Geography

Let's talk about Palestine! This is a mini documentary created by Ashton Hom. I chose Palestine because I believe people need to be reminded of what Palestine was. While this country has religious significance, there's so much more to the country than just that. Palestine is located in the Middle East, composed of two regions: the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The West Bank borders Israel, Jordan, and the Dead Sea, while the Gaza Strip borders Egypt, Israel, and the Mediterranean Sea. The absolute location of Palestine is 31.9522° N, 35.2332° E.  The capital and most populated city in Palestine is Jerusalem. The five most major cities include: East Jerusalem with 428304 residents, Gaza with 410000 residents, Khan Yunis with 173183 residents, Jabalya with 168568 residents, And Hebron with 160470 residents. 

 The Palestinian flag symbolizes many things through each color. The Black represents the oppression and persecution that Palestinians have suffered from for countless years. The White symbolizes peace and love, and the purity of the messages that every Prophet was sent with to the sacred land of Palestine. The Green means prosperity, blessings, and hope for a thriving future. Even though the national flower of Palestine is the Faqqua Iris, adopted in 2016, the poppy is red, with black center and green leaves, evoking the primary colors of the Pan-Arabic and Palestinian flag. The national animal is the Palestine Mountain Gazelle, It lives in mountains, foothills, and coastal plains. 

Palestine’s government is legitimate through The Palestine Authority or “PA”. Their government is an Authoritarian regime, the Palestinian Authority has not held elections in over 15 years. Mahmoud Abbas has been the ruler since 2005. Palestine has been targeted by Israel as of late, killing and running people out of their homes to be put in concentration camps. Fighting over the Gaza Strip. 146 of the 193 United Nations (UN) member states have recognized the State of Palestine and are considered allies. Paletine is not considered a country pretty much anywhere in the west, being seen as just another part of Israel. 

Palestine is covered in mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biomes. And the four regions of Palestine Geography are Jordan valley and Ghawr, coastal and inner plains, Mountain and Hills and Southern Desert. Palestine holds massive potential reserves of oil and gas. Over 3 billion barrels of oil are estimated to exist off the coast and beneath occupied Palestinian lands. Israel is by far the largest trading partner of Palestine, it is difficult for them to get imports from other places recently. Their main exports are cement, base metals, iron and steel, food and beverages, furniture, plastics and dairy products.

 Palestine is home to 5.166 million residents. Arabics make up 86% of the population, and the major language is, of course, Arabic. The most popular religion in Palestine is Sunni Islam, Sunnis believe that the Quran is the literal word of God. Gender roles play a big part in the culture. For example, many men contribute to the domestic housework in their households, though some may see this as a sign of weakness or lack of manhood. Traditionally, the father or oldest male is the head of the family and holds the most authority and respect in the household. Most of the women of a household typically cook together and share other responsibilities.Women traditionally carry greater expectations of social compliance than men and are often seen as particularly vulnerable targets that need to be protected. They are required to show modesty and not bring shame to their family by immodest or immoral behaviour. 

Sports are one of the main sources of entertainment. Soccer is very popular, there are many local leagues and teams that also provide a platform for youth participation. Other activities like volleyball, basketball, and martial arts are also turning heads. Dancing along to traditional music is another way they pass the time.  The Dabkeh dance is the most famous group dance in Palatine. Ataaba is the most popular type of song in Palestine. It's sung by farmers, workers, and shepherds as a work song. However, weddings are the main environment for the songs.

 A traditional palestinian breakfast would be Taghmees, which translates to “dipping”, using a piece of bread as a utensil to scoop everything. This ranges from hummus, to Labneh, to eggs. For lunch, Maftoul, to make it you roll bulgur wheat in wholewheat flour. Simmer in a stew or serve with roast chicken, or fry some chopped onions and peppers and simmer the mix in stock. And to finish out the day, West Bank Cuisine, made with taboon bread, rice and meat, while fish and lentils are staples on the coast. Gaza cuisine is more diverse in terms of seafood and spices, with widespread use of chili peppers. They get most of their resources from Israel and work with what they have.

 Palestinians are being pushed out of their homes and killed for resisting.  A big part of the Israel–Palestine conflict is about who controls the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. When Israelis were bombing Gaza, they killed many civilians that didn't have a chance to escape. They don't really have an organized government, they have different groups controlling different areas, making them extremely vulnerable. Interestingly, it’s believed Jesus lived in the geographical area that is now part of what we call Palestine. For Christians, the Holy Land, which includes areas within Palestine, holds immense religious significance. However, it's crucial to distinguish between the historical context of his time and the modern political usage of the term. While the land of Palestine is important to christianity and a hot spot for materials, we often forget they are real people, who call that place home.