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 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 of 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 other access to the Gaza Strip; Israel also 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 leading to the imposition of economic sanctions on the Palestinian government for its refusal to renounce violence recognize Israel and adhere to the previous agreements. 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 Khalid 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 that same month dismissed the NUG and through a series of presidential decrees formed a PA government in the West Bank led by independent Salam FAYYAD. Late November 2007 through June 2008 witnessed a substantial increase in violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in the HAMAS-controlled Gaza Strip. 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 led to an Israeli air campaign and ground invasion into the Gaza Strip from December 2008 to January 2009 that resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1100 to 1400 Palestinians and left tens of thousands homeless. Fatah and HAMAS in May 2011 under the auspices of Egyptian-sponsored reconciliation negotiations agreed to reunify the Palestinian territories but the factions have struggled to implement details on governing and security structures despite the signing of subsequent agreements in February and May 2012. In November 2012 an Israeli airstrike killed a top commander in HAMAS's military wing initiating an eight-day Israeli aerial campaign in Gaza. Israel cited increased rocket attacks from Palestinian militants into Israel as the reason for initiating the campaign. Egypt brokered a cease-fire between Israel and HAMAS on 21 November 2012. The status quo remains with HAMAS in control of the Gaza Strip and ABBAS and the Fatah-dominated PA governing the West Bank.


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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

Area
Rank: 206
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries

Coastline: 40 km

Maritime claims: see entry for Israel

Climate: temperate mild winters dry and warm to hot summers

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

Elevation

Natural resources: arable land: natural gas

Land use

Irrigated land: 180 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: 1,710,257 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 151
Growth rate: 3.108% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 6
Below poverty line: 38% (2010 est.)

Nationality

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

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.108% (2012 est.)
Rank: 6

Birth rate: 34.3 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 31

Death rate: 3.22 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 217

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 87

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

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 104

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 110

Total fertility rate: 4.57 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 30

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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

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: Israeli security controls imposed since the end of the second intifada have degraded economic conditions in the Gaza Strip the smaller of the two areas comprising the Palestinian territories. Israeli-imposed border closures which became more restrictive after HAMAS seized control of the territory in June 2007 have resulted in high unemployment elevated poverty rates and sharp contraction of the private sector that had relied primarily on export markets. The population is reliant on government spending - by both the Palestinian Authority (PA) and HAMAS's de facto government - and humanitarian assistance. Changes to Israeli restrictions on imports in 2010 resulted in a rebound in some economic activity but regular exports from Gaza still are not permitted. Recent indicators of strong growth belie the economic reality that standard-of-living measures remain below levels seen in the mid-1990s.

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

Industrial production growth rate: see entry for West Bank

Labor force: 348,200 (2010)
Rank: 161

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

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 38% (2010 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: see entry for West Bank

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.9% (2011 est.)
Rank: 100

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: see entry for West Bank

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money: $6.674 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 119

Stock of domestic credit: $851.1 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 160

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: -$690.7 million (2010 est.)

Exports: see entry for West Bank
Commodities: strawberries carnations vegetables; small and irregular shipments as permitted to transit the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing

Imports: see entry for West Bank
Commodities: food consumer goods

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:


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Electricity
Production: 51,000 kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 218
Consumption: 202,000 kWh (2009)
Consumption rank: 217
Exports: 0 kWh (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 206
Imports: 193,000 kWh (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 107

Coal

Petroleum
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 143

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 337,000 (includes West Bank) (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 112
Mobile cellular: 2.405 million (includes West Bank) (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 131

Telephone system

Broadcast media: 1 TV 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: 88

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 (2012)
Rank: 230

Heliports: 1 (2012)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Gaza


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Disputes international: the current status of Gaza Strip is subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement with permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel removed settlers and military personnel from Gaza Strip in August 2005

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs