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

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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 many Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip stalled following the outbreak of an intifada in September 2000. 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. 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 still controls maritime airspace and most access to the Gaza Strip; and it enforces a restricted zone along the border inside Gaza. In January 2006 the Islamic Resistance Movement HAMAS won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). 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. Violent clashes between Fatah and HAMAS supporters in the Gaza Strip in 2006 and early 2007 resulted in numerous Palestinian deaths and injuries. In February 2007 ABBAS and HAMAS Political Bureau Chief MISHAL 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 2007 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 despite multiple rounds of Egyptian-brokered reconciliation negotiations the two groups have failed to bridge their differences. Late November 2007 through June 2008 witnessed a substantial increase in Israeli-Palestinian violence. An Egyptian-brokered truce in June 2008 between Israel and HAMAS brought about a five-month pause in hostilities but spiraling end-of-year violence resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1100 to 1400 Palestinians and left tens of thousands of people homeless. International donors pledged $4.5 billion in aid to rebuild the Gaza Strip but by the end of 2010 large-


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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
Rank: 205
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 'Awdah) 105 m

Natural resources: arable land: natural gas

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

Irrigated land: 155 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: 1,604,238 (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 149
Growth rate: 3.29% (2010 est.)
Growth rate rank: 6
Below poverty line: 70% (2009 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: 44.4%
15-64 years: 53% (male 420,618/female 402,297)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 16,483/female 24,202) (2010 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 17.5 years
Male: 17.4 years
Female: 17.7 years (2010 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.29% (2010 est.)
Rank: 6

Birth rate: 36.26 births/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 28

Death rate: 3.36 deaths/1000 population (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 217

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 85

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 72% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 17.71 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 107
Male: 18.87 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 16.48 deaths/1000 live births (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.68 years
Rank: 111
Male: 72.05 years
Female: 75.4 years (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Rank: 27

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 and sea access continuing isolation and strict internal and external security controls have degraded economic conditions in the Gaza Strip - the smaller of the two areas in the Palestinian Territories. Israeli-imposed crossings closures which became more restrictive after HAMAS violently took over the territory in June 2007 and fighting between HAMAS and Israel during December 2008-January 2009 resulted in the near collapse of most of the private sector extremely high unemployment and high poverty rates. Shortages of goods are met through large-scale humanitarian assistance - led by UNRWA - and the HAMAS-regulated black market tunnel trade that flourishes under the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt. However chnages to the blockade in 2010 included moving from a white list - in which only approved items were allowed into Gaza through the crossings - to a black list where all but non-approved items were allowed into Gaza through the crossings. Israeli authorities have recently signaled that exports from the territory might be possible in the future but currently regular exports from Gaza are not permitted.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: see entry for West Bank

Real gdp growth rate: see entry for West Bank

Real gdp per capita: see entry for West Bank

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: olives fruit vegetables flowers; beef dairy products

Industries: textiles food processing

Industrial production growth rate: see entry for West Bank

Labor force: 339,000 (2009)
Rank: 160
By occupation agriculture: 12%
By occupation industry: 5%
By occupation services: 83% (June 2008)

Unemployment rate: 40% (2009 est.)
Rank: 186

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 70% (2009 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 11.5% (2008)
Rank: 199
Note: includes West Bank

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: see entry for West Bank

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit
Note: see entry for West Bank

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports
Commodities: strawberries carnations

Imports: see entry for West Bank
Commodities: food consumer goods
Commodities note: Israel permits limited imports through crossings with Gaza but many 'dual use' goods such as construction materials are smuggled through tunnels beneath Gaza's border with Egypt

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: see entry for West Bank

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - 3.7461 (2010) 3.9326 (2009) 3.56 (2008) 4.14 (2007) 4.4565 (2006)


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Electricity
Production: 65,000 kWh (2009)
Production rank: 212
Consumption: 202,000 kWh (2009)
Consumption rank: 213
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 120,000 kWh; note - from Israeli Electric Company (2009)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 360,400 (includes West Bank) (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 108
Mobile cellular: 2.405 million (includes West Bank) (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 124

Telephone system
General assessment: Gaza continues to repair the damage to its telecommunications infrastructure caused by fighting in 2009
Domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services; the Palestinian JAWWAL company provides cellular services
International: country code - 970 (2009)

Broadcast media: 1 television station and about 10 radio stations (2008)

Internet
Country code: .ps; note - same as West Bank
Users: 1.379 million (includes West Bank) (2009)
Users rank: 87

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: 1 (2010)
Rank: 223
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2010)

Heliports: 1 (2010)

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: 1.017 million (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)) (2007)

Illicit drugs