GENERAL OVERVIEW
 

Background
Many cultural changes and a rich mix of human groups characterize the history of Palestine. Ancient Greeks flourished in Palestine and during the reign of the Roman Empire, Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem and Christianity spread out. The capture of Jerusalem in 638 AD heralded an unbroken Moslem presence in Palestine until today. The British mandate lasted from 1918 until the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
 

The Peace Process                                                                             
In 1993,Israelis and the Palestinians signed the Oslo accords signaling the birth of the Palestinian National Authority and giving rise to hope for a better future in the region, within the setting of a final and permanent peace. In the spirit of this peace, the PNA has successfully improved many of the Palestinian’s economic sectors including attracting developing manufacturing, agricultural, tourist and Information Technology industries. Overall, the Palestinians economy has been growing and expanding ever since.
 

Location
Geographic, Palestine has a strategic location at the cross roads of the Middle East and North Africa, with east-west connections and direct access to markets of three continents. It also lies on easily accessible, international land sea and air routes, linking to Europe and Mediterranean countries, as well as the Far East, North America and South America.

Palestine is now comprised of two geographic locations, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The area of the West Bank is 5800 km2 and the Gaza Strip is approximately 365 km2. Thus, the total area adds up to 6165 km2. 

The main ports and crossing points that connect Palestine with the world are:

           Gaza International Airport
     Gaza Seaport (under construction)
     Ben Gurion Airport in Israel
     Haifa Seaport in Israel
     Ashdod Seaport in Israel
     Rafah Crossing Point with Egypt
     Al-Karameh Bridge with Jordan
     Sheikh Hussein Bridge with Jordan 

Population and Language 

Since the Oslo Peace Accords, many Palestinians have been returning to their homeland. Their primary objective is to help promote, develop the local economy and to enhance the role of the private business sector. 

Demographic data:

Arabic is the official language in Palestine. However, many Palestinians are fluent in more than one language. English is the second language for the majority of Palestinians. It is widely spoken, especially in business sector. In addition, a considerable number of Palestinians are fluent in many other languages such as French, German, Spanish and Hebrew. 

Currencies 

Presently the currencies in use in Palestine at this time include the Jordanian Dinar (JD), the US dollar and the New Israeli Shekel (NIS), which is the most commonly used. The exchange rates as of mid 2002 are as follows: 

1 US Dollar equal to 0.71 JD
1 US Dollar equal to 4.6 NIS
Date: Mid 2002 

Weights and Measures

Palestine uses the metric system. Local measures are also in use, for example hectare =10 dunums.

Time Zone

Palestine is GMT+2, or 7 hours ahead of US Eastern Standard Time. Summer daylight savings time (GMT+3) is observed from April through September.

Working Days, Hours and Wages

Government offices, private businesses and banks in Palestine typically observe Friday as the weekly holiday. However, some Christian-owned businesses close on Sundays. Most government offices and private companies work six days a week, 6-8 hours per day, with a one-hour lunch break. There are some exceptions, such as restaurant workers, and hotel employees; who work 9-10 hours per day.

The plentiful Palestinian workforce is abundant and highly competitive in terms of salaries and wages.

Workers in Israel continue to receive higher wages than workers in Palestine. In 1999 their wages were approximately 62% higher than wages in the West Bank, and 108% higher than wages in the Gaza Strip. The average daily wage in Israel is $26.00.

The availability of competitive wage rates coupled with the advanced skills of Palestinian workers, as well as the commitment of the private sector towards new productive investments, have resulted in a very positive and attractive mix to investors.

Structure of Government

The PNA consists of an elected president (H. E. President Yasser Arafat), the Cabinet (PNA ministers) and the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The PNA conducts affairs in accordance with the peace agreements. It has control over taxation, communication, policing, travel documentation and other civil affairs within the Palestinian self-ruled areas. In addition, the PNA is responsible of negotiating all permanent status issues, which will lead to the final status solution in the region.

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