from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Gaza Strip
Introduction
Background: 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 (PA) 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 and internal
security and for public order of settlements and
Israeli citizens. Direct negotiations to determine the
permanent status of Gaza and West Bank began in
September 1999 after a three-year hiatus, but were
derailed by a second intifadah that broke out 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. The proposed date for a permanent
status agreement has been postponed indefinitely due to
violence and accusations that both sides have not
followed through on their commitments. Longtime
Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT died in November 2004
and Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January
2005, bringing hope of a turning point in the conflict.
In February 2005 Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm
el-Sheikh Commitments, focused on security issues, in
an effort to move the peace process forward. Progress
has been slow because of different interpretations of
the verbal agreement by the two sides. In September
2005, Israel withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and
dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip
and four northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless,
Israel controls maritime, airspace, and most access to
the Gaza Strip. An agreement signed by the PA and
Israel in November 2005 authorized the reopening of the
Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt
under joint PA and Egyptian control, with monitoring
provided by the EU.
Geography
Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between
Egypt and Israel
Geographic 31 25 N, 34 20 E
coordinates:
Map Middle East
references:
Area: total: 360 sq km
land: 360 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
comparative:
Land total: 62 km
boundaries: border countries: Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
Coastline: 40 km
Maritime Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the
claims: 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 lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
extremes: highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m
Natural arable land, natural gas
resources:
Land use: arable land: 29%
permanent crops: 21%
other: 50% (2002)
Irrigated 150 sq km; note - includes West Bank (2003)
land:
Natural droughts
hazards:
Environment - desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage
current treatment; water-borne disease; soil degradation;
issues: depletion and contamination of underground water
resources
Geography - strategic strip of land along Mideast-North African
note: trade routes has experienced an incredibly turbulent
history; the town of Gaza itself has been besieged
countless times in its history
People
Population: 1,428,757 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 48.1% (male 351,642/female 335,060)
15-64 years: 49.4% (male 360,147/female 345,318)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 15,231/female 21,359)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 15.8 years
male: 15.7 years
female: 16 years (2006 est.)
Population 3.71% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 39.45 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 3.8 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 1.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 22.4 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 23.48 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 21.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 71.97 years
expectancy at male: 70.67 years
birth: female: 73.34 years (2006 est.)
Total 5.78 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
Nationality: noun: NA
adjective: NA
Ethnic groups: Palestinian Arab and other 99.4%, Jewish 0.6%
Religions: Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 98.7%, Christian 0.7%,
Jewish 0.6%
Languages: Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by many Palestinians), English
(widely understood)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.9%
male: 96.3%
female: 87.4% (2003 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Gaza Strip
local long form: none
local short form: Qita Ghazzah
Economy
Economy - High population density, limited land access, and
overview: strict internal and external 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 intifadah in September 2000 sparked an
economic downturn, largely the result of Israeli
closure policies; these policies, which were imposed in
response to security interests in Israel, disrupted
labor and commodity relationships with the Gaza Strip.
In 2001, and even more severely in 2003, Israeli
military measures in PA areas resulted in the
destruction of much capital plant, the disruption of
administrative structure, and widespread business
closures. Including the West Bank, the UN estimates
that more than 100,000 Palestinians out of the 125,000
who used to work in Israel or in joint industrial zones
have lost their jobs. Half the labor force is
unemployed. Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in
September 2005 offers some medium-term opportunities
for economic growth, especially given the removal of
restrictions on internal movement. In addition, recent
agreements and continuing negotiations on the
administration of Gaza's border crossings increase the
prospects for trade.
GDP $768 million (2003 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official NA
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 4.5% (2003 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $600 (2003 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 3%
composition by industry: 28.3%
sector: services: 68.7% (includes West Bank) (2002 est.)
Labor force: 278,000 (April-June 2005)
Labor force - agriculture: 11.9%
by occupation: industry: 18%
services: 70.1% (2nd qtr. 2005)
Unemployment 31% (includes West Bank) (January-September 2005 avg.)
rate:
Population 81% (2004 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 7% (includes West Bank) (2003)
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $964 million
expenditures: $1.34 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA; note - these budget data include
West Bank (2004)
Agriculture - olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products
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, but operations ceased prior to
Israel's evacuation of Gaza Strip settlements
Industrial NA%
production
growth rate:
Electricity - NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the Gaza Strip
production: power plant and by an Israeli utility
Electricity - NA kWh
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2001)
exports:
Electricity - NA kWh; note - some electricity supplied by an Israeli
imports: utility (2005)
Exports: $270 million f.o.b.; note - includes West Bank (2003)
Exports - citrus, flowers, textiles
commodities:
Exports - Israel, Egypt, West Bank (2004)
partners:
Imports: $1.952 billion c.i.f.; note - includes West Bank (2003)
Imports - food, consumer goods, construction materials
commodities:
Imports - Israel, Egypt, West Bank (2004)
partners:
Debt - $0; note - includes West Bank (2002)
external:
Economic aid - $2 billion; note - includes West Bank (2004 est.)
recipient:
Currency new Israeli shekel (ILS)
(code):
Currency code: ILS
Exchange new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.4877 (2005),
rates: 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057
(2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 349,000 (includes West Bank) (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 1.095 million (includes West Bank) (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: NA
system: domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian
company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services
in the Gaza Strip; the Palestinian JAWAL company
provides cellular services
international: country code - 970
Radio AM 0, FM 8, shortwave 0 (2005)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: NA; note - most Palestinian households have radios
(1999)
Television 1 (2005)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: NA; note - most Palestinian households have televisions
(1997)
Internet .ps
country code:
Internet 3 (1999)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 243,000 (includes West Bank) (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 2
note: includes Gaza International Airport closed since
its runway was destroyed by the Israeli Defense Forces
in December 2001 (2006)
Airports - total: 1
with paved over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)
runways:
Airports - total: 1
with unpaved under 914 m: 1 (2006)
runways:
Heliports: 1 (2006)
Roadways: note: see entry for West Bank
Ports and Gaza
terminals:
Military
Military in accordance with the peace agreement, the Palestinian
branches: Authority is not permitted conventional military
forces; there are, however, public security forces
(2002)
Manpower males age 18-49: 260,855 (2005 est.)
available for
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 221,530 (2005 est.)
for military
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 15,196 (2005 est.)
reaching
military
service age
annually:
Military NA
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military NA
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with
international: 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 refugees (country of origin): 986,034 (Palestinian
internally Refugees (UNRWA)) (2005)
displaced
persons: