Gaza Strip, CIA World Factbook 1990

Populationas each edition published it

615,575 people July 1990 · 2.18m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.56% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 15.3 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 67.26 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

7 children per woman 1990 · 3.14 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

55 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 14.2 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $590 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition -30% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Land use

arable land 13%permanent crops 32%forest and woodland 0%other 55%meadows and pastures 0% in all

Coastline

40km

Maritime claims: Israeli occupied with status to be determined

Land boundaries

62km total

Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km

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

Note

there are 18 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip

People

14 fields

Population

615,575

(July 1990), growth rate 3.2% (1990); in addition, there are 2,500 Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

47Death

7

Ethnic divisions

Palestinian Arab and other 99.8%Jewish 0.2%

Religion

Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 99%Christian 0.7%Jewish 0.3%

Labor force

32.0%small industry

(excluding Israeli Jewish settlers) · commerce and business, 24.4% construction, 25.5% service and other, and 18.1% agriculture (1984)

Language

Arabic, Israeli settlers speak Hebrew, English widely understood

Government

2 fields

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.

Economy

Nearly half of the labor force of the Gaza Strip is employed across the border by Israeli industrial, construction, and agricultural enterprises, with worker transfer funds accounting for 40% of GNP in 1989.

16 fields

Budget

Revenues

$36.6 millionExpenditures

$32.0 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of NA (1986)

Overview

Nearly half of the labor force of the Gaza Strip is employed across the border by Israeli industrial, construction, and agricultural enterprises, with worker transfer funds accounting for 40% of GNP in 1989. The once dominant agricultural sector now contributes only 13% to GNP, about the same as that of the construction sector, and industry accounts for 7%. Gaza depends upon Israel for 90% of its imports and as a market for 80% of its exports. Unrest in the territory in 1988-89 (intifadah) has raised unemployment and substantially lowered the incomes of the population.

$260 million;
commodities--food, consumer goods, construction materials;
partners--Israel, Egypt (1989 est.)

generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs;
the Israelis have established some small-scale modern industries in an industrial center

Communications

5 fields

Defense Forces

NA

3 fields