Albireh

Al-Bireh, al-Birah, or el-Bira is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank, 15 kilometers north of Jerusalem. It is the capital of the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate of the State of Palestine. It is situated on the central ridge running through the West Bank and is 860 meters above sea level, covering an area of 22.4 square kilometers. Al-Bireh is under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority.

Because of its location Al-Bireh served as an economic crossroad between the north and south, along the caravan route between Jerusalem and Nablus. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the city had a population of approximately 39,202 in the 2007 census.