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This page was last updated on 4 September 2008


Map of Gaza Strip



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Gaza Strip Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
The September 1993 Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements provided for a transitional period of Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under a series of agreements signed between May 1994 and September 1999, Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza stalled following the outbreak of an intifada in September 2000, as Israeli forces reoccupied most Palestinian-controlled areas. In April 2003, the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement was postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides had not followed through on their commitments. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and withdrew settlers and redeployed soldiers from four small northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless, Israel controls maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza Strip. A November 2005 PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian control. In January 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The international community refused to accept the HAMAS-led government because it did not recognize Israel, would not renounce violence, and refused to honor previous peace agreements between Israel and the PA. HAMAS took control of the PA government in March 2006, but President ABBAS had little success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the international community so as to lift economic sanctions on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene throughout most of 2006 as a result of Israel's detention of many HAMAS PLC members and Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members. Violent clashes took place between Fatah and HAMAS supporters in the Gaza Strip in 2006 and early 2007, resulting in numerous Palestinian deaths and injuries. ABBAS and HAMAS Political Bureau Chief MISHAL in February 2007 signed the Mecca Agreement in Saudi Arabia that resulted in the formation of a Palestinian National Unity Government (NUG) headed by HAMAS member Ismail HANIYA. However, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, and in June, HAMAS militants succeeded in a violent takeover of all military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip. ABBAS dismissed the NUG and through a series of Presidential decrees formed a PA government in the West Bank led by independent Salam FAYYAD. HAMAS rejected the NUG's dismissal and has called for resuming talks with Fatah, but ABBAS has ruled out negotiations until HAMAS agrees to a return of PA control over the Gaza Strip and recognizes the FAYYAD-led government. FAYYAD and his PA government initiated a series of security and economic reforms to improve conditions in the West Bank. ABBAS participated in talks with Israel's Prime Minister OLMERT and secured the release of some Palestinian prisoners and previously withheld customs revenue. During a November 2007 international meeting in Annapolis Maryland, ABBAS and OLMERT agreed to resume peace negotiations with the goal of reaching a final peace settlement by the end of 2008.
   Geography    Gaza Strip Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
31 25 N, 34 20 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Middle East
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 360 sq km
land: 360 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
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total: 62 km
border countries: Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
Coastline:
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40 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation
Climate:
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temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
Terrain:
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flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
arable land, natural gas
Land use:
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arable land: 29%
permanent crops: 21%
other: 50% (2002)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
150 sq km; note - includes West Bank (2003)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
droughts
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage treatment; water-borne disease; soil degradation; depletion and contamination of underground water resources
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
strategic strip of land along Mideast-North African trade routes has experienced an incredibly turbulent history; the town of Gaza itself has been besieged countless times in its history
   People    Gaza Strip Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,500,202 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 44.7% (male 343,988/female 325,856)
15-64 years: 52.7% (male 403,855/female 386,681)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 16,196/female 23,626) (2008 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 17.2 years
male: 17 years
female: 17.4 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
3.422% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
37.75 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.53 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.9575 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 19 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 20.22 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 17.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 73.16 years
male: 71.6 years
female: 74.83 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5.19 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
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noun: NA
adjective: NA
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
Palestinian Arab
Religions:
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Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 99.3%, Christian 0.7%
Languages:
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Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.4%
male: 96.7%
female: 88% (2004 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
Definition Field Listing
total: 14 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
   Government    Gaza Strip Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Gaza Strip
local long form: none
local short form: Qita Ghazzah
   Economy    Gaza Strip Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
High population density, limited land access, and strict internal and external security controls have kept economic conditions in the Gaza Strip - the smaller of the two areas under the Palestinian Authority (PA)- even more degraded than in the West Bank. The beginning of the second intifadah in September 2000 sparked an economic downturn, largely the result of Israeli closure policies; these policies, which were imposed to address security concerns in Israel, disrupted labor and trade access to and from the Gaza Strip. In 2001, and even more severely in 2003, Israeli military measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of capital, the disruption of administrative structures, and widespread business closures. The Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in September 2005 offered some medium-term opportunities for economic growth, but continued Israeli-imposed crossings closures, which became more restrictive after Hamas violently took over the territory in June 2007, have resulted in widespread private sector layoffs and shortages of most goods.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$5.034 billion (includes West Bank) (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
$5.328 billion (includes West Bank) (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
-8% (includes West Bank) (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1,100 (includes West Bank) (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 8%
industry: 13%
services: 79% (includes West Bank) (2006 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
267,000 (2006)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 12%
industry: 18%
services: 70% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
34.8% (2006)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
80% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.6% (includes West Bank) (2006)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $1.149 billion
expenditures: $2.31 billion
note: includes West Bank (2006)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
generally small family businesses that produce textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis had established some small-scale modern industries in an industrial center, but operations ceased prior to Israel's evacuation of Gaza Strip settlements
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.4% (includes West Bank) (2005)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
140,000 kWh (2005)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
230,000 kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
90,000 kWh; note - from Israeli Electric Company (2005)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$301 million f.o.b.; (includes West Bank) (2005)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
citrus, flowers, textiles
Exports - partners:
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Israel, Egypt, West Bank (2006)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$2.44 billion c.i.f.; (includes West Bank) (2005)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
food, consumer goods, construction materials
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Israel, Egypt, West Bank (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$1.4 billion; (includes West Bank) (2006 est.)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
new Israeli shekel (ILS)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Gaza Strip Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
349,000 (includes West Bank) (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.026 million (includes West Bank) (2007)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: NA
domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services; the Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services
international: country code - 970 (2004)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 0, FM 10, shortwave 0 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
1 (2008)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.ps; note - same as West Bank
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
243,000 (includes West Bank) (2005)
   Transportation    Gaza Strip Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Heliports:
Definition Field Listing
1 (2007)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
note: see entry for West Bank
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
Gaza
   Military    Gaza Strip Top of Page
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
in accordance with the peace agreement, the Palestinian Authority is not permitted conventional military forces; there are, however, public security forces (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 16-49: 337,670 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 16-49: 291,467 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
Definition Field Listing
males age 16-49: 19,567 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
   Transnational Issues    Gaza Strip Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel removed settlers and military personnel from the Gaza Strip in August 2005
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Definition Field Listing
refugees (country of origin): 1.017 million (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)) (2007)

This page was last updated on 4 September 2008


 

Source : The World Factbook