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Palestine, officially known as the State of Palestine is a country in the Middle East, located in Western Asia. It consists of two non-contiguous territories. The country has a combined land area of 6,020 square kilometres (2,320 sq mi) while its population is of 5.5 million people. It shares most of the borders with Israel, with Jordan to the east, Egypt to the southwest and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Majority of the population is Muslims, while minorities are Christians and Samaritans. Palestine's ethnic majority is of Arabs, with Assyrians, Kurds, Turks, Romani and Armenians count as minority. Jerusalem is proclaimed capital, while Ramallah serves as temporary administrative center and Gaza was largest city, until 2023 invasion.

Traditionally as part of the Holy Land, the country is known for its religious significance. The Philistines, Canaanites, Israelites, Phoenicians, Romans an

Due to ongoing dispute with Israel, the country faces numerous challenges including the effect of occupation, expansion of settlements, settler attacks, political violence, economic blockade and restriction on movement. While status of Jerusalem, borders of the country and return of the refugees are the obstacles to the peace process. The country has one the highest literacy rates in the Middle East. Palestine holds potential reserves of hydrocarbon reserves, including crude oil and natural gas. The country maintains a moderate economy and receives frequent tourism. Palestine have been observer state and is part of the United Nations, the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Union for the Mediterranean.

Early modern era: stages of conflict
By the end of 19th century, nationalist sentiments began to grow among the Arab inhabitants of the Ottoman territories. They wanted to establish themselves as a unified Arab state, feeling culturally distinct from the Ottoman Turks. The Arabs secretly formed alliance with the British, in its war against the Ottoman Empire. In exchange, the British Empire promised an independent Arab country. The British Empire also made a similar promise to the Jewish community of Europe, seeking financial support from them. In exchange, the British government supported the establishment of Jewish homeland in Palestine. It later came to known as Balfour Declaration in 1917. In the first world war, the Britishers won against the Ottoman Empire and took control of the region. The Arabs were unaware of the Sykes–Picot Agreement, which would later thrashed the dream of unified Arab state.

Following the establishment of the Mandatory territory, the British government facilitated the immigration of Jews to the region and supported Zionist movement. Untouched Arabs tolerated initially and began strike in 1929. Despite brutal repression by the British forces, the strikes continued. The Hebron riots in 1929, led displacement of Hebronite Jews. In order to stop the strike, the British government formed the Peel Commission. It proposed partition of Palestine into two separate states for Arabs and Jews. The plan was rejected and strike continued, until release of the White Paper in 1939. It rejected peel commission, limited immigration of Jews and proposed to establish a unified state for both Arabs and Jews. The plan proved to successful in ceasing the strike. However, the White Paper came out as a betrayal to the Zionist entity and they refused to accept it.

It caused massive protests across Jerusalem and Haifa. An insurgency by Zionist paramilitary groups began attacking the Britishers and the Arabs. A large number of terror attacks such as King David Hotel bombing and Haifa Oil Refinery massacre took place. The World War II begin and the Nazis began exterminating Jewish population. Then mufti of Jerusalem – Amin al-Husseini supported Hitler. While, a large number of Palestinians opposed Husseini's support to Hitler. The British forces also recruited Arabs, to fight against the Nazis. In the Jewish genocide, 60% of the European Jewish population was killed. Survivors of the genocide had no any option than coming to the region. Eventually, many Palestinian Arabs welcomed the Jewish survivors.

Occupation and war
On 14 May 1948, David Ben-Gurion declared establishment of the State of Israel. The declaration was based on the UN partition plan. The Arab entity refused to accept the Israeli state and along with Transjordan, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon attacked Israel. In the first Arab–Israeli war, Israel won and capture more lands allotted to the Arab state. It includes Beersheba, Ashkelon and Ashdod, which were supposed to be part of the Arab states. The war led displacement of many Palestinians, known as the Nakba.

Economy
Palestine is classified as a middle income and developing country by the IMF. In 2023, GDP of the country was $40 billion and per-capita around $4,500. Due to its disputed status, the economic condition have been affected. The CO2 emission (metric tons per capita) was 0.6 in 2010. According to a survey of 2011, Palestine's poverty rate was 25.8%. According to a new World Bank report, Palestinian economic growth is expected to soften in 2023. Economy of Palestine relies heavily on international aids, remittances by overseas Palestinians and local industries.

When the region was under British control, it reached at a great level of prosperity and not only benefited the Jewish immigrants, but also to the local Arab population. The economy of Palestinians improved, when many of them were employed in Israel. The period known as "Oslo Years", brought relative prosperity to the newly-created provisional government controlled areas. The Palestinian Authority built infrastructure, which promoted economic growth. It was interrupted in the second intifada, where the country's airports and seaports were destroyed by Israel. After the 2000–2005 uprisings, the economy was affected further after 2006 elections. Hamas won the elections and the United States imposed sanctions on the Hamas-led government. Following Hamas takeover of Gaza, Israel has blockaded the territory since 2007. Economic situation began improve by 2008, when Salam Fayyad became prime minister.

According to the Ministry of Economy, the Palestinian economy was sought to improve. The State of Palestine's overall gross-domestic-product (GDP) has declined by 35% in the first quarter of 2024, due to the ongoing war in Gaza, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) reports. There was a stark difference between the West Bank, which witnessed a decline of 25% and in the Gaza Strip, the number is 86% amid the ongoing war. The manufacturing sector decreased by 29% in the West Bank and 95% in Gaza, while the construction sector decreased by 42% in the West Bank and essentially collapsed in Gaza, with a 99% decrease.

Agriculture
After Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967, Palestinian agriculture suffered significant setbacks. The sector's contribution to the GDP declined, and the agricultural labor force decreased. The cultivated areas in the West Bank continuously declined since 1967. Palestinian farmers face obstacles in marketing and distributing their products, and Israeli restrictions on water usage have severely affected Palestinian agriculture. Over 85% of Palestinian water from the West Bank aquifers is used by Israel, and Palestinians are denied access to water resources from the Jordan and Yarmouk Rivers.

In Gaza, the coastal aquifer is suffering from saltwater intrusion. Israeli restrictions have limited irrigation of Palestinian land, with only 6% of West Bank land cultivated by Palestinians being irrigated, while Israeli settlers irrigate around 70% of their land. The Gulf War in 1991 had severe repercussions on Palestinian agriculture, as the majority of exports were previously sent to Arab Gulf countries. Palestinian exports to the Gulf States declined by 14% as a result of the war, causing a significant economic impact.

Manufacturing and natural resources
The country is believed to hold sizeable amount of oil and gas. According to

Tourism
Tourism in the country refers to tourism in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In 2010, 4.6 million people visited the Palestinian territories, compared to 2.6 million in 2009. Of that number, 2.2 million were foreign tourists while 2.7 million were domestic. Most tourists come for only a few hours or as part of a day trip itinerary. In the last quarter of 2012 over 150,000 guests stayed in West Bank hotels; 40% were European and 9% were from the United States and Canada. Lonely Planet travel guide writes that "the West Bank is not the easiest place in which to travel but the effort is richly rewarded." Sacred sites such as the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque draw countless pilgrims and visitors each year.

In 2013 Palestinian Authority Tourism minister Rula Ma'ay'a stated that her government aims to encourage international visits to Palestine, but the occupation is the main factor preventing the tourism sector from becoming a major income source to Palestinians. There are no visa conditions imposed on foreign nationals other than those imposed by the visa policy of Israel. Access to Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza is completely controlled by the government of Israel. Entry to the occupied Palestinian territories requires only a valid international passport. Tourism is mostly centered around Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Jericho is a popular tourist spot for local Palestinians.

Despite this, tourism remains a promising growth market in the Palestinian economy. The sector’s contribution to national GDP has steadily increased from 9% in 2007 to 14% in 2012, reflecting in part the vastly improved security situation since the end of the 2000–2005 intifada. Currently, however, 50% of tourism revenues are generated by internal Palestinian tourists and Palestinians living in Israel. Despite just 20% of visitors to Palestine staying overnight, accommodation contributed $10.6 million in gross added value to the Palestinian tourism sector in 2012, more than any other sub-sector. It was also the largest employment sector in the industry, providing more than 3000 jobs. According to the PCBS, as of December 2009, around 100 hotels operates in the country and have 4,552 rooms with 9,815 beds. Luxury hotels can be found in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Ramallah. Popular international hotel brands having presence in the country includes InterContinental Hotel, Days Inn, Marriott International, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels and Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts.

Technology
Known as the "Silicon Valley of the NGOs", a sizeable regional IT industry is located in the country. The IT industry employs around 5,000 individuals in 250 companies in the West Bank and Gaza. Around 50% of these companies have partnerships outside the West Bank and Gaza and 40% export to international markets. Many Palestinian firms have established relationships beyond the Palestinian Territories. Approximately 32% collaborate with Israeli firms, while 50% have partnerships outside of Israel. Major foreign markets include the United States, the United Kingdom, and UAE. The IT industry in Palestine has embraced outsourcing, benefiting from the geographical and cultural proximity to Europe, the Arab world, and Israel.

The history of IT industry began in the late 1990s, when Cisco established networking academies across the country in CSR framework. In the sector, Cisco has made a notable investment of $15 million since 2008. This investment includes encouraging R&D groups within Cisco to establish outsourcing relationships with Palestinian partners. The progress made is evident as these relationships continue even without subsidies from Cisco's corporate affairs budget. Other international companies involved in the Palestinian market include Google, Intel, Microsoft, Apple, and HP. Most of the IT companies are concentrated in Ramallah, north of Jerusalem.

On 12 June 2020, the World Bank approved a US$15 million grant for the Technology for Youth and Jobs (TechStart) Project aiming to help the Palestinian IT sector upgrade the capabilities of firms and create more high-quality jobs. Kanthan Shankar, World Bank Country Director for West Bank and Gaza said "The IT sector has the potential to make a strong contribution to economic growth. It can offer opportunities to Palestinian youth, who constitute 30% of the population and suffer from acute unemployment."

Development
Many foreign countries are interested in international aid and humanitarian projects in Palestine. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Russia and China are some of the biggest investors in the country, followed by members of the European Union. Since the Israel–Hamas war, UAE became world's largest deliver of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. The reconstruction of Jenin Refugee Camp in 2007, was the biggest humanitarian project by the UAE–backed Red Crescent Society. It was renamed as Zayed City. In 2005, the UAE also funded in housing project in Khan Yunis. Qatar is one of the biggest investors in the country. China have funded in various projects. Among them includes establishment of schools and hospital and development of roads in the West Bank, which have eased transport problems. As of July 2023, more than 40 projects in the country have been financially supported by China. The restoration project of the Old City of Bethlehem was funded by Russia.

Nablus Boulevard is an urban