Basic Information About Us

Palestinian Expatriate Retreat ( P.E.R.) is a weekly online-magazine publishing reports, articles and stories for the Palestinian Expatriate.  The site is being edited and maintained by a group of Palestinian expatriates residing in the United States.  

Every month, we have a section where we give our thoughts and opinions on comments/suggestions posted by our readers and on recent events that you might find useful in your search for a possible return to Palestine.

P.E.R. started in the first months of 99 and is targeted towards the Palestinian population (business men and women) living abroad, " home away from home".  This includes all Middle Eastern countries, the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia etc....  We believe that the information we provide here is sufficient enough for everyone, including people of non-Palestinian origin.  Please continue on to learn more about Palestine: 

Basic Information About Palestine

Location:
Palestine is located in South-West Asia and is in the heart of the Middle East, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean. To its north are Syria and Lebanon, to its south the Gulf of Aqaba and the Sinai Peninsula, and on its east is Jordan. 

The West Bank and Gaza, which were occupied by Israel in the war of 1967, became known after Oslo as the Areas of the Palestinian National Authority.

Area & Topography:
The whole area of Palestine is approximately 27,000 sq.km. Israel exists on 75% of its area. The West Bank territories are 5,970 sq.km. 327sq.km. (the Dead Sea) and is made of 4 topographic areas: 

The Jordan Valley 
The Eastern Slopes 
The Inner Middle Mountains 
The shore area (coastal plain) 

Gaza’s area is 365 sq.km. on the southern shores of Palestine. 

Capital of Palestine:
Jerusalem

Major Cities: 
West Bank
(North) : Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nablus 
(Centre) : Jerusalem, Jericho, Ramallah 
(South) : Bethlehem, Al-Khalil (Hebron) 
Gaza
Gaza City, Khan Younis, Rafah

Climate:
A Mediterranean climate prevails in Palestine. Summers are hot and dry. Winters are rainy and cold. The weather in Gaza is fair and warm in winter, and hot and dry in the summer. The average temperature in the West Bank in the summer is 29 degrees Celsius, in winter it is 12 degrees Celsius. 

Ports:
Gaza Port (under construction)

Airports :
Gaza International Airport 

Demography:
The Palestinian population in the West Bank and Gaza (1996 figures) is 2,534,603 - distributed as follows;

* Total: 2,534,603 

The total Palestinian population throughout the world is 7.8 million. (1.1 million in Israel) Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA (1994 figures) is 1.15 million. 

Palestinians under the age of 15 represent 51% of the total number of Palestinians. 

Growth rate (1992 figures) 5.75% 
Mortality rate is 31 per 1,000 
Average life-expectancy is 66 years 

Economic Indicators

Gross Domestic Product 1996: US$ 3.9 billion (East Jerusalem not included) 
Per-capita income 1996: US $ 1634 
Exports: Goods & Services (1996) : US $ 382.3 million 
Imports: US $ 1,565 million 
Private Investment: US $ 255.8 million 
Public Investment: US $ 239.5 million 

Currency:

Three currencies are being used in Palestine; 
US $ 
Jordanian Dinar 
New Israeli Shekel 
US $ = 0.71 JD = 3.7 NIS 

Language:
Official Language is Arabic.
In addition to Arabic, a large percentage of the population speak English, and many speak Hebrew and French.

Time Zone:

G.M.T + 2 hours (in winter) 
G.M.T + 3 hours ( in summer time) 

Weights & Measures:

SI units are used in Palestine

Telephones:

Palestine can be reached from outside by dialing 972 then the city code and the required number.

CITY	CODE	CITY	CODE
Jerusalem	02	Jenin	06
Bethlehem	02	Tulkarem	09
Gaza	07	Nablus	09
Ramallah	02	Jericho	02
Kalkilya	09	Hebron	02