West Bank

West Bank as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 51 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

1.36 million July 1992 · 1.06m in 1990

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

4.5 children per woman 1992 · 5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

37 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 48 in 1990

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

13 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

Comparative area: slightly larger than Delaware

Land boundaries

404km total

Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km

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. Scopus

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

Environment

highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers

Note

landlocked; there are 175 Jewish settlements in the West Bank and 14 Israeli-built Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem

People

14 fields

Population

1,362,464

(July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992); in addition, there are 95,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank and 132,000 in East Jerusalem (1992 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

35Death

6Net migration

Religions

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

Ethnic divisions

Palestinian Arab and other 88%, Jewish 12%

Languages

Arabic, Israeli settlers speak Hebrew, English widely understood

Labor force

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

Government

2 fields

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 governed.

Economy

16 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

11%

(1991 est.)

Unemployment rate

15%

(1990 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$31.0 millionExpenditures

$36.1 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY88)

Overview

Economic progress in the West Bank has been hampered by Israeli military administration and the effects of the Palestinian uprising (intifadah). Industries using advanced technology or requiring sizable investment have been discouraged by a lack of local capital and restrictive Israeli policies.

Capital investment consists largely of residential housing, not productive assets that would enable local firms to compete with Israeli industry. A major share of GNP is derived from remittances of workers employed in Israel and Persian Gulf states, but such transfers from the Gulf dropped dramatically after Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990.

In the wake of the Persian Gulf crisis, many Palestinians have returned to the West Bank, increasing unemployment, and export revenues have plunged because of the loss of markets in Jordan and the Gulf states. Israeli measures to curtail the intifadah also have pushed unemployment up and lowered living standards. The area's economic outlook remains bleak.

GNP

exchange rate conversion - $1.3 billion, per capita $1,200; real growth rate -10% (1990 est.)

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 1% (1989); accounts for about 4% of GNP

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

Agriculture

accounts for about 15% of GNP; olives, citrus and other fruits, vegetables, beef, and dairy products

Economic aid

Currency

new Israeli shekel (plural - shekels) and Jordanian dinar (plural - dinars);
1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot and 1 Jordanian dinar (JD) = 1,000 fils

Exchange rates

new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 2.4019 (March 1992), 2.2791 (1991), 2.0162 (1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988), 1.5946 (1987);
Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1 - 0.6760 (January 1992), 0.6810 (1991), 0.6636 (1990), 0.5704 (1989), 0.3709 (1988), 0.3387 (1987)