Palestine is the entity that has governed the Palestinian Arabs of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip since 1994 and is widely seen as a state-in-the-making for the Palestinian people. Previously, however, Palestine was a state in the area now occupied primarily by Israel.

Geography and People

The West Bank lies to the west of Jordan. Occupying 5,862 square kilometers (2,263 square miles; slightly more than Delaware), the West Bank is surrounded to the north, west, and south by Israel. Mountains reaching elevations of 915 meters (3,000 feet) run north-south. The western slopes receive moderate winter rains, whereas the eastern slopes—which lead to the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea some 400 meters (1,300 feet) below sea level (the lowest spot on the globe)—are arid.

The population of the West Bank is 2.3 million. Most are Palestinian Arabs and Muslims; a minority (10%) are Palestinian Christians. Almost 700,000 West Bank Palestinians are refugees from the...