Page last updated on January 31, 2014
Inhabited since at least the 15th century B.C., Gaza has been dominated by many different peoples and empires throughout its history; it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in the early 16th century. Gaza fell to British forces during World War I, becoming a part of the British Mandate of Palestine. Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Egypt administered the newly formed Gaza Strip; it was captured by Israel in the Six-Day War with Egypt in 1967, and later transferred to the Palestinian National Authority. Under a series of agreements signed between 1994 and 1999, Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for many Palestinian-populated areas of the Gaza Strip as well as the West Bank. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip stalled after the outbreak of an intifada in mid- 2000. In early 2003, the "Quartet" of the US, EU, UN, and Russia, presented a roadmap to a final peace settlement by 2005, calling for two states - Israel and a democratic Palestine. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004 and the subsequent election of Mahmud ABBAS (head of the Fatah political party) as the PA president, Israel and the PA agreed to move the peace process forward. Israel in late 2005 unilaterally withdrew all of its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip, but continues to control maritime, airspace, and other access. In early 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won the Palestinian Legislative Council election and took control of the PA government. Attempts to form a unity government failed, and violent clashes between Fatah and HAMAS supporters ensued, culminating in HAMAS's violent seizure of all military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip. Fatah and HAMAS in early 2011 agreed to reunify the Gaza Strip and West Bank, but the factions have struggled to implement details on governance and security. Brief periods of increased violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip in 2007-08 and again in 2012, both led to Egyptian-brokered truces. The status quo remains with HAMAS in control of the Gaza Strip and the PA governing the West Bank.
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel
total: 360 sq km
country comparison to the world: 206
land: 360 sq km
water: 0 sq km
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
total: 62 km
border countries: Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
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
temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Awdah) 105 m
arable land: 7.39%
permanent crops: 10.96%
other: 81.64% (2011)
240 sq km; note - includes West Bank (2003)
desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage treatment; water-borne disease; soil degradation; depletion and contamination of underground water resources
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
Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 99.3%, Christian 0.7%
1,763,387 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
0-14 years: 43.5% (male 394,108/female 372,897)
15-24 years: 20.9% (male 188,626/female 179,529)
25-54 years: 29.6% (male 268,122/female 254,630)
55-64 years: 3.4% (male 29,682/female 29,933)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 18,701/female 27,159) (2013 est.)
total dependency ratio: 75.6 %
youth dependency ratio: 70.4 %
elderly dependency ratio: 5.2 %
potential support ratio: 19.2
note: data represents the Palestinian Territories (2013)
total: 18.1 years
male: 17.9 years
female: 18.2 years (2013 est.)
3.01% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9
33.27 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
3.15 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 220
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
urban population: 74.3% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 3.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
64 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 95
total: 16 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 104
male: 17.07 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
total population: 74.4 years
country comparison to the world: 111
male: 72.69 years
female: 76.21 years (2013 est.)
4.41 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.3%
male: 97.9%
female: 92.6%
note: estimates are for the Palestinian Territories (2011 est.)
total: 14 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2006)
total: 38.8%
country comparison to the world: 16
male: 34.5%
female: 62.2%
note: includes West Bank (2012)
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Gaza Strip
local long form: none
local short form: Qita' Ghazzah
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 a sharp contraction of the private sector that had relied primarily on export markets. The population depends on government spending - by both the Palestinian Authority 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. Standard-of-living measures remain below levels seen in the mid-1990s.
household consumption: 102.8%
government consumption: 30.3%
investment in fixed capital: 17.9%
investment in inventories: -4.2%
exports of goods and services: 16.3%
imports of goods and services: -63.1%
olives, fruit, vegetables, flowers; beef, dairy products
textiles, food processing, furniture
58.98 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
agriculture: 5.1%
industry: 15.6%
services: 79.3% (2010 est.)
23% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
2.8% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
note: includes West Bank
$6.674 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
$1.042 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
strawberries, carnations, vegetables (small and irregular shipments, as permitted to transit the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing)
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
new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar -
51,000 kWh (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 218
202,000 kWh (2009)
country comparison to the world: 217
0 kWh (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 207
193,000 kWh (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
0 bbl (1 January 2010 es)
country comparison to the world: 141
406,000 (includes West Bank) (2012)
country comparison to the world: 105
3.041 million (includes West Bank) (2012)
country comparison to the world: 131
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)
1 TV station and about 10 radio stations (2008)
.ps; note - same as West Bank
1.379 million (includes West Bank) (2009)
country comparison to the world: 87
1 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 218
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2013)
note: see entry for West Bank
Hamas does not have a conventional military in the Gaza Strip, but maintains security forces in addition to its military wing, the 'Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades; the military wing reports to the external Hamas Political Bureau leadership, which has been in exile in Cairo and Doha since closing its Damascus headquarters in late 2011 (2013)
males age 16-49: 385,961 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 335,820
females age 16-49: 319,847 (2010 est.)
male: 18,805
female: 17,903 (2010 est.)
the status of the Gaza Strip is a final status issue to be resolved through negotiations; Israel removed settlers and military personnel from Gaza Strip in August 2005
