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Middle East :: Gaza Strip
page last updated on January 29, 2013
Location of Gaza Strip
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Map of Gaza Strip
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of Gaza Strip
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Introduction ::Gaza Strip
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The September 1993 Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements provided for a transitional period of Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under a series of agreements signed between May 1994 and September 1999, Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for many Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip stalled following the outbreak of an intifada in September 2000. In April 2003, the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew all of its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and withdrew settlers and redeployed soldiers from four small northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless, Israel still controls maritime, airspace, and other access to the Gaza Strip; Israel also enforces a restricted zone along the border inside Gaza. In January 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). HAMAS took control of the PA government in March 2006, but President ABBAS had little success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the international community, leading to the imposition of economic sanctions on the Palestinian government for its refusal to renounce violence, recognize Israel, and adhere to the previous agreements. Violent clashes between Fatah and HAMAS supporters in the Gaza Strip in 2006 and early 2007 resulted in numerous Palestinian deaths and injuries. In February 2007, ABBAS and HAMAS Political Bureau chief Khalid MISHAL signed the Mecca Agreement in Saudi Arabia that resulted in the formation of a Palestinian National Unity Government (NUG) headed by HAMAS member Ismail HANIYA. However, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, and in June 2007, HAMAS militants succeeded in a violent takeover of all military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip. ABBAS that same month dismissed the NUG and through a series of presidential decrees formed a PA government in the West Bank led by independent Salam FAYYAD. Late November 2007 through June 2008 witnessed a substantial increase in violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in the HAMAS-controlled Gaza Strip. An Egyptian-brokered truce in June 2008 between Israel and HAMAS brought about a five-month pause in hostilities, but spiraling end-of-year violence led to an Israeli air campaign and ground invasion into the Gaza Strip from December 2008 to January 2009 that resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1,100 to 1,400 Palestinians and left tens of thousands homeless. Fatah and HAMAS in May 2011, under the auspices of Egyptian-sponsored reconciliation negotiations, agreed to reunify the Palestinian territories, but the factions have struggled to implement details on governing and security structures despite the signing of subsequent agreements in February and May 2012. In November 2012, an Israeli airstrike killed a top commander in HAMAS's military wing, initiating an eight-day Israeli aerial campaign in Gaza. Israel cited increased rocket attacks from Palestinian militants into Israel as the reason for initiating the campaign. Egypt brokered a cease-fire between Israel and HAMAS on 21 November 2012. The status quo remains with HAMAS in control of the Gaza Strip and ABBAS and the Fatah-dominated PA governing the West Bank.
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Geography ::Gaza Strip
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Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel
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31 25 N, 34 20 E
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total: 360 sq km
country comparison to the world: 206
land: 360 sq km
water: 0 sq km
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slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
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total: 62 km
border countries: Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
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40 km
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see entry for Israel
note: effective 3 January 2009 the Gaza maritime area is closed to all maritime traffic and is under blockade imposed by Israeli Navy until further notice
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temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
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flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
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lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Awdah) 105 m
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arable land, natural gas
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arable land: 29%
permanent crops: 21%
other: 50% (2002)
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180 sq km; note - includes West Bank (2003)
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droughts
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desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage treatment; water-borne disease; soil degradation; depletion and contamination of underground water resources
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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
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People and Society ::Gaza Strip
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noun: NA
adjective: NA
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Palestinian Arab
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Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
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Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 99.3%, Christian 0.7%
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1,710,257 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
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0-14 years: 43.8% (male 384,494/ female 363,818)
15-64 years: 53.7% (male 469,528/ female 448,182)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 17,939/ female 26,296) (2012 est.)
population pyramid:
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total: 17.9 years
male: 17.7 years
female: 18.1 years (2012 est.)
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3.108% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
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34.3 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
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3.22 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 217
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
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urban population: 72% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
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64 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 95
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total: 16.55 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 104
male: 17.65 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
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total population: 74.16 years
country comparison to the world: 110
male: 72.48 years
female: 75.95 years (2012 est.)
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4.57 children born/woman (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
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NA
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NA
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NA
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NA
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.4%
male: 96.7%
female: 88% (2004 est.)
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total: 14 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2006)
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Government ::Gaza Strip
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Gaza Strip
local long form: none
local short form: Qita' Ghazzah
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Economy ::Gaza Strip
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Israeli security controls imposed since the end of the second intifada have degraded economic conditions in the Gaza Strip, the smaller of the two areas comprising the Palestinian territories. Israeli-imposed border closures, which became more restrictive after HAMAS seized control of the territory in June 2007, have resulted in high unemployment, elevated poverty rates, and sharp contraction of the private sector that had relied primarily on export markets. The population is reliant on government spending - by both the Palestinian Authority (PA) and HAMAS's de facto government - and humanitarian assistance. Changes to Israeli restrictions on imports in 2010 resulted in a rebound in some economic activity, but regular exports from Gaza still are not permitted. Recent indicators of strong growth belie the economic reality that standard-of-living measures remain below levels seen in the mid-1990s.
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see entry for West Bank
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see entry for West Bank
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see entry for West Bank
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see entry for West Bank
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348,200 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 161
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agriculture: 5.1%
industry: 15.6%
services: 79.3% (2010 est.)
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40% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
40% (2009 est.)
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38% (2010 est.)
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see entry for West Bank
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3.5% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
2.9% (2011 est.)
note: includes West Bank
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see entry for West Bank
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$6.674 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
$6.674 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
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$914.9 million (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
$851.1 million (31 December 2011 est.)
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olives, fruit, vegetables, flowers; beef, dairy products
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see entry for West Bank
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-$690.7 million (2010 est.)
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see entry for West Bank
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strawberries, carnations, vegetables; small and irregular shipments, as permitted to transit the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing
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see entry for West Bank
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food, consumer goods
note: Israel permits basic commercial imports through the Kerem Shalom crossing, but many "dual use" goods, such as construction materials and electronics, are smuggled through tunnels beneath Gaza's border with Egypt
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see entry for West Bank
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new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar -
3.903 (2012 est.)
3.5781 (2011 est.)
3.739 (2010 est.)
3.9323 (2009)
3.56 (2008)
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calendar year
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Energy ::Gaza Strip
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51,000 kWh (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 218
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202,000 kWh (2009)
country comparison to the world: 217
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0 kWh (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206
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193,000 kWh (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
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0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
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Communications ::Gaza Strip
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337,000 (includes West Bank) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 112
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2.405 million (includes West Bank) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 131
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general assessment: Gaza continues to repair the damage to its telecommunications infrastructure caused by fighting in 2009
domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services; the Palestinian JAWWAL company provides cellular services
international: country code - 970 (2009)
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1 TV station and about 10 radio stations (2008)
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.ps; note - same as West Bank
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1.379 million (includes West Bank) (2009)
country comparison to the world: 88
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Transportation ::Gaza Strip
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1 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 230
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total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2012)
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1 (2012)
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note: see entry for West Bank
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Gaza
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Military ::Gaza Strip
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Palestinian Authority security forces have operated only in the West Bank, not in the Gaza Strip, since HAMAS seized power in June 2007; law and order and other security functions are performed by HAMAS security organizations (2008)
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males age 16-49: 385,961 (2010 est.)
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males age 16-49: 335,820
females age 16-49: 319,847 (2010 est.)
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male: 18,805
female: 17,903 (2010 est.)
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NA
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Transnational Issues ::Gaza Strip
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the current status of Gaza Strip is subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement with permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel removed settlers and military personnel from Gaza Strip in August 2005
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refugees (country of origin): 1.167 million (Palestinian refugees (UNRWA)) (2012)
IDPs: 160,000 (persons displaced within the Palestinian Territories since 1967; largely from Israeli military operations in 2008-9) (2011)
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