Palestine
State of Palestine
Local name: فلسطين
UN observer state
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- Capital
- East Jerusalem
- Population
- 5.4 million
- 122nd in the world (2025)
- Area
- 6,220 km²
- 163rd in the world
- Density
- 870 people/km²
- 8th in the world
In brief
Palestine is a state in Western Asia. Its capital is East Jerusalem. Proclaimed capital; the Palestinian Authority sits in Ramallah. With 5.4 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 122nd in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 6,220 km². It shares land borders with Egypt, Israel and Jordan.
GDP per capita stands at $3,171 (2025), 138th in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 69.2 years (2024). 87% of the population lives in cities.
History of Palestine
Part of the ancient land of Canaan, the region came under Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Crusader and Ottoman rule before the British mandate in 1920. The 1948 war caused the flight of some 700,000 Palestinians, the Nakba. The West Bank and the Gaza Strip, then held by Jordan and Egypt, have been occupied by Israel since 1967. The PLO proclaimed the State of Palestine in 1988; the Oslo Accords (1993) created the Palestinian Authority. Palestine has been a non-member observer state at the UN since 2012 and is recognised by a large majority of member states. Since October 2023 a war has devastated the Gaza Strip.
Geography of Palestine
The Palestinian territory consists of two parts separated by Israel: the West Bank, made up of hills and the Jordan valley, where Jericho is one of the oldest cities in the world, and the Gaza Strip, a narrow coastal strip that is among the most densely populated places on the planet.
Map of Palestine
Flag of Palestine
The flag of Palestine is red, white, green and black. Its official proportions are 1:2 (height to width).
- Black30%
- Green30%
- White24%
- Red17%
Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.
What the flag stands for
Black, white and green, with a red triangle at the hoist. These are the colours of the Great Arab Revolt of 1916; the PLO made it the Palestinian flag in 1964.
Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Palestine” and “Flag of Palestine”.
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Fact file
| Official name | State of Palestine |
|---|---|
| Capital | East Jerusalem Proclaimed capital; the Palestinian Authority sits in Ramallah. |
| Official language | Arabic |
| Currency | Egyptian pound (EGP, E£)Israeli New shekel (ILS, ₪)Jordanian dinar (JOD, JD) |
| Demonym | Palestinian |
| Continent | Asia, Western Asia |
| Access to the sea | Yes |
| Area | 6,220 km² |
| Calling code | +970 |
| Internet domain | .ps, فلسطين. |
| UN status | Permanent observer state |
Economy and society
GDP per capita
$3,171
138th in the world (2025)
Life expectancy
69.2 years
at birth (2024)
Urban population
87%
Sources: World Bank (2025) for population and economy, Natural Earth for the map, mledoze/countries and Wikidata for reference data. Method.