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Palestine is the 163rd largest country in the world, in terms of claimed areas. The country is bordered by Israel to the east, north and west, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the southwest and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. The country also shares maritime borders with Israel, Cyprus and Egypt. Located in the Levant, Palestine is part of the Middle Eastern region in Asia.
The terrain of theGaza Strip is flat or rolling, withdunes near the coast. The highest point is Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda), at 105 m (344 ft) above sea level.
The terrain of theWest Bank is mostly rugged dissectedupland, with some vegetation in the west, but somewhat barren in the east. The elevation span reaches from a low on the northern shore of theDead Sea at 429 m (1,407 ft) below sea level,[citation needed] to the highest point atMount Nabi Yunis at 1,030 m (3,380 ft)above sea level.[1] The area of the West Bank is landlocked; thehighlands are the main recharge area forIsrael's coastalaquifers.
The coastal plain of Gaza is composed of sand dunes and fertile sandy sediments. Except for a porouscalcareoussandstone calledkurkar in Arabic, there are no other rocks in this region. In contrast, the West Bank is dominated by low mountains:Mount Gerizim (881m),Nabi Samwil (890m), andMount Scopus (826m). The rocks are principally composed of marine sediments (limestone and dolomite). The porosity of these rocks permits water to filter down to the non-porous strata, which supply water to the numerous aquifers in the region.[2]
TheJordan Valley is a segment of theDead Sea Transform, a continuation of theGreat Rift Valley which separates theAfrican Plate from theArabian Plate. The entire segment is thought to have ruptured repeatedly, for instance during theearthquake of 749 andagain in 1033, the most recent major earthquake along this structure. The deficit inslip that has built up since the 1033 event is sufficient to cause an earthquake ofMw~7.4.[3]
The tectonic disposition of Palestine on the margin of the Dead Sea Transform has left it exposed to relatively frequent earthquakes, the most destructive of which were those of 31 BCE, 363, 749, and 1033. For a detailed list seehere.
TheRiver Jordan is the largest river in Palestine, forming the eastern boundary of theWest Bank, until it flows into theDead Sea.Friends of the Earth Middle East reports that on the one hand up to 96% of the river's fresh water is diverted byIsrael,Jordan andSyria, while on the other hand large quantities of untreated sewage are being discharged into the river.[4]
TheDead Sea is the largestbody of water in Palestine, while the valley ofMarj Sanur forms aseasonal lake.[5]
A number ofephemeral streams, in Arabic calledwadis, flow into the Jordan River or Dead Sea through the West Bank, includingWadi Og,Wadi Fa'rah andWadi Qelt. Others flow throughIsrael and into theMediterranean Sea, such asHadera Stream andWadi Kabiba.[6]
The climate in the West Bank is mostlyMediterranean, slightly cooler at elevated areas compared with the shoreline, west to the area. In the east, the West Bank includes much of theJudean Desert, including the western shoreline of theDead Sea, characterised by dry and hot climate.
Gaza has ahot semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh) with mild winters and dry hot summers.[7] Spring arrives around March–April and the hottest months are July and August, with the average high being 33 °C (91 °F). The coldest month is January with temperatures usually at 7 °C (45 °F). Rain is scarce and generally falls between November and March, with annual precipitation rates approximately at 4.57 inches (116 mm).[8]
| Climate data for Gaza | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 17 (62) | 17 (63) | 20 (69) | 26 (78) | 29 (84) | 31 (89) | 33 (91) | 33 (91) | 31 (88) | 28 (83) | 24 (75) | 19 (65) | 26 (78) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 7 (45) | 7 (45) | 9 (49) | 13 (55) | 15 (60) | 18 (65) | 20 (69) | 21 (70) | 19 (66) | 17 (62) | 12 (54) | 8 (47) | 14 (57) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 76 (3.0) | 49 (1.9) | 37 (1.5) | 6 (0.2) | 3 (0.1) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 14 (0.6) | 46 (1.8) | 70 (2.8) | 301 (11.9) |
| Source: Weatherbase[9] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Jericho | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 19.0 (66.2) | 20.6 (69.1) | 24.4 (75.9) | 29.5 (85.1) | 34.4 (93.9) | 37.0 (98.6) | 38.6 (101.5) | 37.9 (100.2) | 35.8 (96.4) | 32.7 (90.9) | 28.1 (82.6) | 21.4 (70.5) | 30.0 (86.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 10.7 (51.3) | 12.6 (54.7) | 16.3 (61.3) | 22.4 (72.3) | 26.6 (79.9) | 30.4 (86.7) | 30.9 (87.6) | 30.4 (86.7) | 28.6 (83.5) | 25.8 (78.4) | 22.8 (73.0) | 16.9 (62.4) | 22.9 (73.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 4.4 (39.9) | 5.9 (42.6) | 9.6 (49.3) | 13.6 (56.5) | 18.2 (64.8) | 20.2 (68.4) | 21.9 (71.4) | 21.1 (70.0) | 20.5 (68.9) | 17.6 (63.7) | 16.6 (61.9) | 11.6 (52.9) | 15.1 (59.2) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 59 (2.3) | 44 (1.7) | 20 (0.8) | 4 (0.2) | 1 (0.0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (0.0) | 2 (0.1) | 3 (0.1) | 5 (0.2) | 65 (2.6) | 204 (8.0) |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 77 | 81 | 74 | 62 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 57 | 52 | 56 | 54 | 74 | 61 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 189.1 | 186.5 | 244.9 | 288.0 | 362.7 | 393.0 | 418.5 | 396.8 | 336.0 | 294.5 | 249.0 | 207.7 | 3,566.7 |
| Mean dailysunshine hours | 6.1 | 6.6 | 7.9 | 9.6 | 11.7 | 13.1 | 13.5 | 12.8 | 11.2 | 9.5 | 8.3 | 6.7 | 9.8 |
| Source: Arab Meteorology Book[10] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Jerusalem (1881–2007) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 23.4 (74.1) | 25.3 (77.5) | 27.6 (81.7) | 35.3 (95.5) | 37.2 (99.0) | 36.8 (98.2) | 40.6 (105.1) | 44.4 (111.9) | 37.8 (100.0) | 33.8 (92.8) | 29.4 (84.9) | 26.0 (78.8) | 44.4 (111.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 11.8 (53.2) | 12.6 (54.7) | 15.4 (59.7) | 21.5 (70.7) | 25.3 (77.5) | 27.6 (81.7) | 29.0 (84.2) | 29.4 (84.9) | 28.2 (82.8) | 24.7 (76.5) | 18.8 (65.8) | 14.0 (57.2) | 21.5 (70.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 9.1 (48.4) | 9.5 (49.1) | 11.9 (53.4) | 17.1 (62.8) | 20.5 (68.9) | 22.7 (72.9) | 24.2 (75.6) | 24.5 (76.1) | 23.4 (74.1) | 20.7 (69.3) | 15.6 (60.1) | 11.2 (52.2) | 17.5 (63.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 6.4 (43.5) | 6.4 (43.5) | 8.4 (47.1) | 12.6 (54.7) | 15.7 (60.3) | 17.8 (64.0) | 19.4 (66.9) | 19.5 (67.1) | 18.6 (65.5) | 16.6 (61.9) | 12.3 (54.1) | 8.4 (47.1) | 13.5 (56.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −6.7 (19.9) | −2.4 (27.7) | −0.3 (31.5) | 0.8 (33.4) | 7.6 (45.7) | 11.0 (51.8) | 14.6 (58.3) | 15.5 (59.9) | 13.2 (55.8) | 9.8 (49.6) | 1.8 (35.2) | 0.2 (32.4) | −6.7 (19.9) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 133.2 (5.24) | 118.3 (4.66) | 92.7 (3.65) | 24.5 (0.96) | 3.2 (0.13) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0.3 (0.01) | 15.4 (0.61) | 60.8 (2.39) | 105.7 (4.16) | 554.1 (21.81) |
| Average rainy days | 12.9 | 11.7 | 9.6 | 4.4 | 1.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 3.6 | 7.3 | 10.9 | 62.0 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 61 | 59 | 52 | 39 | 35 | 37 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 42 | 48 | 56 | 46 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 192.2 | 243.6 | 226.3 | 267.0 | 331.7 | 381.0 | 384.4 | 365.8 | 309.0 | 275.9 | 228.0 | 192.2 | 3,397.1 |
| Source 1: Israel Meteorological Service[11][12] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2:Hong Kong Observatory for data of sunshine hours[13] | |||||||||||||
Natural resources of Palestine include mud extracts from the Dead Sea,[14] such asmagnesium,potash andbromine. However, these resources are monopolised by Israeli settlements; the Palestinian policy network Al-Shabaka reported in 2015 that the added value access to these natural resources could have delivered to the economy was $918 million per annum.[15]
Palestine has a number of environmental issues; issues facing the Gaza Strip includedesertification;salination of fresh water;sewage treatment;water-borne diseases;soil degradation; and depletion and contamination of underground water resources. In the West Bank, many of the same issues apply; although fresh water is much more plentiful, access is restricted by the ongoingoccupation of Palestine.[16]
By granting substantial financial benefits to the settlers, as well as by licensing Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories Ltd., 44.5 per cent of whose shares are owned by the settlements of 'Mitzpe Shalem' and 'Kalia,' to mine and manufacture products that utilise the mud extracted from the occupied Dead Sea area, Israel is openly in violation of its obligations as an Occupying Power in the OPT. It is encouraging and facilitating the exploitation of Palestinian natural resources and actively assisting their pillaging by private actors.
The Dead Sea abounds in valuable minerals, principally large deposits of potash and bromine. Israel and Jordan together derive some USD 4.2 billion in annual sales of these products, and account for 6 percent of the world's supply of potash and fully 73 percent of global bromine output. Demand for both these products is projected to remain strong, with the Dead Sea a cheap and easily exploited source. There is no reason to suppose that Palestinian investors along with prospective international partners would not be able to reap the benefits of this market, provided they were able to access the resource. Taking as a benchmark the average value added by these industries to the Jordanian and the Israeli economies, the Palestinian economy could derive up to USD 918 million per annum –equal to 9 percent of 2011 GDP, almost equivalent to the size of the entire Palestinian manufacturing sector
