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
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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 de