FACTS:

Official Name: Palestine

Capital: Jerusalem (East)

Official Language: Arabic

Political System: Presidential

Currency: Jordanian Dinar and Israeli Shekel (the most heavily traded)

Geography

Location: Palestine, recognized by more than 135 countries, is situated in the southwestern part of the
continent of Asia in the southern part of the Mediterranean coast of the Mediterranean, making it a land
bridge between the continents of Asia and Africa, between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, .

Area: The historical area of Palestine is about 27 thousand square kilometers, which includes the Sea of
Galilee and the Galilee and half the area of the Dead Sea. The area of the West Bank, including its part of
the Dead Sea, is 5842 square kilometers, while the area of the Gaza Strip is 365 square kilometers.

Natural resources: water, solar, agriculture and others.

Climate: Mediterranean is characterized by frequent rainfall in winter, high temperature in summer. The
rainy season begins in October and ends in April.

Population

Number: The Palestinian Statistics Authority estimated the number of Palestinians at the end of 2013 at
11.8 million, of whom 4.5 million in Palestine, 1.4 million in Israel, approximately 5.2 million in Arab
countries and 665,000 in foreign countries.

Religious Distribution: Most of Palestine consists of a Muslim majority, a Christian minority (about 9%) in
Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Gaza, most of whom belong to the Orthodox Church, as well as
Samaritans and Druze.

- Identification:
Palestine is the name the Romans gave in the second century C.E. to a region of the present-day Middle
East situated on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea west of Jordan. The name is derived from
the Greek Palaestina, or "Land of the Philistines," a seafaring people who settled a small coastal area
northeast of Egypt, near present-day Gaza, around the twelfth century B.C.E. Also known as the Holy
Land, Palestine is held sacred by Christians, Jews, and Muslims, some of the most important events in
each religion having taken place there, especially in the city of Jerusalem.
 - Palestine Culture and Society:
Palestinian culture closely resembles the one of its neighboring Levantine countries Lebanon, Syria, Iraq
and Jordan as well of the rest of the Arab world.

The Arabian culture also has a marked influence on the Palestine Society and Culture. The major aspects
and uniqueness of the Palestinian Identity can be found in the customs, religion, languages, literature,
art, costumes and music.

- Palestinian language
The languages that are mostly spoken in the country are those of the Arabic with different dialects along
with some Hebrew speaking people. The Armenian language is also used in Palestine Culture and
Society, along with other languages like Samaritan Aramaic.

- Dance and Music :

Dabke is the indigenous folkloric dance form practiced and performed by Palestinians. It is of typical
village tradition, traditionally performed in social occasions such as weddings and feasts, celebrating the
natural cycle of growth and fertility. Dabke is a group dance performed by both women and men- hands
locked and timed steps, they circulate to the beat of rhythmic music played on traditional instruments,
while stomping their feet.

It is a symbol of cooperation and solidarity, and of the strength, loyalty, joy and determination of the
Palestinian people. It’s a celebration of the feelings of pride and gratitude they have for one another and
for their land. The dance is viewed as an integral communal pursuit rather than an individual
performance or exercise, it is used to welcome a new born, the inauguration of a business or home, or to
commemorate a couple at their wedding.
 - Folklore songs

The stories, fables and legends passed down from generation to generation play a vital role in
remembering the past, expression of the harsh present realities while maintaining hope for justice in the
future. These popular songs and stories have been passed by the hakawait a popular story teller, as well
as by mothers, grandmothers and grandfathers.

Folklore songs are constantly adapted to fit the current Palestinian situation. Most songs are based on
poetry expressing sorrow, dignity and hope for return to the land. They are sung by Palestinians in
Palestine and the Diaspora, and are even popular amongst other Arab populations.

- Costumes and Embroidery

The diversity of the Palestinian people and their ways of living is reflected immensely on their costumes
and embroidery. Costumes are traditionally handcrafted by semi-nomadic Bedouins and villagers. Men’s
dress has become a symbol for Palestinian resistance, specifically the white and black kaffiya. Women’s
dress on the other hand is traditionally much more colorful and vibrant. While some women from
villages wear them on a daily basis they have become more of an outfit used at special occasions like
weddings.

The most popular of these dresses are the ones worn by women villagers in the hills and coastal regions.
Despite the many similarities amongst them, each region or cluster of villages had its distinct use of
color, pattern and structure. The cloth is made out of natural materials such as cotton, linen, wool or silk.
Embroidery is a language. The earliest Palestinian embroidery combines geometric patterns with some
motifs such as flowers and trees. Later, these patterns were supplemented by more motifs, birds,
animals, but few human figures. Every embroidery pattern, like every stitch, has a name. Patterns are
usually named after things in the natural surroundings. Palms and cypresses are associated with the tree
of life that goes back thousands of years.
 - Palestine Food

Falafel, hummus, tabbouleh, stuffed vine leaves, mjaddarah, makhlouba, and other “health” foods are
native to the Arab Middle East and particularly Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. They are based on
principles of nutrition, economy and good taste that can only be produced over hundreds of years of
cultural practice. Beans and vegetables are common ingredients, being high in protein as a substitute for
meat, along with natural additives that enhance taste and presentation. Meat is used in other dishes.

But, typically, Palestinian food uses grains (particularly lentils, fava beans and chick peas), vegetables,
usually a lot of olive oil and lemon juice, onions and garlic, and a variety of taste-enhancing spices. In
season, certain wild herbs and wild vegetables are part of the Palestinian diet. After the main meal,
coffee or tea is served. Coffee is made thick and is served in demicups, while tea is flavored either with
mint in the summer or wild miramiya (an aromatic species of sage) in the winter months.