Map of Gaza Strip | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: The Gaza Strip has been occupied by israel since 1967.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries: 62 km total; Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km

Coastline: 40 km

Maritime claims: Israeli occupied with status to be determined

Climate: temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers

Terrain: flat to rolling, sand and dune covered coastal plain

Elevation

Natural resources: negligible

Land use: 13% arable land, 32% permanent crops, 0% meadows and pastures, 0% forest and woodland, 55% other

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: The Gaza Strip is currently governed by Israeli military authorities and Israeli civil administration. It is US policy that the final status of the Gaza Strip will be determined by negotiations among the concerned parties. These negotiations will determine how this area is to be governed.


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Population: 596,261 (July 1989), growth rate 3.2% (1989; in addition, there are 2,500 Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip

Nationality: NA

Ethnic groups: 99.8% Palestinian Arab and other, 0.2% Jewish

Languages: Arabic, Israeli settlers speak Hebrew, English widely understood

Religions: 99% Muslim (predominantly Sunni), 0.7% Christian, 0.3% Jewish

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 47 births/1000 population (1989)

Death rate: 7 deaths/1000 population (1989)

Net migration rate: - 8 migrants/1000 population (1989)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: desertification

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 56 deaths/1000 live births (1989)

Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male, 66 years female (1989)

Total fertility rate: 7.2 children born/woman (1989)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: NA%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: none

Government type

Capital

Administrative divisions

Dependent areas

Independence

National holiday

Constitution

Legal system

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

Executive branch

Legislative branch: NA

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation

Diplomatic representation

Flag description

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The relatively poor economy of the Gaza Strip - heavily dependent on the economic vitality of Israel - has slowed during the 1980s as growth declined and per capita GNP deteriorated. Nearly half of the labor force is employed by Israeli industrial, construction, and agricultural enterprises, with worker transfer funds accounting for 40% of GNP in 1986. The once dominant agricultural sector now contributes only 13% to GNP, about the same as that of the construction sector, and industry accounts for 7%. Gaza depends upon Israel for 90% of its imports and as a market for 80% of its exports. Unrest in the territory during the past year has raised unemployment and lowered the incomes of the population.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: olives, citrus and other fruits, vegetables, beef, dairy products

Industries: generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale modern industries in an industrial center

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force
Note: (excluding Israeli Jewish settlers)
By occupation small industry commerce and business: 32.0%
By occupation construction: 24.4%
By occupation service and other: 25.5%
By occupation agriculture: 18.1% (1984)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $36.6 million; expenditures $32.0 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1986)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April-March 31

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $139.7 million
Commodities: citrus
Partners: Egypt and Israel (1986)

Imports: $378.0 million
Commodities: food, consumer goods, construction materials
Partners: Egypt and Israel (1986)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 1.8157 (January 1989), 1.5992 (1988), 1.5946 (1987), 1.4878 (1986), 1.1788 (1985)


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Electricity
Capacity: power supplied by Israel

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: NA

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway less than 1,220 m

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Israeli occupied with status to be determined

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs