Al-Auja, West Bank

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al-Auja
Arabic العوجا
Government Municipality (from 1994)
Also Spelled al-'Auja (officially)

al-Awja (unofficially)

Governorate Jericho
Population 4,000 (2006)
Jurisdiction 107,905 dunams (107.9 km²)

al-Auja (Arabic: العوجا‎) is a Palestinian town in the Jericho Governorate in the eastern West Bank, located ten kilometers north of Jericho. The town has a total area of 107,905 dunams, however its built-up area comprises only 832 dunams. After Israel' occupation of the West Bank in the 1967 Six-Day War, 30,147 dunams of al-Auja's land was classified as "closed-off area" barred from Palestinian use. It is situated 230 meters below sea level.[1]

Agricultural land makes up over 10% of the town's jurisdiction,[1] mostly planted with bananas, oranges, and vegetables for which al-Auja is well-known. Irrigation water is mainly supplied from the al-Auja spring.[2]

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, al-Auja had a population of over 4,000 inhabitants in mid-year 2006.[3] In 1997, refugees constituted 24.7% of the population.[4] Located in "Area A", complete control over al-Auja was transferred to the Palestinian National Authority in a 1994 deal which also included Jericho and Gaza.[1]

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