Jerusalem

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Jerusalem (Hebrew Yerushalayim; Arabic Al Quds), city lying at the intersection of Israel and the West Bank, located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea, about 50 km (about 30 mi) southeast of the Israeli city of Tel Aviv-Yafo. Jerusalem is composed of two distinct sections: West Jerusalem and East Jerusalem. West Jerusalem, which is inhabited almost entirely by Jews, has been part of Israel since Israel was established in 1948. East Jerusalem, which has a large Palestinian Arab population and recently constructed Jewish areas, was held by Jordan between 1949 and the Six-Day War of 1967. During the war, East Jerusalem was captured by Israel, which has administered it since. Israel claims that Jerusalem is its capital, but Palestinians dispute the claim and the United Nations has not recognized it as such. Jews, Christians, and Muslims consider Jerusalem a holy city, and it contains sites sacred to all three religions.

Located on a cluster of hilltops and valleys, Jerusalem straddles Haray Yehuda, or the Judean Hills, which run north-south in Israel, dividing the coastal plain from the Great Rift Valley. Summers in Jerusalem are hot and dry, with cooler temperatures and rain in the winter. Snow falls rarely.

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The population of Jerusalem is divided along lines of ethnicity, religion, and nationality; the primary division is between the Jewish Israeli majority (70 percent) and the Palestinian Arab minority (30 percent). Further divisions exist within both of these groups. The Jewish population has a variety of communities, some based on degree of religious observance. For example, many strictly Orthodox Jews live in the Mea She'arim religious neighborhood. In the Palestinian population, distinctions can be made according to Christian or Muslim affiliation. The combined population of East and West Jerusalem in 1997 was 602,100.