West Bank
West Bank as the 1998 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 72 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Middle East, west of Jordan
18 fieldsLand useshare of 5,860 sq km
Note
Climate
temperate, temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters
Environment-international agreements
- party to:
- none of the selected agreements
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Geography-note
- landlocked;
- highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers;
- there are 207 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 1997 est.)
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1998 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 45% (male 359,848; female 342,173)
- 15-64 years:
- 52% (male 405,929; female 396,928)
- 65 years and over:
- 3% (male 21,853; female 30,188) (July 1998 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.72 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Languages
Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Government
2 fieldsEconomy
Economic progress in the West Bank has been hampered | by tight Israeli security restrictions.
28 fieldsEconomy-overview
Economic progress in the West Bank has been hampered by tight Israeli security restrictions. Industries using advanced technology or requiring sizable investment have been discouraged by a lack of local capital and Israeli policies that block the movement of goods and people. Capital investment consists largely of residential housing, not productive assets that would enable local Palestinian firms to compete with Israeli industry.
GDP has been substantially supplemented by workers who commute to jobs in Israel. Worker remittances from the Persian Gulf states dropped 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 dropped because of the decline of markets in Jordan and the Gulf states. An estimated 147,000 people were in refugee camps in 1996.
Labor force
NA; by occupation: agriculture 13%, industry 13%, commerce, restaurants, and hotels 12%, construction 8%, other services 54% (1996) note: excluding Israeli settlers
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
Electricity-capacity
NA kW
note: most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank;
the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; at the same time, some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nabulus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants
Electricity-production
NA kWh
note: most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank;
the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; at the same time, some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nabulus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants
Exports
- total value:
- $630 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.) (includes Gaza Strip)
- commodities:
- olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone
- partners:
- Jordan, Israel
Imports
- total value:
- $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1997 est.) (includes Gaza Strip)
- commodities:
- food, consumer goods, construction materials
- partners:
- Jordan, Israel
Exchange rates
- new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1-3.5340 (December 1997), 3.4494 (1997), 3.1917 (1996), 3.0113 (1995), 3.0111 (1994), 2.8301 (1993);
- Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1-0.7090 (January 1998), 0.7090 (1997), 0.7090 (1996), 0.7005 (1995), 0.6987 (1994), 0.6928 (1993)
Telephone system
- domestic:
- NA
- international:
- NA
note: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for communication services in the West Bank
Transportation
5 fieldsNetworkskm
Highways
- total:
- 4,500 km
- paved:
- 2,700 km
- unpaved:
- 1,800 km (1997 est.)
note: Israelis have developed many highways to service Jewish settlements
Military
NA
3 fieldsTransnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes-international
West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement-permanent status to be determined through further negotiation WESTERN SAHARA
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “West Bank.” The World Factbook 1998. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/west-bank/1998.