This is a list of countries and dependencies ranked by population density, sorted by inhabitants per square kilometre or square mile. The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories based upon the ISO standard ISO 3166-1. The list also includes unrecognized but de facto independent countries. The figures in the table are based on areas including internal bodies of water such as bays, lakes, reservoirs and rivers. The list does not include entities not on ISO 3166-1, except for states with limited recognition. Thus constituent countries that are not included on ISO 3166-1, and other entities not on ISO 3166-1 like the European Union, are not included.
Unless otherwise noted, areas and populations are sourced from the United Nations World Population Prospects, which uses the latest censuses and official figures, as well as figures from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Data are current as of 2023. [lower-alpha 1]
Location | Density /km2 | Density /sq mi | Population | Area km2 | Area sq mi | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Macau (China) | 21,000 | 54,000 | 704,150 | 33 | 13 | |
Monaco | 18,000 | 47,000 | 36,298 | 2.0 | 0.77 | [3] |
Singapore | 8,250 | 21,400 | 6,014,723 | 729 | 281 | |
Hong Kong (China) | 6,725 | 17,420 | 7,491,609 | 1,114 | 430 | |
Gaza Strip (Palestine) | 5,749 | 14,890 | 2,098,389 | 365 | 141 | [lower-alpha 3] [6] |
Gibraltar (UK) | 4,800 | 12,000 | 32,688 | 6.8 | 2.6 | [7] |
Bahrain | 1,910 | 4,900 | 1,485,510 | 778 | 300 | |
Maldives | 1,750 | 4,500 | 523,787 | 300 | 120 | |
Malta | 1,700 | 4,400 | 535,065 | 315 | 122 | |
Vatican City | 1,600 | 4,100 | 764 | 0.49 | 0.19 | [lower-alpha 4] |
Sint Maarten (NL) | 1,300 | 3,400 | 44,222 | 34 | 13 | |
Bermuda (UK) | 1,200 | 3,100 | 64,069 | 54 | 21 | |
Bangladesh | 1,165 | 3,020 | 172,954,319 | 148,460 | 57,320 | |
Guernsey (UK) | 990 | 2,600 | 63,544 | 64 | 25 | |
Jersey (UK) | 964 | 2,500 | 111,803 | 116 | 45 | |
Mayotte (France) | 913 | 2,360 | 335,995 | 368 | 142 | |
Palestine | 892 | 2,310 | 5,371,230 | 6,020 | 2,320 | [lower-alpha 5] |
Taiwan | 676 | 1,750 | 23,923,277 | 35,410 | 13,670 | |
Mauritius | 657 | 1,700 | 1,300,557 | 1,979 | 764 | |
Barbados | 654 | 1,690 | 281,996 | 431 | 166 | |
Nauru | 610 | 1,600 | 12,780 | 21 | 8.1 | |
Saint Martin (France) | 610 | 1,600 | 32,077 | 53 | 20 | |
Aruba (NL) | 590 | 1,500 | 106,277 | 180 | 69 | |
San Marino | 550 | 1,400 | 33,642 | 61 | 24 | |
Rwanda | 535 | 1,390 | 14,094,683 | 26,338 | 10,169 | |
South Korea | 516 | 1,340 | 51,784,059 | 100,413 | 38,770 | |
Lebanon | 512 | 1,330 | 5,353,930 | 10,452 | 4,036 | |
Saint Barthélemy (France) | 500 | 1,300 | 10,994 | 22 | 8.5 | |
Burundi | 476 | 1,230 | 13,238,559 | 27,834 | 10,747 | |
Tuvalu | 440 | 1,100 | 11,396 | 26 | 10 | |
India | 435 | 1,130 | 1,428,627,663 | 3,287,263 | 1,269,219 | |
Curaçao (NL) | 433 | 1,120 | 192,077 | 444 | 171 | |
Netherlands | 424 | 1,100 | 17,618,299 | 41,543 | 16,040 | |
Haiti | 423 | 1,100 | 11,724,764 | 27,750 | 10,710 | |
Israel | 416 | 1,080 | 9,174,520 | 22,072 | 8,522 | |
Réunion (France) | 391 | 1,010 | 981,796 | 2,510 | 970 | |
Philippines | 391 | 1,010 | 117,337,368 | 300,000 | 120,000 | |
Belgium | 383 | 990 | 11,686,140 | 30,528 | 11,787 | |
Comoros | 381 | 990 | 852,075 | 2,235 | 863 | |
Grenada | 366 | 950 | 126,184 | 345 | 133 | |
Puerto Rico (US) | 361 | 930 | 3,205,691 | 8,868 | 3,424 | |
Martinique (France) | 337 | 870 | 366,981 | 1,090 | 420 | |
Sri Lanka | 334 | 870 | 21,893,579 | 65,610 | 25,330 | |
Japan | 326 | 840 | 123,294,513 | 377,930 | 145,920 | |
Guam (US) | 320 | 830 | 172,952 | 541 | 209 | |
El Salvador | 303 | 780 | 6,364,943 | 21,041 | 8,124 | |
Pakistan | 302 | 780 | 240,485,658 | 796,095 | 307,374 | |
Trinidad and Tobago | 299 | 770 | 1,534,937 | 5,127 | 1,980 | |
Vietnam | 298 | 770 | 98,858,950 | 331,340 | 127,930 | |
Saint Lucia | 293 | 760 | 180,251 | 616 | 238 | |
U.S. Virgin Islands (US) | 285 | 740 | 98,750 | 347 | 134 | |
United Kingdom | 277 | 720 | 67,736,802 | 244,376 | 94,354 | |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 267 | 690 | 103,699 | 389 | 150 | |
Cayman Islands (UK) | 263 | 680 | 69,310 | 264 | 102 | |
Jamaica | 257 | 670 | 2,825,544 | 10,991 | 4,244 | |
Luxembourg | 253 | 660 | 654,768 | 2,586 | 998 | |
Liechtenstein | 247 | 640 | 39,585 | 160 | 62 | |
Gambia | 246 | 640 | 2,773,168 | 11,295 | 4,361 | |
Nigeria | 249 | 640 | 230,842,743 | 923,768 | 356,669 | [12] |
Kuwait | 242 | 630 | 4,310,108 | 17,818 | 6,880 | |
Guadeloupe (France) | 242 | 630 | 395,839 | 1,639 | 633 | |
São Tomé and Príncipe | 241 | 620 | 231,856 | 964 | 372 | |
Seychelles | 236 | 610 | 107,660 | 457 | 176 | |
Qatar | 233 | 600 | 2,716,391 | 11,637 | 4,493 | |
Germany | 233 | 600 | 83,294,633 | 357,581 | 138,063 | |
Dominican Republic | 233 | 600 | 11,332,973 | 48,671 | 18,792 | |
Marshall Islands | 232 | 600 | 41,996 | 181 | 70 | |
Malawi | 221 | 570 | 20,931,751 | 94,552 | 36,507 | |
American Samoa (US) | 221 | 570 | 43,915 | 199 | 77 | |
North Korea | 217 | 560 | 26,160,822 | 120,538 | 46,540 | |
Antigua and Barbuda | 213 | 550 | 94,298 | 442 | 171 | |
Switzerland | 213 | 550 | 8,796,669 | 41,291 | 15,943 | |
Nepal | 210 | 540 | 30,896,590 | 147,181 | 56,827 | |
British Virgin Islands (UK) | 209 | 540 | 31,538 | 151 | 58 | |
Uganda | 201 | 520 | 48,582,334 | 241,550 | 93,260 | |
Italy | 195 | 510 | 58,870,763 | 302,068 | 116,629 | |
Kiribati | 184 | 480 | 133,515 | 726 | 280 | |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 183 | 470 | 47,755 | 261 | 101 | |
Anguilla (UK) | 175 | 450 | 15,900 | 91 | 35 | |
Andorra | 171 | 440 | 80,088 | 468 | 181 | |
Guatemala | 166 | 430 | 18,092,026 | 108,889 | 42,042 | |
Micronesia | 164 | 420 | 115,224 | 702 | 271 | |
Togo | 159 | 410 | 9,053,799 | 56,785 | 21,925 | |
Tokelau (NZ) | 158 | 410 | 1,893 | 12 | 4.6 | |
Kosovo | 153 | 400 | 1,663,595 | 10,905 | 4,210 | |
China | 149 | 390 | 1,425,671,352 | 9,600,000 | 3,700,000 | |
Cape Verde | 148 | 380 | 598,682 | 4,033 | 1,557 | |
Isle of Man (UK) | 148 | 380 | 84,710 | 572 | 221 | |
Indonesia | 145 | 380 | 277,534,123 | 1,910,931 | 737,815 | |
Tonga | 144 | 370 | 107,773 | 747 | 288 | |
Ghana | 143 | 370 | 34,121,985 | 238,537 | 92,100 | |
Thailand | 140 | 360 | 71,801,279 | 513,140 | 198,120 | |
Denmark | 138 | 360 | 5,910,913 | 42,947 | 16,582 | |
Cyprus | 136 | 350 | 1,260,138 | 9,251 | 3,572 | |
United Arab Emirates | 134 | 350 | 9,516,871 | 71,024 | 27,423 | |
Transnistria | 134 | 350 | 468,980 | 3,510 | 1,360 | [13] |
Czech Republic | 133 | 340 | 10,495,295 | 78,871 | 30,452 | |
Jordan | 127 | 330 | 11,337,053 | 89,318 | 34,486 | |
Syria | 125 | 320 | 23,227,014 | 185,180 | 71,500 | |
Sierra Leone | 122 | 320 | 8,791,092 | 72,300 | 27,900 | |
Poland | 120 | 310 | 37,691,000 | 313,931 | 121,209 | [lower-alpha 6] |
Azerbaijan | 120 | 310 | 10,412,652 | 86,600 | 33,400 | |
Benin | 119 | 310 | 13,712,828 | 114,763 | 44,310 | |
Slovakia | 118 | 310 | 5,795,199 | 49,035 | 18,933 | |
France (metropolitan) | 117 | 300 | 64,756,584 | 551,500 | 212,900 | |
Ethiopia | 115 | 300 | 126,527,060 | 1,104,300 | 426,400 | |
Northern Cyprus | 114 | 300 | 382,836 | 3,355 | 1,295 | [lower-alpha 7] |
Egypt | 112 | 290 | 112,716,599 | 1,002,000 | 387,000 | |
Portugal | 111 | 290 | 10,247,605 | 92,225 | 35,608 | |
Turkey | 110 | 280 | 85,816,199 | 783,562 | 302,535 | |
Hungary | 109 | 280 | 10,156,239 | 93,025 | 35,917 | |
Northern Mariana Islands (US) | 109 | 280 | 49,796 | 457 | 176 | |
Austria | 107 | 280 | 8,958,961 | 83,878 | 32,385 | |
Iraq | 105 | 270 | 45,504,560 | 435,052 | 167,975 | |
Slovenia | 105 | 270 | 2,119,675 | 20,273 | 7,827 | |
Malaysia | 104 | 270 | 34,308,525 | 330,621 | 127,653 | |
Costa Rica | 102 | 260 | 5,212,173 | 51,100 | 19,700 | |
Cuba | 102 | 260 | 11,194,449 | 109,884 | 42,426 | |
Moldova | 102 | 260 | 3,435,931 | 33,847 | 13,068 | |
France (metropolitan & overseas) | 101 | 260 | 68,000,000 | 672,000 | 259,000 | |
Albania | 99 | 260 | 2,832,439 | 28,748 | 11,100 | |
Dominica | 97 | 250 | 73,040 | 750 | 290 | |
Spain | 97 | 250 | 48,692,804 | 505,994 | 195,365 | |
Honduras | 94 | 240 | 10,593,798 | 112,492 | 43,433 | |
Cambodia | 94 | 240 | 16,944,826 | 181,039 | 69,900 | |
Armenia | 93 | 240 | 2,777,971 | 29,743 | 11,484 | |
Kenya | 93 | 240 | 55,100,587 | 591,958 | 228,556 | |
East Timor | 91 | 240 | 1,360,596 | 14,919 | 5,760 | |
Senegal | 90 | 230 | 17,763,163 | 196,712 | 75,951 | |
Ivory Coast | 90 | 230 | 28,873,034 | 322,462 | 124,503 | |
Burkina Faso | 86 | 220 | 23,251,485 | 270,764 | 104,543 | |
French Polynesia (France) | 84 | 220 | 308,872 | 3,687 | 1,424 | |
Romania | 83 | 210 | 19,892,812 | 238,398 | 92,046 | |
Caribbean Netherlands (NL) | 83 | 210 | 27,148 | 328 | 127 | |
North Macedonia | 81 | 210 | 2,085,679 | 25,713 | 9,928 | |
Wallis and Futuna (France) | 81 | 210 | 11,502 | 142 | 55 | |
Serbia | 81 | 210 | 7,149,077 | 88,444 | 34,148 | |
Myanmar | 81 | 210 | 54,577,997 | 676,577 | 261,228 | |
Samoa | 79 | 200 | 225,681 | 2,842 | 1,097 | |
Brunei | 78 | 200 | 452,524 | 5,765 | 2,226 | |
Greece | 78 | 200 | 10,341,277 | 131,957 | 50,949 | |
Uzbekistan | 78 | 200 | 35,163,944 | 448,969 | 173,348 | |
Lesotho | 77 | 200 | 2,330,318 | 30,355 | 11,720 | |
Tunisia | 76 | 200 | 12,458,223 | 163,610 | 63,170 | |
Ireland | 72 | 190 | 5,056,935 | 69,825 | 26,960 | |
Cook Islands | 72 | 190 | 17,044 | 236 | 91 | |
Tajikistan | 72 | 190 | 10,143,543 | 141,400 | 54,600 | |
Tanzania | 71 | 180 | 67,438,106 | 947,303 | 365,756 | |
Croatia | 71 | 180 | 4,008,617 | 56,594 | 21,851 | |
Ecuador | 71 | 180 | 18,190,484 | 257,215 | 99,311 | |
Eswatini | 70 | 180 | 1,210,822 | 17,363 | 6,704 | |
Mexico | 65 | 170 | 128,455,567 | 1,964,375 | 758,449 | |
Yemen | 65 | 170 | 34,449,825 | 527,968 | 203,850 | |
Afghanistan | 65 | 170 | 42,239,854 | 652,864 | 252,072 | |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 63 | 160 | 3,210,848 | 51,209 | 19,772 | |
Akrotiri and Dhekelia (UK) | 62 | 160 | 15,700 | 254 | 98 | [18] |
Equatorial Guinea | 61 | 160 | 1,714,672 | 28,051 | 10,831 | |
Ukraine | 61 | 160 | 36,744,634 | 603,500 | 233,000 | |
Bulgaria | 61 | 160 | 6,687,717 | 110,372 | 42,615 | |
Cameroon | 60 | 160 | 28,647,293 | 475,650 | 183,650 | |
World (all land excluding Antarctica) | 60 | 160 | 8,045,311,448 | 134,740,000 | 52,020,000 | |
Guinea-Bissau | 60 | 160 | 2,150,842 | 36,125 | 13,948 | |
Panama | 59 | 150 | 4,468,087 | 75,320 | 29,080 | |
Guinea | 58 | 150 | 14,190,612 | 245,836 | 94,918 | |
Norfolk Island (Australia) | 57 | 150 | 2,220 | 39 | 15 | [19] |
Iran | 55 | 140 | 89,172,767 | 1,630,848 | 629,674 | |
Nicaragua | 54 | 140 | 7,046,311 | 130,373 | 50,337 | |
World (all land) | 54 | 140 | 8,045,311,448 | 148,940,000 | 57,510,000 | |
Georgia | 53 | 140 | 3,728,282 | 69,700 | 26,900 | |
Morocco | 53 | 140 | 37,984,655 | 710,850 | 274,460 | |
Madagascar | 52 | 130 | 30,325,732 | 587,041 | 226,658 | |
Fiji | 51 | 130 | 936,376 | 18,272 | 7,055 | |
South Africa | 49 | 130 | 60,414,495 | 1,221,037 | 471,445 | |
Djibouti | 49 | 130 | 1,136,455 | 23,200 | 9,000 | |
Liberia | 49 | 130 | 5,418,377 | 111,369 | 43,000 | |
Turks and Caicos Islands (UK) | 49 | 130 | 46,062 | 948 | 366 | |
Easter Island (Chile) | 47 | 120 | 7750 | 163.6 | 63.2 | |
Belarus | 46 | 120 | 9,498,238 | 207,600 | 80,200 | |
Colombia | 46 | 120 | 52,695,952 | 1,141,748 | 440,831 | [20] |
Montenegro | 45 | 120 | 626,485 | 13,888 | 5,362 | |
DR Congo | 44 | 110 | 102,262,809 | 2,345,410 | 905,570 | |
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (UK) | 43 | 110 | 5,314 | 123 | 47 | |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Australia) | 43 | 110 | 602 | 14 | 5.4 | [21] |
Zimbabwe | 43 | 110 | 16,665,409 | 390,757 | 150,872 | |
Montserrat (UK) | 43 | 110 | 4,387 | 103 | 40 | |
Mozambique | 42 | 110 | 33,897,354 | 799,380 | 308,640 | |
Lithuania | 42 | 110 | 2,718,352 | 65,286 | 25,207 | |
Palau | 39 | 100 | 18,058 | 459 | 177 | |
Faroe Islands (Denmark) | 38 | 98 | 53,270 | 1,393 | 538 | |
United States | 35 | 91 | 339,996,564 | 9,833,517 | 3,796,742 | |
Kyrgyzstan | 34 | 88 | 6,735,348 | 199,949 | 77,201 | |
Laos | 32 | 83 | 7,633,779 | 236,800 | 91,400 | |
Venezuela | 31 | 80 | 28,838,499 | 929,690 | 358,960 | |
Eritrea | 31 | 80 | 3,748,902 | 121,144 | 46,774 | |
Bahamas | 30 | 78 | 412,624 | 13,940 | 5,380 | |
Angola | 29 | 75 | 36,684,203 | 1,246,700 | 481,400 | |
Somaliland | 29 | 75 | 4,914,100 | 167,283 | 64,588 | [22] |
Estonia | 29 | 75 | 1,322,766 | 45,399 | 17,529 | |
Somalia | 28 | 73 | 18,143,379 | 637,657 | 246,201 | |
Latvia | 28 | 73 | 1,830,212 | 64,594 | 24,940 | |
Abkhazia | 28 | 73 | 245,424 | 8,662 | 3,344 | [23] |
Vanuatu | 27 | 70 | 334,506 | 12,189 | 4,706 | |
Zambia | 27 | 70 | 20,569,738 | 752,612 | 290,585 | |
Sudan | 27 | 70 | 48,109,006 | 1,765,048 | 681,489 | |
Peru | 27 | 70 | 34,352,719 | 1,285,216 | 496,225 | |
Chile | 26 | 67 | 19,629,590 | 756,102 | 291,933 | |
Solomon Islands | 26 | 67 | 740,425 | 28,896 | 11,157 | |
Brazil | 25 | 65 | 216,422,446 | 8,510,346 | 3,285,863 | |
Sweden | 24 | 62 | 10,612,086 | 438,574 | 169,334 | |
Saint Pierre and Miquelon (France) | 24 | 62 | 5,840 | 242 | 93 | |
Papua New Guinea | 22 | 57 | 10,329,931 | 462,840 | 178,700 | |
Niger | 21 | 54 | 27,202,843 | 1,267,000 | 489,000 | |
Bhutan | 21 | 54 | 787,425 | 38,394 | 14,824 | |
Uruguay | 20 | 52 | 3,423,109 | 173,626 | 67,037 | |
New Zealand | 20 | 52 | 5,228,100 | 268,107 | 103,517 | |
Algeria | 19 | 49 | 45,606,481 | 2,381,741 | 919,595 | |
Åland (Finland) | 19 | 49 | 30,237 | 1,583 | 611 | |
Mali | 19 | 49 | 23,293,699 | 1,240,192 | 478,841 | |
Belize | 18 | 47 | 410,825 | 22,965 | 8,867 | |
Congo | 18 | 47 | 6,106,869 | 342,000 | 132,000 | |
South Sudan | 17 | 44 | 11,088,796 | 658,841 | 254,380 | |
Saudi Arabia | 17 | 44 | 36,947,025 | 2,206,714 | 852,017 | |
Finland | 16 | 41 | 5,545,475 | 336,884 | 130,072 | |
Argentina | 16 | 41 | 45,773,884 | 2,796,427 | 1,079,707 | |
South Ossetia | 16 | 41 | 57,095 | 3,632 | 1,402 | [24] |
New Caledonia (France) | 15 | 39 | 292,991 | 19,100 | 7,400 | |
Paraguay | 15 | 39 | 6,109,644 | 406,752 | 157,048 | [25] |
Oman | 15 | 39 | 4,644,384 | 309,980 | 119,680 | |
Chad | 14 | 36 | 18,278,568 | 1,284,000 | 496,000 | |
Norway | 14 | 36 | 5,474,360 | 385,207 | 148,729 | [lower-alpha 8] |
Turkmenistan | 13 | 34 | 6,516,100 | 488,100 | 188,500 | |
Christmas Island (Australia) | 12 | 31 | 1,692 | 136 | 53 | [26] |
Bolivia | 11 | 28 | 12,388,571 | 1,098,581 | 424,164 | |
Central African Republic | 9 | 23 | 5,742,316 | 622,984 | 240,535 | |
Gabon | 9 | 23 | 2,436,567 | 267,668 | 103,347 | |
Russia | 8 | 21 | 144,444,359 | 17,098,246 | 6,601,670 | |
Niue | 7 | 18 | 1,935 | 260 | 100 | |
Kazakhstan | 7 | 18 | 19,606,634 | 2,724,902 | 1,052,091 | |
Mauritania | 5 | 13 | 4,862,989 | 1,030,700 | 398,000 | |
Botswana | 5 | 13 | 2,675,353 | 582,000 | 225,000 | |
Libya | 4 | 10 | 6,888,388 | 1,676,198 | 647,184 | |
Canada | 4 | 10 | 38,781,292 | 9,984,670 | 3,855,100 | |
Suriname | 4 | 10 | 623,237 | 163,820 | 63,250 | |
Guyana | 4 | 10 | 813,834 | 214,969 | 83,000 | |
French Guiana (France) | 4 | 10 | 312,155 | 83,534 | 32,253 | |
Iceland | 4 | 10 | 375,319 | 103,000 | 40,000 | |
Australia | 3 | 7.8 | 26,439,112 | 7,692,024 | 2,969,907 | |
Namibia | 3 | 7.8 | 2,604,172 | 825,229 | 318,623 | |
Western Sahara | 2 | 5.2 | 587,259 | 266,000 | 103,000 | |
Mongolia | 2 | 5.2 | 3,447,157 | 1,564,116 | 603,909 | |
Pitcairn Islands (UK) | 0.9 | 2.3 | 40 | 47 | 18 | [lower-alpha 9] |
Falkland Islands (UK) | 0.3 | 0.78 | 3,791 | 12,173 | 4,700 | |
Greenland (Denmark) | 0.03 | 0.078 | 56,643 | 2,166,086 | 836,330 |
The Gaza Strip, or simply Gaza, is a polity and the smaller of the two Palestinian territories. On the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Gaza is bordered by Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the east and north.
The West Bank, so called due to its relation to the Jordan River, is the larger of the two Palestinian territories. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the Levant region of West Asia, it is bordered by Jordan and the Dead Sea to the east and by Israel to the south, west, and north. The territory has been under Israeli occupation since 1967.
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is an ongoing military and political conflict about land and self-determination within the territory of the former Mandatory Palestine. Key aspects of the conflict include the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the status of Jerusalem, Israeli settlements, borders, security, water rights, the permit regime, Palestinian freedom of movement, and the Palestinian right of return.
Gaza, also called Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip. Prior to the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, it was the most populous city in the State of Palestine, with 590,481 inhabitants in 2017.
The Palestinian territories are the two regions of the former British Mandate for Palestine that have been occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967, namely the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has referred to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as "the Occupied Palestinian Territory", and this term was used as the legal definition by the ICJ in its advisory opinion of July 2004. The term occupied Palestinian territory was used by the United Nations and other international organizations between October 1999 and December 2012 to refer to areas controlled by the Palestinian National Authority, but from 2012, when Palestine was admitted as one of its non-member observer states, the United Nations started using exclusively the name State of Palestine. The European Union (EU) also uses the term "occupied Palestinian territory". The government of Israel and its supporters use the label "disputed territories" instead.
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in the southern Levant region of West Asia. It encompasses two disconnected territories — the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, collectively known as the Palestinian territories — within the larger region of Palestine. The country shares its borders with Israel to north, west and south, Jordan to the east and Egypt to the southwest. It has a combined land area of 6,020 square kilometres (2,320 sq mi) while its population exceeds five million people. Its proclaimed capital is Jerusalem while Ramallah serves as its administrative center and Rafah is currently its largest city. Arabic is the official language. The majority of Palestinians practice Islam while Christianity also has a significant presence.
The Gaza–Israel barrier is a border barrier located on the Israeli side of the Gaza–Israel border. Before the 2023-24 Israel-Hamas war, the Erez Crossing, in the north of the Gaza Strip, used to be the only crossing point for people and goods coming from Israel into the Gaza Strip, with a second crossing point, the Kerem Shalom border crossing, used exclusively for goods coming from Egypt, as Israel didn't allow goods to go directly from Egypt into Gaza through the Egypt–Gaza border, except for the Salah Al Din Gate, opened in 2018.
Rafah is a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip. It is the capital of the Rafah Governorate of the State of Palestine, located 30 kilometers (19 mi) south-west of Gaza City. In 2017, Rafah had a population of 171,889. As a result of massive bombardment and ground assaults in Gaza City and Khan Yunis by Israel during the Israel–Hamas war, about 1.4 million people are believed to be sheltering in Rafah as of February 2024.
In 2005, 21 Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip and four Israeli settlements in the West Bank were unilaterally dismantled. Israeli settlers and army evacuated from inside the Gaza Strip, redeploying its military along the border.
Israel has occupied the Palestinian territories and the Golan Heights since the Six-Day War of 1967. It previously occupied the Sinai Peninsula and southern Lebanon as well. Prior to Israel's victory in the Six-Day War, occupation of the Palestinian territories was split between Egypt and Jordan, with the former having occupied the Gaza Strip and the latter having annexed the West Bank; the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights were under the sovereignty of Egypt and Syria, respectively. The first conjoined usage of the terms "occupied" and "territories" with regard to Israel was in United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, which was drafted in the aftermath of the Six-Day War and called for: "the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East" to be achieved by "the application of both the following principles: ... Withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict ... Termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force."
Demographic features of the population of the area commonly described as Palestinian territories includes information on ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of that population.
The Governorates of Palestine are the administrative divisions of the State of Palestine. After the signing of the Oslo Accords, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip were divided into 16 governorates under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian National Authority. They are divided in turn into various municipalities.
The Rafah Border Crossing or Rafah Crossing Point is the sole crossing point between Egypt and Palestine's Gaza Strip. It is located on the Egypt–Palestine border. Under a 2007 agreement between Egypt and Israel, Egypt controls the crossing but imports through the Rafah crossing require Israeli approval.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the State of Palestine:
Al-Shati, also known as Shati or Beach camp, is a Palestinian refugee camp located in the northern Gaza Strip along the Mediterranean Sea coastline in the Gaza Governorate, and more specifically Gaza City.
This is a list of countries and territories in Europe by population density. Data are from the United Nations unless otherwise specified.
Hamas has governed the Gaza Strip in Palestine since its takeover of the region from rival party Fatah in June 2007. Hamas' government was led by Ismail Haniyeh from 2007 until February 2017, when Haniyeh was replaced as leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip by Yahya Sinwar. As of November 2023, Yahya Sinwar continues to be the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In January 2024, due to the ongoing Israel–Hamas war, Israel said that Hamas lost control of most of the northern part of the Gaza Strip. In May 2024, Hamas regrouped in the north.
The Gaza Strip has been under military occupation by Israel since 6 June 1967, when Israeli forces captured the territory, then administered by Egypt, during the Six-Day War. Although Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005, the United Nations, international human rights organizations and several legal scholars regard the Gaza Strip to still be under military occupation by Israel, as Israel still maintains direct control over Gaza's air and maritime space, six of Gaza's seven land crossings, a no-go buffer zone within the territory, and the Palestinian population registry. Israel, the United States, and other legal, military, and foreign policy experts otherwise contend that Israel "ceded the effective control needed under the legal definition of occupation" upon its disengagement in 2005. Israel, supported by Egypt, continues to maintain a blockade of the Gaza Strip, limiting the movement of goods and people in and out of the Gaza Strip. The blockade has been categorized as a form of occupation and illegal collective punishment.
Israel claims it no longer occupies the Gaza Strip, maintaining that it is neither a State nor a territory occupied or controlled by Israel, but rather it has 'sui generis' status. Pursuant to the Disengagement Plan, Israel dismantled all military institutions and settlements in Gaza and there is no longer a permanent Israeli military or civilian presence in the territory. However, the Plan also provided that Israel will guard and monitor the external land perimeter of the Gaza Strip, will continue to maintain exclusive authority in Gaza air space, and will continue to exercise security activity in the sea off the coast of the Gaza Strip as well as maintaining an Israeli military presence on the Egyptian-Gaza border, and reserving the right to reenter Gaza at will. Israel continues to control six of Gaza's seven land crossings, its maritime borders and airspace and the movement of goods and persons in and out of the territory. Egypt controls one of Gaza's land crossings. Gaza is also dependent on Israel for water, electricity, telecommunications and other utilities, currency, issuing IDs, and permits to enter and leave the territory. Israel also has sole control of the Palestinian Population Registry through which the Israeli Army regulates who is classified as a Palestinian and who is a Gazan or West Banker. Since 2000 aside from a limited number of exceptions Israel has refused to add people to the Palestinian Population Registry. It is this direct external control over Gaza and indirect control over life within Gaza that has led the United Nations, the UN General Assembly, the UN Fact Finding Mission to Gaza, International human rights organisations, US Government websites, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and a significant number of legal commentators, to reject the argument that Gaza is no longer occupied.
Even after the accession to power of Hamas, Israel's claim that it no longer occupies Gaza has not been accepted by UN bodies, most States, nor the majority of academic commentators because of its exclusive control of its border with Gaza and crossing points including the effective control it exerted over the Rafah crossing until at least May 2011, its control of Gaza's maritime zones and airspace which constitute what Aronson terms the 'security envelope' around Gaza, as well as its ability to intervene forcibly at will in Gaza.
While Israel withdrew from the immediate territory, it remained in control of all access to and from Gaza through the border crossings, as well as through the coastline and the airspace. In addition, Gaza was dependent upon Israel for water, electricity sewage communication networks and for its trade (Gisha 2007. Dowty 2008). In other words, while Israel maintained that its occupation of Gaza ended with its unilateral disengagement Palestinians – as well as many human rights organizations and international bodies – argued that Gaza was by all intents and purposes still occupied.