Gaza Strip: Background & Geography

Introduction Gaza Strip
Background:
 The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993, provided for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes the Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of the interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho took 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 Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement. The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility during the transitional period for external and internal security and for public order of settlements and Israeli citizens. Direct negotiations to determine the permanent status of Gaza and West Bank that began in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus, were derailed by a second intifadah that broke out in September 2000. The resulting widespread violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israel's military response, and instability within the Palestinian Authority continue to undermine progress toward a permanent agreement.
Geography Gaza Strip
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
water: 0 sq km
land: 360 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 - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
 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:
 arable land, natural gas
Land use:
 arable land: 26.32%
permanent crops: 39.47%
other: 34.21% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
 120 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
 droughts
Environment - current issues:
 desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage treatment; water-borne disease; soil degradation; depletion and contamination of underground water resources
Geography - note:
 there are 25 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Gaza Strip (February 2002 est.)

See Also: