Palestine

Originally, palestine was a geographical term describing an ever-shifting area between the Mediterranean Sea and Jordan River Valley. First controlled by the Romans, it was then ruled by successive empires. By the time of Ottoman control, Palestine was no longer a distinct territory. Palestine reemerged during World War I, denoting an area similar to historic Palestine that was seized from the Ottoman Empire and occupied by Britain in 1917. In 1920, Britain was given the Mandate for Palestine, which incorporated the Balfour Declaration promising the area to both the Jewish people and Palestinians. In the void left by the 1948 British withdrawal, the state of Israel was declared, and subsequent political and military events effectively ended Palestine's existence as a geographically defined entity. Although various wars and partition plans failed to establish a Palestinian state, some still use the term to refer to the Gaza Strip and West Bank, which are administered by Palestinians.

Palestine has many diverse climates: semiarid, temperate, subtropical, and mountainous. Gaza and northward, the Jordan Valley, and the Negev highlands each have their own distinct crops, creating year-round growing seasons and high biodiversity. However, a natural lack of nutrients and high salinity has limited marine life on the shores. Historically, Palestine was among the more prosperous and fertile areas. Crops, such as cotton, cereals, olives, and grapes, were produced in mass quantity and shipped to other areas. With the creation of the British Mandate, population increases put new strains on local resources causing escalated violence. Needing to [Page 1332]feed and settle immigrants, Jewish groups primarily created agricultural settlements. The influx brought northern European flora and fauna to Palestine. Some survived, others died, and the rest became hybrid species. New residents also led to the displacement of Palestinian peasants from the land, often causing violent outbursts against the British, Jewish settlers, and Arab nobility.

Political problems and social conflicts influence access to resources and the quality of the environment. The Gaza Strip, only four to five miles wide, is among the most densely populated areas of the world, causing rapid urbanization and placing great strain on the environment. Further, there are few natural resources, most of the agricultural land has been confiscated, and other countries sometimes limit access to resources. For example, international treaties, such as the Camp David Accord, reduced Palestinian fishing rights. The Israeli army has uprooted thousands of olive and orange trees because they obstruct visibility, although the Israeli government spent millions to plant trees. Nonpolitical problems have also caused environmental damage. Overhunting and climate change have led to extinctions and a reduction in biodiversity. Attempts have been made by some Israeli and Palestinian conservation and aid groups to improve environmental conditions. Despite these efforts, with the construction of a security wall and the political unrest in the area, the future for Palestine is uncertain.