Palestine
General Information
Location
Palestine is located on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea, west of Jordan and to the south of Lebanon. The territory of Palestine covers around 10435 square miles (around 26500 square Km). The time zone in Palestine is 2 hours ahead of GMT.
Topography
Palestine can be divided into four main distinct regions:
· Coastal and Inner Plains: These are among the best fertile land in Palestine and elsewhere, with adequate resources of irrigation (from rainfall and underground water). They are where most of the palestinian citrus groves used to stand. The coastal stretch is divided by "Jabal al-Karmel" (Mount Carmel) into the plain of Akka ( Acre) and the plain of Palestine (also called Saruunah). The inner part consists, largely, of "Marj bin 3aamir". This one is triangular in shape, with Jenin and Nazareth (An-NaaSirah) as its base and the SE edge of the Akka plain as its sharp corner.
· The Mountains and Hills: This part is largely rocky but has terraces which make it suitable for a number of trees. Olives is one of the most planted trees in these regions. There are almonds, apples and others. Also there are patches of plains scattered around in this region and these are fully utilized: They are planted wheat, barely, lentils,... in Winter and vegetables during the Summer (tomatoes, melons, maize and other vegetation that stands the hot weather). Mountains are located in "al-Jaliil" (Galilee), al-Karmel, Nablus and Hebron areas.
· The Jordan Valley and Ghawr: This is well below sea level,hence the name "ghawr", with very good soil but little water resources. Agriculture there depends on irrigations either from local streams or the Jordan River. Due to its climate, that region used to produce summer vegetables in late Winter stretching the availability of fresh produce before electricity and refregerators. The two lakes are at the northern edge of this region.
· The Southern Desert: This region comprises almost half of the land of Palestine. It is also triangular in shape. The base is fertile and the rest, with its apex near the town of Aqaba, is poor with scattered patches of regions suitable for cultivation. "Bi´r as- Sab" (renamed Beersheba by the occupation) is the main town in that region.
Weather
The Spring is the best season in Palestine, but the country is great all over the year. Summer is a little hot in some areas and Winter can be cold. Temperatures in Jerusalem can be as -4 C (24.8 F) in Winter and as high as 37 C (98.6 F) in Summer.
Language
Arabic is the official language in Palestine. Many educated people understand and speak English to various levels of fluency. Other languages, like French and German are less common. The Israelis speak Hebrew and, in most cases, the language of the country where they came from.
Religion
The Palestinians are mainly Muslims. There are sizable Christian communities in a number of cities and towns. Israeli-controlled areas are mainly Jewish.
Money
There are three main currencies in circulation: the NIS (new Israeli Shekel), JD (Jordan Dinar) and US$ (United States Dollars).