You may be asking: Where is Palestine? What countries are neighbors to Palestine? Where is Palestine located in the Middle East? What and where are the West Bank and Gaza?
Where Palestine is located
Palestine is an Arab country located in Asia on the eastern Mediterranean coast, which is known also as the Levant. It is bordered by Jordan to the east, Lebanon to the north, and the Red Sea and Sinai, Egypt to the south. In the west, the Mediterranean Sea acts as a bridge connecting Africa, Asia, and Europe.
| The area of historical Palestine | Is about 27,000 km2 |
| The area of the Gaza Strip | About 1.3% of the area of Palestine, (360 square kilometers) |
| Size of the West Bank | Has a land area of 5,640 km2 |
| Number of Governorates and Cities of Palestine | 11 Governorates in the West Bank 5 Governorates in the Gaza Strip |
| The largest Governorate in the West Bank | Hebron |
| Number of Palestinian | 13 Million Palestinians |
Palestine is the heart of the Middle East
Palestine is located in the heart of the Middle East. This strategic position has made Palestine a path and crossroads to the West for many travelers and a commercial interface for traders where goods reached Palestine first and from there were passed on to Europe.
Palestine has a strategic location
Palestine has occupied an important and strategic position for invaders throughout history. Its location has been ideal for the defense of invaders’ own areas in Egypt and Levant countries (Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan now) where it acted as a convenient locale for battles necessary for defending a states’ interests from possible threats.
What is the size of Palestine?
The area of historical Palestine is about 27,000 km2, the West Bank and Gaza which is what is now called Palestine are about 6,220 km2 combined. The area of the West Bank comprises approximately 21% of the historical area of Palestine (from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea), i.e. about 5860 km2, including the mountains of Nablus and the Jerusalem hills, the eastern part of Jerusalem, the Hebron Mountains and the western Jordan Valley.
The area of the Gaza Strip constitutes about 1.3% of the area of Palestine, it is approximately 360 square kilometers. The area is filled with refugees which is a contributing factor that helps to make it one of the most densely populated regions in the world.
Palestine is still divided
Palestine is divided into two areas: the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip. Imagine the West Bank as an island with it bordering Jordan in the east. Gaza is a thin strip of land bordered by the Mediterranean on its west and Egypt in the south and west.
Number of governorates and cities of Palestine
Palestine has 16 governorates divided into 11 governorates in the West Bank, where Jenin is located in the far north and Hebron city in the far south, and 5 governorates in the Gaza Strip.
The governorates of Palestine are Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah, Beira, Nablus, Salfit, Qalqiliya, Tulkarem, Tubas, Jenin, Jericho, the Jordan Valley, the northern Gaza Strip, Gaza, the central Gaza Strip, Khan Younis, and Rafah.
Palestine was under the Jordanian administration
For nearly 20 years the West Bank, from 1948 until 1967, fell under the Jordanian administration and authority. During this same period of time, Gaza fell under the authority and administration of Egypt. In 1967 the Jordanian and Egyptian administrations were ended by the Six Day War in 1967.
Final remarks
We hope this has given you a better idea of the geography of Palestine. The Excellence Center is in a centrally located position in Hebron, making it an excellent point to begin your exploration of Palestine.
The Excellence Center staff will do everything they can to answer your questions and advise you regarding travel plans. There is a lot to see and do in the West Bank, we hope that you will enjoy discovering different places, landscapes and experiencing a taste of Palestine.
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