Ramallah | |
---|---|
Other transcription(s) | |
• Arabic | رام الله |
• Also spelled | Ramallah (official) |
![]() Bank of Palestine, in Ramallah | |
Governorate | Ramallah & al-Bireh |
Founded | 16th century |
Government | |
• Type | City (from 1995) |
• Head of Municipality | Janet Mikhail |
Area | |
• Jurisdiction | 16,344 dunams (16.3 km2 or 6.3 sq mi) |
Population (2007)[1] | |
• Jurisdiction | 27,092 |
Website | www.ramallah.ps |
Ramallah (Arabic: رام الله Rāmallāh (help·info) is a Palestinian city, in the West Bank. It is 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of Jerusalem. It currently serves as the de facto capital of the State of Palestine, Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian National Authority. The constitutional capital is Jerusalem. Ramallah has over 27,000 people living there.[2] Ramallah was historically a Christian town, but today Muslims form the majority of the population, with 25% of the people Christians.[3][4]
The name of the city is made of "Ram", an Aramaic word that means "high place or mountain", and "Allah", the Arabic word for God. It translates as "Height of God".[5]
Palestinian PLO leader (1969-2004) Yasser Arafat is entombed here in mausoleum.