West Bank

West Bank as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 50 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

Area5,860 km2

Populationas each edition published it

1.06 million July 1990 · 3.31m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.9% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 17.9 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 69.93 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

5 children per woman 1990 · 3.44 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

48 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 14.2 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $1,200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition -10% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Land useshare of 5,860 km2

arable land 27%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 32%forest and woodland 1%other 40%

Total area

5,860km2

land area: 5,640 km2; includes West Bank, East Jerusalem, Latrun Salient, Jerusalem No Man's Land, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. ScopusComparative area: slightly larger than Delaware

Land boundaries

404km total

Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km

Coastline

none--landlocked

Disputes

Israeli occupied with status to be determined

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

Natural resources

negligible

Environment

highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers

Note

landlocked; there are 173 Jewish settlements in the West Bank and 14 Israeli-built Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem

People

14 fields

Population

1,058,122

(July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990); in addition, there are 70,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank and 110,000 in East Jerusalem (1989 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

37Death

Ethnic divisions

Palestinian Arab and other 88%Jewish 12%

Religion

Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 80%Jewish 12%Christian and other 8%

Net migration rate

- 5 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate

48 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth

65 years male, 68 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate

5.0 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality

Language

Arabic, Israeli settlers speak Hebrew, English widely understood

Literacy

NA%

Labor force

NA; excluding Israeli Jewish settlers--29.8% small industry, commerce, and business, 24.2% construction, 22.4% agriculture, 23.6% service and other (1984)

Organized labor

Government

2 fields

Long-form name

none

Note

The West Bank is currently governed by Israeli military authorities and Israeli civil administration. It is US policy that the final status of the West Bank will be determined by negotiations among the concerned parties. These negotiations will determine how the area is to be governed.

Economy

Economic progress in the West Bank has been hampered by Israeli military occupation and the effects of the Palestinian uprising.

16 fields

Budget

Revenues

$47.4 millionExpenditures

$45.7 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of NA (FY86)

Overview

Economic progress in the West Bank has been hampered by Israeli military occupation and the effects of the Palestinian uprising. Industries using advanced technology or requiring sizable financial resources have been discouraged by a lack of financial resources and Israeli policy.

Capital investment has largely gone into residential housing, not into productive assets that could compete with Israeli industry. A major share of GNP is derived from remittances of workers employed in Israel and neighboring Gulf states. Israeli reprisals against Palestinian unrest in the West Bank since 1987 have pushed unemployment up and lowered living standards.

GNP

$1.0 billion, per capita $1,000; real growth rate - 15% (1988 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$150 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities--NA;
partners--Jordan, Israel

Imports

$410 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.);
commodities--NA;
partners--Jordan, Israel

External debt

$NA

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Electricity

power supplied by Israel

Industries

generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs;
the Israelis have established some small-scale modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers

new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1--1.9450 (January 1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5992 (1988), 1.5946 (1987), 1.4878 (1986), 1.1788 (1985);
Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1--0.6557 (January 1990), 0.5704 (1989), 0.3715 (1988), 0.3387 (1987), 0.3499 (1986), 0.3940 (1985)