State of Palestine

State of Palestine دولة فلسطين  (Arabic) Dawlat Filasṭīn
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: "فدائي" "Fida'i"[1] "Fedayeen Warrior"
Territory claimed by Palestine (green). Claimed territory annexed by Israel (light green).
Status	UN observer state under Israeli occupation Recognized by 145 UN member states
Proclaimed capital Administrative center	Jerusalem (limited recognition)[a] Ramallah
Largest city	Rafah[b][2]
Official languages	Arabic
Religion (2023)	98% Islam (official) 2% other
Demonym(s)	Palestinian
Government	Unitary semi-presidential republic[3]
• President	Mahmoud Abbas[c]
• Prime Minister	Mohammad Mustafa
• Speaker of the Parliament	Aziz Dweik
Legislature	National Council
Formation[broken anchor]
• Declaration of Independence	15 November 1988
• UNGA observer state resolution	29 November 2012
• Sovereignty dispute with Israel	Ongoing[d][4][5]
Area
• Total	6,020[6] km2 (2,320 sq mi) (163rd)
• Water (%)	3.5[7]
• West Bank	5,655 km2
• Gaza Strip	365 km2[8]
Population
• 2023 estimate	5,483,450[9] (121st)
• Density	731/km2 (1,893.3/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2023 estimate
• Total	$36.391 billion[10] (138th)
• Per capita	$6,642[10] (140th)
GDP (nominal)	2021 estimate
• Total	$18.109 billion[10] (121st)
• Per capita	$3,464[10] (131st)
Gini (2016)	33.7[11] medium
HDI (2021)	0.715[12] high · 106th
Currency	Egyptian pound (EGP) Israeli new shekel (ILS) Jordanian dinar (JOD) (de facto)[13]
Time zone	UTC+2 (Palestine Standard Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (Palestine Summer Time)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+970
ISO 3166 code	PS
Internet TLD	.ps

The State of Palestine is a partially recognized country in southwestern Asia. It claims East Jerusalem as its capital, however its administrative center is located in Ramallah.^[14] It is recognized by 145 United Nations member states in May 2024. Since 2012, it has non-member observer status in the United Nations. This amounts to a de facto, or implicit, recognition of statehood.^[15][16][17]

The Palestinian National Authority claims the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as its territory. On 15th November 1988, Palestinian National Council, the legislative body of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) led by Yasser Arafat, declared the establishment of Palestine. Signing of the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, negotiated between Israel and the PLO, created the Palestinian Authority (PA) to exercise partial control over parts of Palestine. In 2007, internal divisions between Palestinian political factions led to a takeover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas. Since then, the West Bank has been governed in part by the Palestinian Authority, led by Fatah, while the Gaza Strip has remained under the control of Hamas. Israel has built settlements in both of the Palestinian territories since the start of the occupation. The settlements in the Gaza Strip were dismantled in Israel's unilateral disengagement in 2005, and approximately 670,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements in the West Bank. The international community considers Israeli settlements in Palestine illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.

Currently, the biggest challenges to the country include the Israeli occupation, partial blockade, restrictions on movement, expansion of Israeli settlements and settler violence, as well as an overall poor security situation. Unsolved remain the question of Palestine's borders, the legal and diplomatic status of Jerusalem, and the return of Palestinian refugees. Despite these challenges, the country remains one of the most highly-educated countries in the Arab world, maintains an emerging economy, and sees frequent tourism. As of May 2024, Palestine is recognized as a sovereign state by 145 out of 193 member states of the United Nations. It is also a member of several international organizations, including the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and International Olympic Committee. It has been a non-member observer state of the United Nations since 2012.^[18]

1. ↑ "Palestine" (includes audio). nationalanthems.info. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
2. ↑ "ActionAid: Conditions in Rafah at breaking point, with over one million displaced people". wafa agency.
3. ↑ "Declaration of Independence (1988) (UN Doc)". State of Palestine Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations. United Nations. 18 November 1988. Archived from the original on 8 June 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
4. ↑ Miskin, Maayana (5 December 2012). "PA Weighs 'State of Palestine' Passport". israelnationalnews.com. Arutz Sheva. Archived from the original on 7 December 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2014. A senior PA official revealed the plans in an interview with Al-Quds newspaper. The change to 'state' status is important because it shows that 'the state of Palestine is occupied,' he said.
5. ↑ "State of Palestine name change shows limitations". AP. 17 January 2013. Archived from the original on 10 January 2013. Israel remains in charge of territories the world says should one day make up that state.
6. ↑ "Table 3, Population by sex, annual rate of population increase, surface area and density" (PDF). Demographic Yearbook. United Nations Statistics Division. 2012. Archived from the original on 15 October 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
7. ↑ "The World Factbook: Middle East: West Bank". cia.gov. Central Intelligence Agency. 7 April 2014. Archived from the original on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
8. ↑ "The World Factbook: Middle East: Gaza Strip". cia.gov. Central Intelligence Agency. 12 May 2014. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
9. ↑ "Estimated Population in the Palestine Mid-Year by Governorate,1997-2026". Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3} "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Palestine)". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
11. ↑ "GINI index coefficient: West Bank & Gaza". CIA Factbook. Archived from the original on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
12. ↑ Human Development Report 2020 The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 15 December 2020. pp. 343–346. ISBN 978-92-1-126442-5. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 December 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
13. ↑ According to Article 4 of the 1994 Paris Protocol, the State of Palestine has no official currency. The Protocol allows the Palestinian Authority to adopt multiple currencies. In the West Bank, the Israeli new sheqel and Jordanian dinar are widely accepted, while in the Gaza Strip the Israeli new sheqel and Egyptian pound are widely accepted.
14. ↑ Falk, Palma (30 November 2012). "Is Palestine now a state?". CBS News. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
15. ↑ "Israel defies UN after vote on Palestine with plans for 3,000 new homes in the West Bank". The Independent. 1 December 2012. [1] Archived 2017-10-18 at the Wayback Machine
16. ↑ Charbonneau, Louis (29 November 2012). "Palestinians win implicit U.N. recognition of sovereign state". Reuters. Thomson Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 June 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
17. ↑ Lederer, Edith M (30 November 2012). "Live Stream: Palestine asks United Nations for a 'birth certificate' ahead of vote". www.3news.com. New Zealand: MediaWorks TV. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
18. ↑ "Membership of the State of Palestine in international organizations (as of 25 May 2018)". MOFAE. Archived from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.