Map of Gaza Strip | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: 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.


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

Geographic coordinates: 31 25 N 34 20 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 360 km²
Land: 360 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries
Total: 62 km
Border countries: (2) Egypt 11 km; , Israel 51 km

Coastline: 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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m

Natural resources: arable land: natural gas

Land use
Arable land: 29%
Permanent crops: 21%
Other: 50% (2002)

Irrigated land: 150 km²; note - includes West Bank (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: droughts

Geography
Note: 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


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Population: 1,500,202 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 3.422% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Noun: NA
Adjective: NA

Ethnic groups: Palestinian Arab

Languages: Arabic Hebrew (spoken by many Palestinians) English (widely understood)

Religions: Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 99.3% Christian 0.7%

Demographic profile

Age structure
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.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 17.2 years
Male: 17 years
Female: 17.4 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.422% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 37.75 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 3.53 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2008 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage treatment; water-borne disease; soil degradation; depletion and contamination of underground water resources

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male/female
Total population: 1.04 male/female (2008 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 19 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 20.22 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 17.72 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.16 years
Male: 71.6 years
Female: 74.83 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.19 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
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
Total: 14 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 14 years (2006)

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: 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 intifada 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $5.034 billion (includes West Bank) (2006 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: -8% (includes West Bank) (2006 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1100 (includes West Bank) (2006 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 8%
Industry: 13%
Services: 79% (includes West Bank) (2006 est.)

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 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: 2.4% (includes West Bank) (2005)

Labor force: 267,000 (2006)
By occupation agriculture: 12%
By occupation industry: 18%
By occupation services: 70% (2005)

Unemployment rate: 34.8% (2006)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $1.149 billion
Expenditures: $2.31 billion
Note: includes West Bank (2006)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.6% (includes West Bank) (2006)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 7.73% (31 December 2006)

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: $1.455 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $301 million f.o.b.; (includes West Bank) (2005)
Commodities: citrus flowers textiles
Partners: Israel Egypt West Bank (2006)

Imports: $2.44 billion c.i.f.; (includes West Bank) (2005)
Commodities: food consumer goods construction materials
Partners: Israel Egypt West Bank (2006)

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 (ILS) per US dollar - 4.14 (2007) 4.4565 (2006) 4.4877 (2005) 4.482 (2004) 4.5541 (2003)


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Electricity
Production: 140,000 kWh (2005)
Consumption: 230,000 kWh (2005)
Exports: 0 kWh (2005)
Imports: 90,000 kWh; note - from Israeli Electric Company (2005)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 350,400 (includes West Bank) (2007)
Mobile cellular: 1.026 million (includes West Bank) (2007)

Telephone system
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)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .ps; note - same as West Bank
Users: 355,500 (includes West Bank) (2007)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 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: 2 (2007)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Heliports: 1 (2007)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Note: see entry for West Bank

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Gaza


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Disputes international: 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
Refugees country of origin: 1.017 million (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)) (2007)

Illicit drugs