Gaza Strip :

     

Gaza Strip is bordered on the south by Egypt, on the west by the Mediterranean Sea, and to the east and north by Israel which is a unique geographic position on the crossroads between Africa and Asia. The area of the Gaza Strip is 360 sq km (139 sq mi); its shape and size are the result of a 1949 armistice agreement between Israel and Egypt signed after the first Arab-Israeli War. Currently the Gaza Strip is ruled as an autonomous zone under the Palestinian Authority, except for pockets of Jewish settlers which remain under Israeli rule. The principal city is Gaza.

Gaza offers a broad range of archaeological evidence, representing the material culture of almost seven thousand years of history. It has a story to go with every era and has been a coveted site for many people throughout history. It has been fought over, invaded, and occupied by nearly all the powers that have marched across the Middle East.

The map below shows the towns and the most important sites in Gaza Strip. In the following sections, we shall show some information about Gaza Strip in general and then about some of its cities.

Statistics concerning the population in Gaza strip can be viewed here. 

Gaza's population is divided into categories according to residential status: indigenous Gazans, permanently settled refugees, and residents of refugee camps. Around 52 per cent of Gazans live in urban centers. There are also some 4,500 Israeli settlers living in isolated settlements but, except for this small number, all the residents of the Gaza Strip are Palestinian Arabs, the overwhelming majority being Sunni Muslims, the remainder Christian.

The Gaza Strip has an extremely high population growth rate of over 5 per cent, and as a result some 60 per cent of the population is under the age of 15. Infant mortality is 32 per 1,000 live births, and average life expectancy 72 years.

Economically the Gaza Strip continues to be dependent on Israel, which is its primary trading partner and is also the foremost provider of employment for Gazans. Due to Islamic custom, Gazan women are generally restricted to homemaking or local cottage industries. Family income is earned by men and older boys, many of whom worked in construction, service industries, a variety of industrial tasks, or agriculture. Gaza has always suffered from lack of employment.

Very few tourists used to venture into Gaza. Those who used to make the effort to come to Gaza, usually did so out of political curiosity. This situation has changed since the coming of the Palestinian Authority, and particularly in the past two years or so. Several new hotels, restaurants as well as museums and tourist resorts have been recently been opened in the Gaza Stip. Also significant investments have been made to improve the beaches in Gaza Strip which are considered to be the most beautiful and cleanest on the entire Palestinian coastline.