Palestine (country)

**Palestine**, also called the **State of Palestine**, is a country in southwestern Asia.

Palestine includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as part of Palestinian territories, and East Jerusalem as the capital city. Palestine's administrative center is located in Ramallah.

## Recognition

As of October 2025, 157 of the 193 countries in the United Nations recognize the State of Palestine as a sovereign state. It has been a non-member observer state of the United Nations since 2012. This amounts to a _de facto_, or implicit, recognition of statehood.

Palestine is a member of several international organizations, including the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the International Olympic Committee.

## Government

On November 15, 1988, the Palestinian National Council declared the establishment of Palestine. The Council was the law-making body of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), led by Yasser Arafat.

In the 1990s, Israel and the PLO negotiated and signed the Oslo Accords. They 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 Hamas's control.

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 to be illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.

## Challenges

Currently, the biggest challenges to the country include the Israeli occupation, partial blockade, restrictions on movement, expansion of Israeli settlements, settler violence, corruption, ethnic cleansing, genocide, and an overall poor security situation. Palestine's borders, the legal and diplomatic status of Jerusalem, and the return of Palestinian refugees are unresolved questions.

Nevertheless, Palestine is one of the most highly-educated countries in the Arab world. It maintains an emerging economy and sees frequent tourism.

## Other websites

- The boundaries of Israel and Palestine lands from 1947 to present
- The historic Palestine

## Infobox (country)

- **conventional long name**: State of Palestine
- **common name**: Palestine
- **native name**:
__
- **image flag**: Flag of Palestine (original version).svg
- **image coat**: Coat of arms of Palestine.svg
- **symbol width**: 70px
- **national anthem**: ""

"Fedayeen Warrior"

- **image map**: State of Palestine (orthographic projection).svg
- **map width**: 220px
- **map caption**: w:Palestinian territories, Territory claimed by Palestine (green).
Claimed territory annexed by Israel (light green).
- **status**: w:United Nations General Assembly observers, UN observer state under w:Israeli occupation of Palestine, Israeli occupation
w:International recognition of the State of Palestine, Recognized by 145 UN member states
- **religion year**: 2023
- **largest city**: Rafah
- **official languages**: Arabic language, Arabic
- **demonym**: Palestinians, Palestinian
- **government type**: Unitary semi-presidential republic
- **leader title1**: President of the State of Palestine, President
- **leader name1**: Mahmoud Abbas
- **leader title2**: Prime Minister of the State of Palestine, Prime Minister
- **leader name2**: w:Mohammad Mustafa (economist), Mohammad Mustafa
- **leader title3**: w:Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Speaker of the Parliament
- **leader name3**: w:Aziz Dweik, Aziz Dweik
- **legislature**: w:Palestinian National Council, National Council
- **sovereignty type**: #History, Formation
- **established event1**: w:Palestinian Declaration of Independence, Declaration of Independence
- **established date1**: 15 November 1988
- **established event2**: w:United Nations General Assembly resolution 67/19, UNGA observer state resolution
- **established date2**: 29 November 2012
- **established event3**: Sovereignty dispute with Israel
- **established date3**: w:Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Ongoing
- **area km2**: 6,020
- **area rank**: 163rd
- **area sq mi**: 2,320
- **percent water**: 3.5
- **area label2**: West Bank
- **area data2**: 5,655 km
- **area label3**: Gaza Strip
- **area data3**: 365 km
- **population estimate**: 5,483,450
- **population estimate year**: 2023
- **population estimate rank**: 121st
- **population density km2**: 731
- **population density sq mi**: 1,895
- **gdp ppp**: $36.391 billion
- **gdp ppp year**: 2023
- **gdp ppp rank**: 138th
- **gdp ppp per capita**: $6,642
- **gdp nominal per capita rank**: 131st
- **gdp nominal**: $18.109 billion
- **gdp nominal year**: 2021
- **gdp nominal rank**: 121st
- **gdp nominal per capita**: $3,464
- **gdp ppp per capita rank**: 140th
- **gini year**: 2016
- **gini change**: decrease
- **gini**: 33.7
- **hdi**: 0.715
- **hdi year**: 2021
- **hdi change**: increase
- **hdi rank**: 106th
- **time zone**: Palestine Standard Time
- **utc offset**: +2
- **utc offset dst**: +3
- **time zone dst**: Palestine Summer Time
- **date format**: dd/mm/yyyy
- **drives on**: right
- **calling code**: +970
- **cctld**: .ps