1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 380 km2 land area: 380 km2 comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Climate
temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
Coastline
40 km
Environment
desertification
International disputes
Israeli occupied with status to be determined
Irrigated land
200 km2
Land boundaries
total 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%
Location
Middle East, bordering the eastern Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel
Map references
Middle East
Maritime claims
Israeli occupied with status to be determined
Natural resources
negligible
Terrain
flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
People and Society
Birth rate
45.66 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
5.71 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Palestinian Arab and other 99.8%, Jewish 0.2%
Infant mortality rate
38.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
NA by occupation: small industry, commerce and business 32.0%, construction 24.4%, service and other 25.5%, agriculture 18.1% (1984) note: excluding Israeli Jewish settlers
Languages
Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers), English (widely understood)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 67.26 years male: 66.01 years female: 68.57 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Nationality
noun: NA adjective: NA
Net migration rate
-4.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
705,834 (July 1993 est.) note: in addition, there are 4,000 Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip (1993 est.)
Population growth rate
3.56% (1993 est.)
Religions
Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 99%, Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.3%
Total fertility rate
7.51 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
Digraph
GZ
Names
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Gaza Strip local long form: none local short form: Qita Ghazzah
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
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
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 - 2.6480 (November 1992), 2.4591 (1992), 2.2791 (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
calendar year (since 1 January 1992)
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.)
National product
GNP - exchange rate conversion - $380 million (1991 est.)
National product per capita
$590 (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate
-30% (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 1988-93 (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
total: 1 useable: 1 with permanent-surface runways: with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: with runways 1,220-2,439 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 age 15-49 136,311; fit for military service NA (1993 est.)