PALESTINE
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a de jure sovereign state in the Middle East claiming the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as the designated capital although its administrative center is located in Ramallah.
Culture
The Culture of Palestine is the culture of the Palestinian people, located across Historic Palestine as well as in the Palestinian diaspora. Palestinian culture is influenced by the many diverse cultures and religions which have existed in historic Palestine, from the early Canaanite period onward. Cultural contributions to the fields of art, literature, music, costume and cuisine express the Palestinian identity despite the geographical separation between the Palestinian territories, Palestinian citizens and the diaspora
Climate
Palestine has a temperate, Mediterranean climate. The rainy season in Palestine is between November and April. Winter can get rather cold and wet. Southern areas can get uncomfortably hot during the summer months.
Time & Date: GMT +3
Currency:
Prior to First World War, the entire region was part of the Ottoman empire. At that the time Ottoman lira was used. When the empire began to disintegrate, there was a gradual move towards usage of the Egyptian pound. In 1920 the region of Palestine was assigned as a Mandate to Great Britain. In 1927 the British Mandate for Palestine introduced the Palestine pound, which had equal value to the Pound sterling.[1] After the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine in 1948, the currency was replaced by the Israeli lira (in Israel), the Jordanian dinar (in the West Bank) and Egyptian pound (in the Gaza Strip). Since the Six day war in 1967, the Israeli currency (then, the Israeli lira) began being used in the West Bank and the Gaza strip
Languages
Palestinian Arabic is the primary language spoken by Palestinians that has a unique dialect. It is a Levantine Arabic dialect subgroup spoken in Palestine, by Arab citizens of Israel (mostly Palestinians) and in most Palestinian populations around the world.[1] However, Palestinian refugees in other parts of the world may have a different dialect to the Palestinian Arabic. In the West Bank, there are many Israeli settlements where since the turn of the 20th century Hebrew has become more common. However, Russian and Amharic has also started to appear resulting from aliyah from Ethiopia. Other Jewish migrants have also brought other European languages
Travel Insurance:
When buying your travel insurance, always check the small print – some policies specifically exclude ‘dangerous activities’, which could be anything from scuba diving to horse riding. You should check whether the medical coverage is on a pay first, claim later basis and, more importantly, ensure that your medical coverage includes the cost of medical evacuation.
Visa:
Visa policy of Palestine refers to specific entry conditions into the Palestinian territories. There are no visa conditions imposed on foreign nationals other than those imposed by visa policy of Israel. Access to Jerusalem and the West Bank is controlled by the Government of Israel and access to Gaza is controlled by Hamas. Visitors who enter via Allenby Bridge-King Hussein border crossing and make their connections to the West Bank or plans to travel to the West Bank known may be given an entry stamp that permits travel only in Palestinian Authority-controlled areas of the West Bank. Exiting Gaza via the Erez crossing into Israel is nearly impossible. Exit through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt is unpredictable and requires prior permission from Egyptian authorities. The crossing often closes for extended time periods in which visitors are unable to leave Gaza Strip.[1] Visitors of Palestinian origin need a Palestinian passport or travel document in order to leave and may enter only via Allenby Border Crossing. Visitors of Israeli origin are not allowed to enter via Allenby Border Crossing
Capital: East Jerusalem
Currency: Israeli new shekel
Population: 4.55 million
Official languages: Hebrew, Arabic