The 1996 CIA World Factbook page on Gaza Strip

From: The CIA'sTHE WORLD FACTBOOK 1996

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Gaza Strip

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.

Map

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

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Geography

Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel
Geographic coordinates: 31 25 N, 34 20 E
Map references: Middle East
Area:
total area: 360 sq km
land area: 360 sq km
comparative area: 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
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
Climate: temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
Terrain: flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m
Natural resources: NEGL
Land use:
arable land: 13%
permanent crops: 32%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 55%
Irrigated land: 115 sq km (1992 est.)
Environment:
current issues: desertification
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: NA
Geographic note: there are 24 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Gaza Strip (August 1995 est.)

People

Population: 923,940 (July 1996 est.)
note: in addition, there are 5,000 Israeli settlers in the Gaza Strip (August 1995 est.)
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.)
Population growth rate: 6.79% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 50.67 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 4.4 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 21.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
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
all ages: 1.02 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 27.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.98 years
male: 70.69 years
female: 73.34 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 7.79 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun: NA
adjective: NA
Ethnic divisions: 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 Israeli settlers), English (widely understood)
Literacy: NA

Government

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
Data code: GZ

Economy

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.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $1 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 3%-4% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $1,200 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 33%
industry: 7%
services: 60% (1995 est., includes West Bank)
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.)
Budget: $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
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity: power supplied by Israel
Agriculture: olives, citrus, other fruits, vegetables; beef, dairy products
Exports: $49 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: citrus
partners: Israel, Egypt
Imports: $339 million (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
commodities: food, consumer goods, construction materials
partners: Israel, Egypt
External debt: $NA
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
note: $410 million (est.) disbursed from international aid pledges in 1995 (includes aid to West Bank)
Currency: 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
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)
Fiscal year: calendar year (since 1 January 1992)

Transportation

Railways:
total: NA km; note - one line, abandoned and in disrepair, little trackage remains
Highways:
total: NA km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km
note: small, poorly developed road network
Ports: Gaza
Airports:
total: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 1 (1995 est.)

Communications

Telephones: NA
note: 10% of Palestinian households have telephones (1992 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: NA
Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: NA; note - 95% of Palestinian households have radios (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 0
Televisions: NA; note - 59% of Palestinian households have televisions (1992 est.)

Defense

Branches: NA
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: NA
males fit for military service: NA
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP

Gaza Strip

Original publicaton at http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/nsolo/wfb-all.htm (June 17, 1997).