1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
Coastline
40 km
Comparative area
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Disputes
Israeli occupied with status to be determined
Environment
desertification
Land boundaries
62 km total; Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
Land use
arable land 13%, permanent crops 32%, meadows and pastures 0%, forest and woodland 0%, other 55%
Maritime claims
Israeli occupied with status to be determined
Natural resources
negligible
Note
there are 18 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip
Terrain
flat to rolling, sand and dune covered coastal plain
Total area
380km2; land area: 380 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
43 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
Palestinian Arab and other 99.8%, Jewish 0.2%
Infant mortality rate
41 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
(excluding Israeli Jewish settlers) small industry, commerce and business 32.0%, construction 24.4%, service and other 25.5%, and agriculture 18.1% (1984)
Language
Arabic, Israeli settlers speak Hebrew, English widely understood
Life expectancy at birth
65 years male, 67 years female (1991)
Literacy
NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Nationality
NA
Net migration rate
- 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
NA
Population
642,253 (July 1991), growth rate 3.2% (1991); in addition, there are 2,500 Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip (1990 est.)
Religion
Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 99%, Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.3%
Total fertility rate
6.9 children born/woman (1991)
Government
Long-form name
none
Note
The Gaza Strip is currently governed by Israeli military authorities and Israeli civil administration. It is US policy that the final status of the Gaza Strip will be determined by negotiations among the concerned parties. These negotiations will determine how this area is to be governed.
Economy
Agriculture
olives, citrus and other fruits, vegetables, beef, dairy products
Budget
revenues $36.6 million; expenditures $32.0 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1986)
Currency
new Israeli shekel (plural--shekels); 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
Economic aid
none
Electricity
power supplied by Israel
Exchange rates
new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1--2.0120 (January 1991), 2.0162 (1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988), 1.5946 (1987), 1.4878 (1986), 1.1788 (1985)
Exports
$88 million; commodities--citrus; partners--Israel, Egypt (1989 est.)
External debt
$NA
Fiscal year
1 April-March 31
GNP
$270 million, per capita $430; real growth rate - 25% (1990 est.)
Imports
$260 million; commodities--food, consumer goods, construction materials; partners--Israel, Egypt (1989 est.)
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale modern industries in an industrial center
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA%
Overview
Nearly half the labor force of the Gaza Strip is employed across the border by Israeli industrial, construction, and agricultural enterprises, with worker transfer funds accounting for 46% of GNP in 1990. The once dominant agricultural sector now contributes only 13% to GNP, about the same as that of the construction sector, and industry accounts for 7%. Gaza depends upon Israel for 90% of its imports and as a market for 80% of its exports. Unrest in the territory in 1988-91 (intifadah) has raised unemployment and substantially lowered the incomes of the population. Furthermore, the Persian Gulf crisis dealt a severe blow to the Gaza Strip in 1990 and on into 1991. Worker remittances from the Gulf states have plunged, unemployment has increased, and export revenues have fallen dramatically. The risk of malnutrition is a real possibility in 1991.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
1 with permanent-surface runway less than 1,220 m
Highways
small, poorly developed indigenous road network
Ports
facilities for small boats to service Gaza
Railroads
one line, abandoned and in disrepair, but trackage remains
Telecommunications
stations--no AM, no FM, no TV
Military and Security
Branches
NA
Defense expenditures
$NA, NA% of GDP _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 136,311; NA fit for military service