at 320 km long, is the most significant river. Several shorter rivers also descend the western slopes of the highlands, flowing into the Mediterranean Sea. These include the Maqta River, Wadi al-Qarn, the Zarqa River, and the Auja River.
Population worldwide:
Population in Palestine | 5.5 million |
Population in Arab Countries | 6.56 million |
Population in Foreign Countries | 772 thousand |
Population in Occupied Palestine 1948 | 1.75 million |
Population worldwide:
Population in Palestine | 5.5 million |
Population in Arab Countries | 6.56 million |
Population in Foreign Countries | 772 thousand |
Population in Occupied Palestine 1948 | 1.75 million |
Arabic (official language), English (common)
French, German, Hebrew, Italian, and Spanish are widely spoken.
Arabic (official language), English (common)
French, German, Hebrew, Italian, and Spanish are widely spoken.
Palestinians are renowned for their high educational attainment, with literacy rates and university enrollment levels that are among the highest in the Arab world.
Literacy Percentage: 97.2%
Illiteracy Percentage: 2.8%
Bachelor degree and above: 15%
Palestinians are renowned for their high educational attainment, with literacy rates and university enrollment levels that are among the highest in the Arab world.
Literacy Percentage: 97.2%
Illiteracy Percentage: 2.8%
Bachelor degree and above: 15%
Lower Paleothic | 1 million-120,000 BC |
Middle Paleothic | 120,000-45,000 BC |
Upper Paleothic | 45,000-18,000 BC |
Epi-Paleothic | 18,000-8,000 BC |
Neolithic | 8000-4500 BC |
Chalcolithic | 4500-3300 BC |
Early Bronze Age | 3300-2000 BC |
Middle Bronze Age | 2000-1500 BC |
Late Bronze Age | 1500-1200 BC |
Iron Age | 1200-586 BC |
Persian Period | 586-332 BC |
Hellenistic Period | 332-63 BC |
Roman Period | 63 BC-324 AD |
Byzantine Period | 324-638 |
Umayyad Period | 638-750 |
Abbasid Period | 750-969 |
Fatimid Period | 969-1099 |
Crusader Period | 1099-1187 |
Ayyubid Period | 1187-1260 |
Mamluk Period | 1260-1516 |
Ottoman Perion | 1516-1917 |
British Mandate | 1917-1948 |
Isareli Occupation | 1948 |
Palestine National Authority | 1993 |
Lower Paleothic | 1 million-120,000 BC |
Middle Paleothic | 120,000-45,000 BC |
Upper Paleothic | 45,000-18,000 BC |
Epi-Paleothic | 18,000-8,000 BC |
Neolithic | 8000-4500 BC |
Chalcolithic | 4500-3300 BC |
Early Bronze Age | 3300-2000 BC |
Middle Bronze Age | 2000-1500 BC |
Late Bronze Age | 1500-1200 BC |
Iron Age | 1200-586 BC |
Persian Period | 586-332 BC |
Hellenistic Period | 332-63 BC |
Roman Period | 63 BC-324 AD |
Byzantine Period | 324-638 |
Umayyad Period | 638-750 |
Abbasid Period | 750-969 |
Fatimid Period | 969-1099 |
Crusader Period | 1099-1187 |
Ayyubid Period | 1187-1260 |
Mamluk Period | 1260-1516 |
Ottoman Perion | 1516-1917 |
British Mandate | 1917-1948 |
Isareli Occupation | 1948 |
Palestine National Authority | 1993 |