Country Pages

Dome of the rock -- Photo courtesy of Veronika Soul --

The West Bank is a predominantly Arab Palestinian region situated between Jordan and the State of Israel. Deriving its name from its location on the western bank of the Jordan River, the West Bank contains many sites of immense religious importance to Muslims, Jews, and Christians. Although much of the West Bank is under the control of Israel, the Palestinian Authority exercises self-government in several major cities and other portions of the region.

Nabi Musa Festival -Photo courtesy of Veronika Soul-

Scores of significant archaeological sites are located within the West Bank, as well as a number of cities with deep historical and religious roots such as Hebron, Nablus, Bethlehem, Jericho, and Ramallah. The mineral-rich Dead Sea is located to the southeast and is surrounded by historical sites and nature reserves.

The West Bank is 75 percent Muslim (predominantly Sunni), with sizeable Jewish and Christian communities as well. Arabic is the official language of the West Bank, although Hebrew and English are also widely spoken.

Hebron Souq -- Photo courtesy of Veronika Soul

Since 1987, over 35 U.S. scholars have been awarded Fulbright grants to lecture and/or conduct research in the West Bank. Fulbright scholars in the West Bank have been involved in a variety of disciplines including political science, communications, journalism, education, engineering, history, literature, business administration, mathematics, and law. Approximately three-quarters of these scholars have been based at either Birzeit University, Al-Quds University in Jerusalem, or Bethlehem University.

Ramallah pistachio vendor -Photo courtesy of Veronika Soul-

Palestine Ministry of Information
http://www.minfo.gov.ps/
Information and news in both English and Arabic from the Palestinian National Authority. Includes sections on Palestine's history, the structure of the Palestinian National Authority, links, and information on Palestinian scholars.

Arab Net - Palestine
http://www.arab.net/palestine/palestine_contents.html
Information on the history, geography, business, and government of Palestinian territories including the West Bank.

CIA World Fact Book - West Bank
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/we.html
Concise information and statistics on the West Bank's geography, economy and people. Includes a map of the West Bank.

Lonely Planet
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/middle_east/israel_and_the
_palestinian_territories/
Traveler's information on Israel and the Palestinian territories including the West Bank.

Arab American University of Jenin
http://www.aauj.edu/

Bethlehem University
http://www.bethlehem.edu/

Birzeit University
http://birzeit.edu/

Al-Quds University in Jerusalem
http://www.alquds.edu/

An-Najah National University
http://www.najah.edu/english/about/about-us.htm

Hebron University
http://www.hebron.edu/

Planet - The Palestinian Academic Network
http://www.planet.edu/

Palestinian National Authority Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
http://www.mohe.gov.ps/

Jerusalem Media and Communication Center
http://www.jmcc.org/
In English. Reports by Palestinian journalists and researchers on issues pertaining to the West Bank and Gaza.

Palestinian Report Online
http://www.jmcc.org/media/reportonline/report.html
In English. Independent news digest of Palestine.

Al-Quds - Arabic Daily Newspaper
http://www.alquds.com/
In Arabic.

Al Shaab
http://alarabnews.com/alshaab/
In Arabic. Online newspaper covering regional news.

Asharq Al-Awsat
http://www.asharqalawsat.com/pcdaily/06-11-2001/
In Arabic. The Arabic international newspaper.

Arab Chat
http://chat.arab.net/
Chat server with public and private chat rooms for Online discussions in Arabic or English.

The Countries and Peoples of Arabia Message Boards
http://www.hejleh.com/countries/poll.html
Very active message boards and a link to Arabia Chat.

Arab Social Science Research
http://www.assr.org/
A collection of Online research sources for the Arab World indexed by country, sources, and topics. Includes virtual libraries and links to social science research centers throughout the world.

BBC Arabic Service
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/arabic/news/
In Arabic. BBC news with audio feed.

U.S. Department of State - Middle East and North Africa
http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/nea.htm
U.S. news, reports, and policy relating to the Middle East and North Africa. Also includes links to numerous Online journals.

The Countries and Peoples of Arabia
http://www.hejleh.com/countries/index.html
A huge list of links pertaining to the Arab world, including very active Message Boards.

Islamic Studies
http://www.uga.edu/islam
A well-balanced site with articles and resources pertaining to Islam, drawn primarily from scholarly research and regional Islamic sources. Contains information on Islam's history, sacred texts, art, architecture, and place in the modern world.