Local timeRamallah ·
Asia / Western Asia · Card 034
Flag shown for Palestine

Palestine

Palestine is a UN non-member observer State. Its claimed territory includes the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza; sovereignty and final borders remain unresolved.

Find Palestine

RamallahJordanIsrael
● Capital & administration · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.

At a glance

Capital & administration
East Jerusalem (claimed); Ramallah (administrative center)The map and local clock mark Ramallah. East Jerusalem is claimed as the capital.
Language guide
Languages spoken & official status
Currency
Israeli new shekel (ILS); Jordanian dinar and US dollar also used
Population
5.4 million2025 · World Bank
Area
6,220 km²2,402 square miles
State proclaimed
1988

Palestine in context

Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Ramallah; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.

Natural Earth · locator map

Geography & environment

Landscape

Palestine’s two main geographic areas are the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which are separated from one another. The West Bank includes central hills, valleys and a steep descent toward the Jordan Valley. Gaza is a narrow, low coastal strip beside the Mediterranean.

Wadis such as Wadi Qelt cut through the eastern slopes of the West Bank. The Gaza coast has a very different physical setting, with sandy ground and dense settlement. These two areas should not be treated as one continuous landscape.

Climate & seasons

The Mediterranean setting brings hot, dry summers and cooler, wetter winters. Conditions differ between the coastal Gaza Strip and the higher West Bank hills.

Water & seasons

Winter rainfall is important, while summers are generally dry. Water access and land use are also shaped by political conditions and infrastructure, not only climate. This physical overview does not imply a position on disputed boundaries.

Flag shown for Palestine

Flag

Three horizontal bands of black, white and green with a red triangle at the hoist.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · United Nations · Palestine history and status · CIA World Factbook · archived Gaza profile

Languages

Public and official use

Arabic is the official language in the Palestinian Basic Law. Palestinian Arabic is used in everyday life, while Standard Arabic is used in formal writing and education.

Community and regional languages

English is learned and used in some professional and educational settings, and some Palestinians speak Hebrew. Knowledge of an additional language varies with residence, work and personal history rather than being universal.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · CIA World Factbook · archived Gaza profile

History & status

Palestinian history includes Ottoman rule, the British Mandate, the 1948 war and mass displacement. Israel occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza in 1967. The Palestine Liberation Organization proclaimed the State of Palestine in 1988; the UN granted it non-member observer State status in 2012. Sovereignty and final borders remain unresolved.

  1. Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza begins

  2. State of Palestine proclaimed

  3. UN non-member observer State status

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · United Nations · Palestine history and status · CIA World Factbook · archived Gaza profile

Economy

Main activities

Services, trade, agriculture, construction and aid have supported the economy. Occupation, movement restrictions and war have severely disrupted livelihoods and production, especially in Gaza.

Industry and production

small-scale manufacturing, quarrying, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · United Nations · Palestine history and status · CIA World Factbook · archived Gaza profile

Population & economic trends

Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.

Population, 1990–2025

Millions of people
5.42025 · millions of people
0.003.06.02.019902.920003.820104.820205.42025

Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.

Sources: World Bank · Population

View data table
Population: source values and plotted units
Year People Millions of people
1990 1,978,248 1.978
2000 2,922,153 2.922
2010 3,786,161 3.786
2020 4,803,269 4.803
2025 5,413,596 5.414

Real GDP, 1994–2025

Billions of constant 2015 US dollars
12.52025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
0.0010.020.02000201020202025

Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.

Sources: World Bank · Real GDP

View data table
Real GDP: source values and plotted units
Year Constant 2015 US$ Billions of constant 2015 US dollars
1994 5,057,700,000 5.058
1995 5,417,700,000 5.418
1996 5,483,500,000 5.484
1997 6,287,800,000 6.288
1998 7,189,100,000 7.189
1999 7,784,400,000 7.784
2000 7,118,400,000 7.118
2001 6,455,600,000 6.456
2002 5,649,400,000 5.649
2003 6,441,200,000 6.441
2004 7,853,400,000 7.853
2005 8,740,100,000 8.740
2006 8,653,000,000 8.653
2007 8,980,800,000 8.981
2008 9,648,000,000 9.648
2009 10,477,100,000 10.477
2010 11,082,400,000 11.082
2011 12,146,400,000 12.146
2012 12,886,900,000 12.887
2013 13,492,400,000 13.492
2014 13,471,100,000 13.471
2015 13,972,400,000 13.972
2016 15,211,000,000 15.211
2017 15,426,900,000 15.427
2018 15,616,200,000 15.616
2019 15,829,000,000 15.829
2020 14,037,400,000 14.037
2021 15,021,700,000 15.022
2022 15,635,000,000 15.635
2023 15,483,000,000 15.483
2024 11,944,000,000 11.944
2025 12,462,900,000 12.463

Human development

The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.

HDI · 20230.674Medium human developmentRank 133 of 193 · 2025 report

Human Development Index over time

20100.691
20200.718
20230.674
65.2 yearsLife expectancy at birth
10.1 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+

The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.

Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025

Government

The Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-government in parts of the occupied West Bank. Palestinian institutions and governance have been divided, with Gaza’s administration and effective control profoundly affected by war. The State of Palestine has UN non-member observer State status.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · United Nations · Palestine history and status · CIA World Factbook · archived Gaza profile

Knowledge check

Three questions about Palestine.

QUESTION 1 OF 3

In which year did this event occur in Palestine: Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza begins?

Sources & notes

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · United Nations · Palestine history and status · CIA World Factbook · archived Gaza profile

Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.

Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.

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