Gaza Strip

I

Introduction

Gaza Strip, region in southwestern Asia, bordered on the south by Egypt, on the west by the Mediterranean Sea, and on the north and east by Israel. The area of the Gaza Strip is 378 sq km (146 sq mi); its shape and size were determined by the armistice agreement signed by Israel and Egypt after the first Arab-Israeli War (1948-1949). From 1967 until 1994 the Gaza Strip was occupied and administered by Israel. In May 1994 it became a largely autonomous zone under the leadership of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), although some Jewish settlements remained and were under the protection of Israeli military forces. In August 2005 Israel began unilaterally evacuating Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip, and the last Israeli soldiers departed soon after. However, Israel retained control of Gaza’s air space and most of its borders. See also Arab-Israeli Conflict.

II

Land and Resources

The Gaza Strip is a narrow territory extending from the northern Sinai Peninsula into Israel's Mediterranean coastal plain. The region is largely flat and sandy, with dunes stretching inland from the coast, particularly in the south. Rainfall diminishes from north to south, with an average annual accumulation of about 150 to 400 mm (about 6 to 16 in). The Gaza Strip contains little fertile soil, and only 13 percent of its land is arable. There are a number of sandy beaches and fishing villages along the region's coastline.

III

Population

The Gaza Strip has one of the highest overall growth rates and population densities in the world. The 2007 population was 1,482,405, giving the region a population density of 4,118 persons per sq km (10,665 per sq mi). More than half of Gazans live in the region's urban centers, the largest of which is the city of Gaza. Other cities and towns in the Gaza Strip include Khān Yūnus, Rafaḩ, Bayt Lāhiyah, and Jabāliyā.

The residents of the Gaza Strip are Palestinian Arabs (see Palestine). The overwhelming majority are Sunni Muslims (see Sunni Islam), and the remainder are Christians. The primary language of the Palestinians is Arabic. Only 40 percent of the area's residents are indigenous Gazans. The rest are permanently settled refugees or residents of refugee camps. Although indigenous Gazans make up less than half the population, they hold disproportionate influence in the region's economic and political affairs.

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IV

Economy

Despite the region's limited land and water resources, agriculture and livestock raising dominated the economy of the Gaza Strip for centuries and continue to support many Gazans. Principal crops grown in the region include citrus fruits, vegetables, and other field crops; some of the citrus fruit is exported to European countries. The region also contains some light industry, most of it centered in the city of Gaza, which also maintains a small port for the region's fishing fleets.

During the Israeli occupation, which began in 1967, the Gaza Strip became increasingly dependent on Israel, which is now the region's primary trading partner and the site of many Gazan jobs. About 40 percent of Gazans commute daily to jobs in Israel, and earnings from these workers provide for more than one-third of gross national product (GNP) in the Gaza Strip. Family income is earned primarily by adult men and older boys, many of whom work in construction, service industries, agriculture, and a variety of industrial occupations. Gazan women are generally restricted to homemaking or local cottage industries.

Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians led the Israeli government to impose periodic border restrictions on Palestinians working in Israel. These restrictions have resulted in extreme unemployment and economic hardship for the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip. Poverty, overcrowding, crime, and poor sanitation have become pervasive. Internationally sponsored projects to create local jobs and improve the quality of life in the region, which include the construction of new housing and a sewage treatment system, have not materialized.