Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel
Geographic coordinates
31 25 N, 34 20 E
Map references
Middle East
Area
total
360 sq km
land
360 sq km
water
0 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries
total
62 km
border countries
Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
Coastline
40 km
Maritime claims
Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation
Climate
temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
Terrain
flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
Elevation extremes
lowest point
Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point
Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m
Natural resources
arable land, natural gas
Land use
arable land
29%
permanent crops
21%
other
50% (2002)
Irrigated land
150 sq km; note - includes West Bank (2003)
Natural hazards
droughts
Environment - current issues
desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage treatment; water-borne disease; soil degradation; depletion and contamination of underground water resources
Geography - note
strategic strip of land along Mideast-North African trade routes has experienced an incredibly turbulent history; the town of Gaza itself has been besieged countless times in its history
Population
1,482,405 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
47.6% (male 361,115/female 344,236)
15-64 years
49.9% (male 377,927/female 361,824)
65 years and over
2.5% (male 15,454/female 21,849) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
16 years
male
15.9 years
female
16.2 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
3.66% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
38.9 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
3.74 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
1.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.049 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.045 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.707 male(s)/female
total population
1.037 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
21.88 deaths/1,000 live births
male
22.91 deaths/1,000 live births
female
20.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
72.16 years
male
70.84 years
female
73.54 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
5.64 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
Nationality
noun
NA
adjective
NA
Ethnic groups
Palestinian Arab and other 99.4%, Jewish 0.6%
Religions
Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 98.7%, Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.6%
Languages
Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
92.4%
male
96.7%
female
88% (2004 est.)
Country name
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Gaza Strip
local long form
none
local short form
Qita Ghazzah
Economy - overview
High population density, limited land access, and strict internal and external security controls have kept economic conditions in the Gaza Strip - the smaller of the two areas under the Palestinian Authority (PA)- even more degraded than in the West Bank. The beginning of the second intifadah in September 2000 sparked an economic downturn, largely the result of Israeli closure policies; these policies, which were imposed to address security concerns in Israel, disrupted labor and trade access to and from the Gaza Strip. In 2001, and even more severely in 2003, Israeli military measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of capital, the disruption of administrative structures, and widespread business closures. The Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in September 2005 offered some medium-term opportunities for economic growth, which have not yet been realized due to Israeli military activities in the Gaza Strip in 2006, continued crossings closures, and the international community's financial embargo of the PA after HAMAS took office in March 2006.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$5.327 billion (includes West Bank) (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$3.45 billion (includes West Bank) (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
4.9% (includes West Bank) (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$1,500 (includes West Bank) (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
8%
industry
18.2%
services
73.9% (includes West Bank) (2005 est.)
Labor force
259,000 (2005)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
12%
industry
18%
services
70% (2005)
Unemployment rate
20.3% (includes West Bank) (2005)
Population below poverty line
63.1% (2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.9% (includes West Bank) (2005)
Budget
revenues
$1.23 billion
expenditures
$1.64 billion; including capital expenditures of $44 million; (includes West Bank) (2005)
Agriculture - products
Industries
generally small family businesses that produce textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis had established some small-scale modern industries in an industrial center, but operations ceased prior to Israel's evacuation of Gaza Strip settlements
Industrial production growth rate
2.4% (includes West Bank) (2005)
Electricity - production
140,000 kWh (2005)
Electricity - consumption
230,000 kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports
90,000 kWh; note - from Israeli Electric Company (2005)
Exports
$301 million f.o.b.; (includes West Bank) (2005)
Exports - commodities
citrus, flowers, textiles
Exports - partners
Israel, Egypt, West Bank (2006)
Imports
$2.44 billion c.i.f.; (includes West Bank) (2005)
Imports - commodities
food, consumer goods, construction materials
Imports - partners
Israel, Egypt, West Bank (2006)
Debt - external
$NA
Economic aid - recipient
$1.14 billion; (includes West Bank) (2004 est.)
Currency (code)
new Israeli shekel (ILS)
Currency code
ILS
Exchange rates
new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
349,000 (includes West Bank) (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
1.095 million (includes West Bank) (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
NA
domestic
Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services in the Gaza Strip; the Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services
international
country code - 970 (2004)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 0, FM 8, shortwave 0 (2005)
Radios
NA; note - most Palestinian households have radios (1999)
Television broadcast stations
1 (2005)
Televisions
NA; note - most Palestinian households have televisions (1997)
Internet country code
.ps; note - same as West Bank
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
3 (1999)
Internet users
243,000 (includes West Bank) (2005)
Airports
2
note: includes Gaza International Airport closed since its runway was destroyed by the Israeli Defense Forces in December 2001 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
1
over 3,047 m
1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
1
under 914 m
1 (2006)
Heliports
1 (2006)
Roadways
note: see entry for West Bank
Ports and terminals
Gaza
Military branches
in accordance with the peace agreement, the Palestinian Authority is not permitted conventional military forces; there are, however, public security forces (2007)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49: 260,855 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49: 221,530 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49: 15,196 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
NA
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; Israel removed settlers and military personnel from the Gaza Strip in August 2005
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 993,818 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)) (2006)
