There is a Sound Series, Dead Sea Scrolls: Geography
- Shidonna Raven
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
By The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: Jun 9, 2025
Source: Britannica
Photo Source: Unsplash,
Quick Facts
Population:
(2025 est.) 4,209,0001
Official Name(S):
West Bank; Al-Ḍaffah al-Gharbiyyah (Arabic); Ha-gadah Ha-maʾaravit (Hebrew)
Total Area (Sq Km):
5,660
Total Area (Sq Mi):
2,185
Arabic:
Al-Ḍaffah al-Gharbiyyah
Geography
Geographically, the West Bank is mostly composed of north-south–oriented limestone hills (conventionally called the Samarian Hills north of Jerusalem and the Judaean Hills south of Jerusalem) having an average height of 2,300 to 3,000 feet (700 to 900 meters). The hills descend eastwardly to the low-lying Great Rift Valley of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea. The West Bank does not lie entirely within the drainage system of the Jordan River, as elevated areas in the west give rise to the headwaters of streams flowing westward to the Mediterranean Sea.
Annual rainfall of more than 27 inches (685 mm) occurs in the most highly elevated areas in the northwest and declines in the southwest and southeast, along the Dead Sea, to less than 4 inches (100 mm). Widely variable land-use patterns are dictated by the availability of water. Relatively well-watered nonirrigated terrain in the hills (especially those of Samaria) is used for the grazing of sheep and the cultivation of cereals, olives, and fruits such as melons. Irrigated land in the hills and the Jordan River valley is intensively cultivated for assorted fruits and vegetables.
The industrial development of the West Bank was never strong during the Jordanian period, and by the mid-1960s there were less than a dozen industrial establishments with more than 30 employees in the area. Israeli occupation resulted in constraints on West Bank industrial development; investment capital remained scarce both in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and only the transportation infrastructure saw much improvement after 1967. This improvement occurred mostly for military reasons, although it also benefited agriculture by facilitating the supply and servicing of markets. Although human capital is abundant among the highly educated population, foreign direct investment remains scarce because of the economic uncertainty related to the occupation as well as Israeli restrictions on access between the West Bank and external markets.
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