ABSTRACT
This chapter examines an ancient land—historic Palestine-—and the two modern polities that in the twenty-first century constitute it: the still-—young State of Israel and the emerging State of Palestine. It first considers a few topics common to the land itself—such as landforms, climate, soil and vegetation, and natural resources—and then turns its attention to the two polities individually. Among the 127 states that have gained independence since 1943, 10 of them in the Middle East, Israel has generated an unprecedented level of international involvement both in support and in opposition. Debate between religious conservatives and liberals, seen throughout the Middle East, is particularly intense in Israel. Palestine's greatest resource truly is its people. Well educated for several generations now, first under the mandate and then in the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) school system, hundreds of thousands of expatriate Palestinians have gained considerable experience in a wide range of professions and occupations.
