*Gaza Strip, Geography

Location:
  Middle East, bordering the eastern Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and
  Israel
Map references:
  Middle East
Area:
 total area:
  380 km2
 land area:
  380 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
  total 62 km, Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
Coastline:
  40 km
Maritime claims:
  Israeli occupied with status to be determined
International disputes:
  Israeli occupied with status to be determined
Climate:
  temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
Terrain:
  flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
Natural resources:
  negligible
Land use:
 arable land:
  13%
 permanent crops:
  32%
 meadows and pastures:
  0%
 forest and woodland:
  0%
 other:
  55%
Irrigated land:   200 km2
Environment:
  desertification

*Gaza Strip, People

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.)
Birth rate:
  45.66 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  5.71 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -4.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  38.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  67.26 years
 male:
  66.01 years
 female:
  68.57 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  7.51 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  NA
 adjective:
  NA
Ethnic divisions:
  Palestinian Arab and other 99.8%, Jewish 0.2%
Religions:
  Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 99%, Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.3%
Languages:
  Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers), English (widely understood)
Literacy:
 total population:
  NA%
 male:
  NA%
 female:
  NA%
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

*Gaza Strip, Government

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.
Names:
 conventional long form:
  none
 conventional short form:
  Gaza Strip
 local long form:
  none
 local short form:
  Qita Ghazzah
Digraph:
  GZ

*Gaza Strip, Economy

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.
National product:
  GNP - exchange rate conversion - $380 million (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  -30% (1991 est.)
National product per capita:
  $590 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  9% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  20% (1990 est.)
Budget:
  revenues $33.8 million; expenditures $33.3 million, including capital
  expenditures of $NA (FY88)
Exports:
  $30 million (f.o.b., 1989)
 commodities:
  citrus
 partners:   Israel, Egypt
Imports:
  $255 million (c.i.f., 1989)
 commodities:
  food, consumer goods, construction materials
 partners:
  Israel, Egypt
External debt:
  $NA
Industrial production:
  growth rate 10% (1989); accounts for about 8% of GNP
Electricity:
  power supplied by Israel
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
Agriculture:
  accounts for about 12% of GNP; olives, citrus and other fruits, vegetables,
  beef, dairy products
Economic aid:
  NA
Currency:
  1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
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)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year (since 1 January 1992)

*Gaza Strip, Communications

Railroads:
  one line, abandoned and in disrepair, some trackage remains
Highways:
  small, poorly developed indigenous road network
Ports:
  facilities for small boats to service the city of Gaza
Airports:
 total:
  1
 useable:
  1
 with permanent-surface runways:
  0
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  0
Telecommunications:
  broadcast stations - no AM, no FM, no TV

*Gaza Strip, Defense Forces

Branches:
  NA
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 136,311; fit for military service NA (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP