1996 Edition

Location

31 25 N, 34 20 E -- Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel

Area

comparative area

slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC

land area

360 sq km

total area

360 sq km

Climate

temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers

Coastline

40 km

Environment

current issues

desertification

international agreements

NA

natural hazards

NA

Geographic coordinates

31 25 N, 34 20 E

Geographic note

there are 24 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Gaza Strip (August 1995 est.)

International disputes

West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation

Irrigated land

115 sq km (1992 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km

total

62 km

Land use

arable land

13%

forest and woodland

0%

meadows and pastures

0%

other

55%

permanent crops

32%

Location

Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

Israeli occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation

Natural resources

NEGL

Terrain

flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain

highest point

Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m

lowest point

Mediterranean Sea 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 52% (male 244,026; female 231,976) 15-64 years: 46% (male 210,706; female 210,764) 65 years and over: 2% (male 11,553; female 14,915) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

50.67 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

4.4 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Palestinian Arab and other 99.4%, Jewish 0.6%

Infant mortality rate

27.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers), English (widely understood)

Life expectancy at birth

female

73.34 years (1996 est.)

male

70.69 years

total population

71.98 years

Literacy

NA

Nationality

adjective

NA

noun

NA

Net migration rate

21.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

923,940 (July 1996 est.)

note

in addition, there are 5,000 Israeli settlers in the Gaza Strip (August 1995 est.)

Population growth rate

6.79% (1996 est.)

Religions

Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 98.7%, Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.6%

Sex ratio

all ages

1.02 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

7.79 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Data code

GZ

Government note

Under the Israeli-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements ("the DOP"), Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes a Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho has taken 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 DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility during the transitional period for external security and for internal security and public order of settlements and Israelis. Permanent status is to be determined through direct negotiations within five years.

Name of country

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Gaza Strip

local long form

none

local short form

Qita Ghazzah

Agriculture

olives, citrus, other fruits, vegetables; beef, dairy products

Budget

$NA

Currency

1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot

Economic aid

note

$410 million (est.) disbursed from international aid pledges in 1995 (includes aid to West Bank)

recipient

ODA, $NA

Economic overview

In 1991 roughly 40% of Gaza Strip workers were employed across the border by Israeli industrial, construction, and agricultural enterprises, with worker remittances supplementing GDP by roughly 50%. Gaza has depended upon Israel for nearly 90% of its external trade. Aggravating the impact of Israeli military administration, unrest in the territory from 1988 to 1993 (intifadah) raised unemployment and lowered the standard of living of Gazans. The Persian Gulf crisis and its aftershocks also dealt blows to Gaza since August 1990. Worker remittances from the Gulf states have dropped, unemployment has increased, and exports have fallen. The withdrawal of Israel from the Gaza Strip in May 1994 has brought a new set of adjustment problems. The stringent border restrictions have held back economic growth in 1995 and 1996.

Electricity

power supplied by Israel

Exchange rates

new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 3.1295 (January 1996), 3.0113 (1995), 3.0111 (1994), 2.8301 (1993), 2.4591 (1992), 2.2791 (1991)

Exports

$49 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

commodities

citrus

partners

Israel, Egypt

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

calendar year (since 1 January 1992)

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

33%

industry

7%

services

60% (1995 est., includes West Bank)

GDP per capita

$1,200 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

3%-4% (1995 est.)

Imports

$339 million (c.i.f., 1994 est.)

commodities

food, consumer goods, construction materials

partners

Israel, Egypt

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

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)

14% (1995 est.)

Labor force

NA

by occupation

construction 33.4%, agriculture 20.0%, commerce, restaurants, and hotels 14.9%, industry 10.0%, other services 21.7% (1991)

note

excluding Israeli settlers

Unemployment rate

30%-45% (1995 est.)

Branches

NA

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

NA

males fit for military service

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

NA; note - 95% of Palestinian households have radios (1992 est.)

Telephone system

domestic

NA

international

NA

Telephones

NA

note

10% of Palestinian households have telephones (1992 est.)

Televisions

NA; note - 59% of Palestinian households have televisions (1992 est.) Defense

Airports

total

1

with paved runways under 914 m

1 (1995 est.)

Highways

note

small, poorly developed road network

paved

NA km

total

NA km

unpaved

NA km

Ports

Gaza

Railways

total

NA km; note - one line, abandoned and in disrepair, little trackage remains