1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Introduction
Background
The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements ("the DOP"), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993, provides for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Permanent status negotiations began on 5 May 1996, but have not resumed since the initial meeting. Under 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 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, and the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum. 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.
Geography
Area
total: 360 sq km land: 360 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area--comparative
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Climate
temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
Coastline
40 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m
Environment--current issues
desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage treatment
Environment--international agreements
party to: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates
31 25 N, 34 20 E
Geography--note
there are 24 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Gaza Strip (August 1998 est.)
Irrigated land
120 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 62 km border countries: Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
Land use
arable land: 24% permanent crops: 39% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 11% other: 26% (1993 est.)
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 hazards
NA
Natural resources
NEGL
Terrain
flat to rolling, sandand dune-covered coastal plain
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 52% (male 294,196; female 280,017) 15-64 years: 46% (male 255,209; female 251,317) 65 years and over: 2% (male 13,475; female 18,440) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
48.24 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
3.8 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
Palestinian Arab and other 99.4%, Jewish 0.6%
Infant mortality rate
22.92 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 73.44 years male: 72.01 years female: 74.95 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
NA
Nationality
noun: NA adjective: NA
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
1,112,654 (July 1999 est.) note: in addition, there are some 6,000 Israeli settlers in the Gaza Strip (August 1998 est.)
Population growth rate
4.44% (1999 est.)
Religions
Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 98.7%, Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.6%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
7.46 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Gaza Strip local long form: none local short form: Qita Ghazzah
Data code
GZ
Economy
Agriculture--products
olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products
Budget
revenues: $816 million expenditures: $866 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.) note: includes West Bank
Currency
1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
Debt--external
$108 million (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient
$NA
Economy--overview
Economic conditions in the Gaza Strip?under the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority since the Cairo Agreement of May 1994--have deteriorated since the early 1990s. Real per capita GDP for the West Bank and Gaza Strip (WBGS) declined 36% between 1992 and 1996 owing to the combined effect of falling aggregate incomes and robust population growth. The downturn in economic activity was largely the result of Israeli closure policies--the imposition of generalized border closures in response to security incidents in Israel--which disrupted previously established labor and commodity market relationships between Israel and the WBGS. The most serious negative social effect of this downturn has been the emergence of chronic unemployment; average unemployment rates in the WBGS during the 1980s were generally under 5%, by the mid-1990s this level had risen to over 20%. Since 1997 Israel's use of comprehensive closures has decreased and, in 1998, Israel implemented new policies to reduce the impact of closures and other security procedures on the movement of Palestinian goods and labor. These positive changes to the conduct of economic activity, combined with international donor pledges of over $3 billion made to the Palestinian Authority in November, may fuel a moderate economic recovery in 1999.
Electricity--consumption
NA kWh
Electricity--exports
NA kWh
Electricity--imports
NA kWh
Electricity--production
NA kWh note: electricity supplied by Israel
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA%
Exchange rates
new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1--4.2260 (November 1998), 3.4494 (1997), 3.1917 (1996), 3.0113 (1995), 3.0111 (1994)
Exports
$781 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.) (includes West Bank)
Exports--commodities
citrus
Exports--partners
Israel, Egypt, West Bank
Fiscal year
calendar year (since 1 January 1992)
GDP
purchasing power parity--$1.1 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 33% industry: 25% services: 42% (1995 est., includes West Bank)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$1,000 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
2.2% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$2.1 billion (c.i.f., 1997 est.) (includes West Bank)
Imports--commodities
food, consumer goods, construction materials
Imports--partners
Israel, Egypt, West Bank
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)
8.8% (1997 est.)
Labor force
NA note: excluding Israeli settlers
Labor force--by occupation
services 66%, industry 21%, agriculture 13% (1996)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
26.8% (1997 est.)
Communications
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; 3.1% of Palestinian households have telephones
Television broadcast stations
2 (operated by the Palestinian Broadcasting Corp.) (1997)
Televisions
NA; note--59% of Palestinian households have televisions (1992 est.)
Transportation
Airports
2 (1998 est.) note: includes Gaza International Airport that opened on 24 November 1998 as part of agreements stipulated in the 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum Airports--with paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: small, poorly developed road network Ports and harbors: Gaza
Railways
total: NA km; note--one line, abandoned and in disrepair, little trackage remains
Military and Security
Military branches
NA
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$NA
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
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