is. Permanent status is to
be determined through direct negotiations.

Geography

Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between
Egypt and Israel

Geographic coordinates: 31 25 N, 34 20 E

Map references: Middle East

Area:
total: 360 sq km
land: 360 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly more than twice the size of
Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
total: 62 km
border countries: Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km

Coastline: 40 km

Maritime claims: Israeli-occupied with current status subject to
the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement--permanent status to be
determined through further negotiation

Climate: temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers

Terrain: flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use:
arable land: 24%
permanent crops: 39%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 11%
other: 26% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 120 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment--current issues: desertification; salination of fresh
water; sewage treatment

Environment--international agreements:
party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography--note: there are 24 Israeli settlements and civilian
land use sites in the Gaza Strip (August 1998 est.)

People

Population: 1,112,654 (July 1999 est.)
note: in addition, there are some 6,000 Israeli settlers in the Gaza
Strip (August 1998 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 52% (male 294,196; female 280,017)
15-64 years: 46% (male 255,209; female 251,317)
65 years and over: 2% (male 13,475; female 18,440) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 4.44% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 48.24 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 3.8 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 22.92 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.44 years
male: 72.01 years
female: 74.95 years (1999 est.)

Total f