Palestine

The Republic of Palestine is a multinational socialist republic in the Middle East, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to the west, and the River Jordan to the east. In addition, the state de facto controls a number of important sites on the other side of the River (claimed by the Hashemite Kingdom of Arabia, with which it is still in a de jure state of war with). The Republic was established in 1949, following the Palestinian War of Independence, a civil war between socialist, Arab nationalist and Jewish nationalist forces which took place following the end of the Franco-British mandate in the region. Palestine is a multiethnic state, home to substantial populations of Jews, Arabs and Druze, among others. Palestine is one of the few socialist states in the region, and as such is surrounded by hostile forces, placing it in a very strategically important geopolitical position.