On the eve of the Crimean War, Palestine had about half a million Arabic-speaking residents, mostly Muslims, with significant Christian and Jewish minorities. They coexisted with 50,000 Ottoman soldiers and officials, and 10,000 Europeans. The region was divided into three Ottoman sub-provinces: Nablus, Acre, and Jerusalem, each with its own major town. Key cities included Jerusalem, Acre, Hebron, Nablus, Haifa, Jaffa, and Gaza.