ARCHIVE // PS // 1996

Gaza Strip

1996 Edition — disputed

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Communications
Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]
NA
Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]
$NA, NA% of GDP
Manpower availability [time series]
males age 15-49: NA males fit for military service: NA
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios [time series]
NA; note - 95% of Palestinian households have radios (1992 est.)
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
domestic: NA international: NA
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]
NA note: 10% of Palestinian households have telephones (1992 est.)
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
0
Televisions [time series]
NA; note - 59% of Palestinian households have televisions (1992 est.) Defense
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]
olives, citrus, other fruits, vegetables; beef, dairy products
Budget [time series]
$NA
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
Economic aid [time series]
recipient: ODA, $NA note: $410 million (est.) disbursed from international aid pledges in 1995 (includes aid to West Bank)
Economic overview [time series]
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.
Electricity [time series]
power supplied by Israel
Exchange rates [time series]
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)
Exports [time series]
$49 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: citrus partners: Israel, Egypt
Debt - external (External debt) [time series]
$NA
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year (since 1 January 1992)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]
purchasing power parity - $1 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: 33% industry: 7% services: 60% (1995 est., includes West Bank)
Real GDP per capita (GDP per capita) [time series]
$1,200 (1995 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP real growth rate) [time series]
3%-4% (1995 est.)
Imports [time series]
$339 million (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: food, consumer goods, construction materials partners: Israel, Egypt
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
NA%
Industries [time series]
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
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
14% (1995 est.)
Labor force [time series]
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 [time series]
30%-45% (1995 est.)
Geography
Area [time series]
total area: 360 sq km land area: 360 sq km comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Climate [time series]
temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
Coastline [time series]
40 km
Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]
current issues: desertification natural hazards: NA international agreements: NA
Geographic coordinates [time series]
31 25 N, 34 20 E
Geography - note (Geographic note) [time series]
there are 24 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Gaza Strip (August 1995 est.)
Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]
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
Irrigated land [time series]
115 sq km (1992 est.)
Land boundaries [time series]
total: 62 km border countries: Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 13% permanent crops: 32% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 55%
Location [time series]
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel
Map references [time series]
Middle East
Maritime claims [time series]
Israeli occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation
Natural resources [time series]
NEGL
Terrain [time series]
flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m
Government
Data code [time series]
GZ
Government - note (Government note) [time series]
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.
Country name (Name of country) [time series]
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Gaza Strip local long form: none local short form: Qita Ghazzah
People
Age structure [time series]
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.)
Birth rate [time series]
50.67 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate [time series]
4.4 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]
Palestinian Arab and other 99.4%, Jewish 0.6%
Infant mortality rate [time series]
27.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Languages [time series]
Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers), English (widely understood)
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 71.98 years male: 70.69 years female: 73.34 years (1996 est.)
Literacy [time series]
NA
Nationality [time series]
noun: NA adjective: NA
Net migration rate [time series]
21.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Population [time series]
923,940 (July 1996 est.) note: in addition, there are 5,000 Israeli settlers in the Gaza Strip (August 1995 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
6.79% (1996 est.)
Religions [time series]
Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 98.7%, Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.6%
Sex ratio [time series]
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.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
7.79 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Transportation
Airports [time series]
total: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 1 (1995 est.)
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: small, poorly developed road network
Ports [time series]
Gaza
Railways [time series]
total: NA km; note - one line, abandoned and in disrepair, little trackage remains