Jericho Governorate

The Jericho Governorate ( _ar. محافظة أريحا) is one of 16 Governorates of the Palestinian National Authority (administrative districts) within the Palestinian territories. It is located along the eastern areas of the West Bank, along the northern Dead Sea and southern Jordan River valley bordering Jordan. The Governorate spans west to the mountains east of Ramallah and the eastern slopes of Jerusalem, including the northern reaches of the Judean desert. The population of the Jericho Governorate is estimated to be 31,501, including approximately 6,000 Palestinian refugees in the Governorate's camps. [cite web |url=http://www.pnic.gov.ps/english/geography/Residential_jericho.html |title=The Administrative Divisions of Governorates (Jericho) |publisher=Palestinian National Information Centre - Palestinian National Authority]

Agriculture is important to the economy in the district, especially in the valley near Jericho, its capital. Jericho is often considered the oldest continuous settlement in the world; its many historic and archaeological sites attract numerous tourists to the area.

Elishia's Park (also called Elisee's Spring and Ein el-Sultan) is an oasis in the Jericho District that is home to orchards, palm groves, banana plantations, and other flora. [cite web |url=http://whc.unesco.org/en/332/ |title=Laureates 1999 |publisher=World Heritage Centre]

On November 7, 1927, a major earthquake epicentered near Jericho, which lies on the Great Rift Valley, killed 350 people and caused major damage in Palestine. [cite web |url=http://www.arij.org/pub/Jericho-Profile.pdf |title=Jericho Profile |publisher=Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem |date=October 1995]

Localities

Cities

* Jericho

Municipalities

* al-Auja
* al-Jiftlik

Villages

* al-Fasa'il
* an-Nuway'imah
* Ein ad-Duyuk at-Tahta
* Ein ad-Duyuk at-Foqa
* az-Zubaidat

Refugee camps

* Aqabat Jaber
* Ein as-Sultan

References