Return to North Glen or Reading List or Credo
Palestine in 1941
Extracted
from
Nelson's
World Gazeteer and Geographical Dictionary
Preface
to the Second Edition
In
this edition numerous alterations and additions bring the World
Gazetter
as nearly up-to-date as possible, and show what the actual
position
was at the outbreak of the present war. No attempt has been
made
to record the geographical aspects of the present political and
military
situation : such a record must wait till the overthrow of
the
totalitarian states once more brings stability to the countries
of
the world.
Although
in the body of the book, the latest census figures are
retained,
the tables at the end give the latest estimated figures
available.
1941
****
Palestine:
country, W. Asia, on Mediterranean Sea; bounded N. by
Syria,
E. by Transjordan, S. by Hejaz and Egypt; length 145 m.;
average
breadth W. of Jordan, 40 m. Because of its history is the
"Holy
Land" for Jews and Christians, and again is a national home for
Jewish
people. Country divided into (1) coastal plain of Philistia,
Sharon,
etc. (broken only by Mount Carmel), bordering Levant; (2)
mountain
and hill country of Judea, Samaria, and Galilee; (3) Jordan
rift-valley,
El Ghor, containing the Dead Sea; Principal riv., Jordan;
lakes
are Merom, Sea of Galilee, and Dead Sea. Climate extremely
hot
in summer and wet in winter; olive, cedar, and sycamore trees;
wheat,
wine, olives, and many fruits; sheep and goats reared;
rlys
running inland from Acre and Haif, and from Jaffa to Jerusalem,
are
connected with line from Egyptian frontier; exports oranges, soap,
water
melons, wines, durra, barley, sesame, and almonds;
trade
mainly with Syria, U.K., and Egypt.
During
Great War Turkish sovereignty was overthrown by British under
Allenby.
Country now administered by Great Britain under mandate of
League
of Nations. Cap. Jerusalem.
Area,
c.9,000 sq. m.; pop. 816,000 (including 572,500 Moslems,
154,500
Jews, and 80,500 Christians)
****
[and
from the "tables at the end" (Statistics of the British
Empire)]
Palestine:
Area in Sq. Miles: 10,429 Pop.: 1,467,000
(Editor note: (Not from Gazeteer) Official British Mandate Census for 1946/7
Return to North Glen or Reading List or Credo