Map of Gaza Strip | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: the Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements ("the DOP"), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993, provides for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.


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Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total area total: 360 km²
Land: 360 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC

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

Coastline: 40 km

Maritime claims: Israeli occupied with interim status subject to Israeli/Palestinian negotiations - final 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
Arable land: 13%
Permanent crops: 32%
Meadows and pastures: 0%
Forest and woodland: 0%
Other: 55%

Irrigated land: 115 km² (1992 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: Under the Israeli-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements ("the DOP"), Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, and subsequently to an elected Palestinian Council, as part of interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho has taken place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area. The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility during the transitional period for external security and for internal security and public order of settlements and Israelis. Final status is to be determined through direct negotiations within five years.


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Population: 813,322 (July 1995 est.)
Note: in addition, there are 4,800 Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip (August 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 4.55% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: NA
Adjective: NA

Ethnic groups: Palestinian Arab and other 99.4%, Jewish 0.6%

Languages: Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers), English (widely understood)

Religions: Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 98.7%, Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.6%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 52% (female 205,192; male 215,158)
15-64 years: 45% (female 185,748; male 183,886)
65 years and over: 3% (female 13,106; male 10,232) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 4.55% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 50.24 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 4.75 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: desertification
Current issues natural hazards: NA
Current issues international agreements: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 30.6 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.09 years
Male: 69.56 years
Female: 72.69 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 7.74 children born/woman (1995 est.)

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
Conventional short form: Gaza Strip
Local long form: none
Local short form: Qita Ghazzah

Government type

Capital

Administrative divisions

Dependent areas

Independence

National holiday

Constitution

Legal system

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

Executive branch

Legislative branch

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: In 1991 roughly 40% of Gaza Strip workers were employed across the border by Israeli industrial, construction, and agricultural enterprises, with worker remittances supplementing GDP by roughly 50%. Gaza depends upon Israel for nearly 90% of its external trade. Aggravating the impact of Israeli military administration, unrest in the territory since 1988 (intifadah) has raised unemployment and lowered the standard of living of Gazans. The Persian Gulf crisis and its aftershocks also have dealt blows to Gaza since August 1990. Worker remittances from the Gulf states have dropped, unemployment has increased, and exports have fallen. The withdrawal of Israel from the Gaza Strip in May 1994 brings a new set of adjustment problems.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: $2,400 (1993 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

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

Industries: generally small family businesses that produce 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: 11% (1991 est.)

Labor force: NA
By occupation construction: 33.4%
By occupation agriculture: 20.0%
By occupation commerce restaurants and hotels: 14.9%
By occupation industry: 10.0%
By occupation other services: 21.7% (1991)
Note: excluding Jewish settlers

Unemployment rate: 45% (1994 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $33.6 million
Expenditures: $34.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY89/90)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year (since 1 January 1992)

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: $83 million (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodoties: citrus
Partners: Israel, Egypt

Imports: $365 million (c.i.f., 1992)
Commodoties: food, consumer goods, construction materials
Partners: Israel, Egypt

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 - 3.0270 (December 1994), 3.0111 (1994), 2.8301 (1993), 2.4591 (1992), 2.2791 (1991), 2.0162 (1990)


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Electricity

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: NA; note - 10% of Palestinian households have telephones (1992 est.)
Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: NA

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP

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 paved runways under 914 m: 1

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli occupied with interim status subject to Israeli/Palestinian negotiations - final status to be determined

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs