Statistical information Gaza Strip 2001

Gaza Strip in the World
top of pageBackground: The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP) signed in Washington on 13 September 1993 provided for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Under the DOP Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority which includes the Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996 as part of the interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement. 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 Israeli citizens. Permanent status is to be determined through direct negotiations which resumed in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus. An intifadah broke out in September 2000; the resulting widespread violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip Israel's military response and instability in the Palestinian Authority are undermining progress toward a permanent settlement.
top of pageLocation: Middle East bordering the Mediterranean Sea between Egypt and Israel
Geographic coordinates: 31 25 N 34 20 E
Map reference:
Middle EastAreaTotal: 360 km²
Land: 360 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Washington DC
Land boundariesTotal: 62 km
Border countries: (2) Egypt 11 km;
, Israel 51 kmCoastline: 40 km
Maritime claims: Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation
Climate: temperate mild winters dry and warm to hot summers
Terrain: flat to rolling sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
ElevationExtremes lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m
Natural resources: arable land: natural gas
Land useArable land: 24%
Permanent crops: 39%
Permanent pastures: 0%
Forests and woodland: 11%
Other: 26% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 120 km² (1993 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: droughts
GeographyNote: there are 25 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Gaza Strip (August 2000 est.)
top of pagePopulationNote: in addition, there are some 6,900 Israeli settlers in the Gaza Strip (August 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 4.01% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%
NationalityNoun: NA
Adjective: NA
Ethnic groups: Palestinian Arab and other 99.4% Jewish 0.6%
Languages: Arabic Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians) English (widely understood)
Religions: Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 98.7% Christian 0.7% Jewish 0.6%
Demographic profileAge structure0-14 years: 49.89% (male 301,288; female 286,481)
15-64 years: 47.32% (male 283,274; female 274,189)
65 years and over: 2.79% (male 14,121; female 18,766) (2001 est.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 4.01% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 42.48 births/1000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 4.21 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.8 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage treatment; water-borne disease; soil degradation
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male/female
Total population: 1.03 male/female (2001 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 25.37 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 71.01 years
Male: 69.76 years
Female: 72.32 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.42 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsAdult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA
Major infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracyDefinition: NA
Total population: NA%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Gaza Strip
Local long form: none
Local short form: Qita Ghazzah
Government typeCapitalAdministrative divisionsDependent areasIndependenceNational holidayConstitutionLegal systemInternational law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrageExecutive branchLegislative branchJudicial branchPolitical parties and leadersInternational organization participationDiplomatic representationFlag description
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: Economic output in the Gaza Strip - which comes under the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority since the Cairo Agreement of May 1994 - declined perhaps one-third between 1992 and 1996. The downturn was largely the result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of generalized border closures in response to security incidents in Israel - which disrupted previously established labor and commodity market relationships between Israel and the WBGS (West Bank and Gaza Strip). The most serious negative social effect of this downturn was the emergence of high unemployment; unemployment in the WBGS during the 1980s was generally under 5%; by 1995 it had risen to over 20%. Since 1997 Israel's use of comprehensive closures has decreased and in 1998 Israel implemented new policies to reduce the impact of closures and other security procedures on the movement of Palestinian goods and labor. These changes fueled an almost three-year long economic recovery in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; real GDP grew by 5% in 1998 and 6% in 1999. Recovery was upended in the last quarter of 2000 with the outbreak of Palestinian violence which triggered tight Israeli closures of Palestinian self-rule areas and a severe disruption of trade and labor movements.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: -7.5% (2000 est.)
Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1000 (2000 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: 9%
Industry: 28%
Services: 63% (1999 est., includes West Bank)
Agriculture products: olives citrus vegetables; beef 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: NA%
Labor force: NA
By occupation services: 66%
By occupation industry: 21%
By occupation agriculture: 13% (1996)
Unemployment rate: 40% (includes West Bank) (yearend 2000)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty line: NA%
Gini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareLowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%
Distribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $1.6 billion
Expenditures: $1.73 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
Note: includes West Bank (1999 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer prices: 3% (includes West Bank) (2000 est.)
Central bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $682 million (f.o.b. 1998 est.) (includes West Bank)
Commodities: citrus flowers
Partners: Israel Egypt West Bank
Imports: $2.5 billion (c.i.f. 1998 est.) (includes West Bank)
Commodities: food consumer goods construction materials
Partners: Israel Egypt West Bank
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $108 million (1997 est.) (includes West Bank)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.0810 (December 2000) 4.0773 (2000) 4.1397 (1999) 3.8001 (1998) 3.4494 (1997) 3.1917 (1996)
top of pageElectricityProduction: NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Israel
Consumption: NA kWh
Exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Imports: NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Israel
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesMain lines in use: 95,729 (total for Gaza Strip and West Bank) (1997)
Mobile cellular: NA
Telephone systemGeneral assessment: NA
Domestic: rudimentary telephone services provided by an open wire system
International: NA
Broadcast mediaInternetService providers isps: 3 (1999)
Users: 23,520 (1999) (includes West Bank)
Broadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirportsNote: includes Gaza International Airport that opened on 24 November 1998 as part of agreements stipulated in the September 1995 Oslo II Accord and the 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysTotal: NA km; note - one line, abandoned and in disrepair, little trackage remains
RoadwaysWaterways: none
Merchant marinePorts and terminalstop of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs