1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (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 area
380 km2
Land boundaries
62 km; 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
The war between Israel and the Arab states in June 1967 ended with Israel in control of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Sinai, and the Golan Heights. As stated in the 1978 Camp David accords and reaffirmed by President Bush's post - Gulf crisis peace initiative, the final status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors, and a peace treaty be-tween Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the concerned parties. Camp David further specifies that these negotiations will resolve the respective boundaries. Pending the completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip has yet to be determined. In the US view, the term West Bank describes all of the area west of the Jordan River under Jordanian administration before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. With respect to negotiations envisaged in the framework agreement, however, it is US policy that a distinction must be made between Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank because of the city's special status and circumstances. Therefore, a negotiated solution for the final status of Jerusalem could be different in character from that of the rest of the West Bank. 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. There are 18 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip.
Terrain
flat to rolling, sand- and dune- covered coastal plain
Total area
380 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
46 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
Palestinian Arab and other 99.8%, Jewish 0.2%
Infant mortality rate
41 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
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)
Languages
Arabic, Israeli settlers speak Hebrew; English widely understood
Life expectancy at birth
66 years male, 68 years female (1992)
Literacy
NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Nationality
NA
Net migration rate
- 4 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
NA
Population
681,026 (July 1992), growth rate 3.6% (1992); in addition, there are 4,000 Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip (1992 est.)
Religions
Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 99%, Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.3%
Total fertility rate
6.9 children born/woman (1992)
Government
Long-form name
none
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for about 12% of GNP; olives, citrus and other fruits, vegetables, beef, dairy products
Budget
revenues $33.8 million; expenditures $33.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY88)
Currency
new Israeli shekel (plural - shekels); 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
Economic aid
NA
Electricity
power supplied by Israel
Exchange rates
new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 2.2984 (January 1992), 2.2792 (1991), 2.0162 (1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988), 1.5946 (1987)
Exports
$30 million (f.o.b., 1989) commodities: citrus partners: Israel, Egypt
External debt
$NA
Fiscal year
previously 1 April - 31 March; FY91 was 1 April - 3l December, and since 1 January 1992 the fiscal year has conformed to the calendar year
GNP
exchange rate conversion - $380 million, per capita $590; real growth rate - 30% (1991 est.)
Imports
$255 million (c.i.f., 1989) commodities: food, consumer goods, construction materials partners: Israel, Egypt
Industrial production
growth rate 10% (1989); accounts for about 8% of GNP
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
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
9% (1991 est.)
Overview
In 1990 roughly 40% of Gaza Strip workers were employed across the border by Israeli industrial, construction, and agricultural enterprises, with worker remittances accounting for about one-third of GNP. The construction, agricultural, and industrial sectors account for about 15%, 12%, and 8% of GNP, respectively. Gaza depends upon Israel for some 90% of its external trade. Unrest in the territory in 1988-92 (intifadah) has raised unemployment and substantially lowered the standard of living of Gazans. The Persian Gulf crisis and its aftershocks also have dealt severe blows to Gaza since August 1990. Worker remittances from the Gulf states have plunged, unemployment has increased, and exports have fallen dramatically. The area's economic outlook remains bleak.
Unemployment rate
20% (1990 est.)
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 the city of Gaza
Railroads
one line, abandoned and in disrepair, some trackage remains
Telecommunications
broadcast stations - no AM, no FM, no TV
Military and Security
Branches
NA
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 136,311; NA fit for military service