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Gaza Strip
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Capital:
Population: 1,795,183
Brief History of Gaza Strip:
The Gaza Strip sits between Israel and Egypt. It is only about 25 miles long and 5 miles wide. The original people of the area were refugees who fled Israel after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
Today the Gaza Strip is one of the territorial units that form the Palestinian territories. The government in the Gaza Strip is the Hamas. They have ruled following the 2006 Palestinian legislative election and the Battle of Gaza.
The Geography of Gaza Strip
Total Size: 360 square km
Size Comparison: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Geographical Coordinates: 31 25 N, 34 20 E
World Region or Continent: Middle East
General Terrain: flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
Geographical Low Point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
Geographical High Point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m
Climate: temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
Major cities:
The People of Gaza Strip
Type of Government:
Languages Spoken: Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Independence:
National Holiday:
Nationality: NA
Religions: Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 98.7%, Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.6%
National Symbol:
National Anthem or Song:
Economy of Gaza Strip
Major Industries: generally small family businesses that produce textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale modern industries in an industrial center, but operations ceased prior to Israel's evacuation of Gaza Strip settlements
Agricultural Products: olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products
Natural Resources: arable land, natural gas
Major Exports: citrus, flowers, textiles
Major Imports: food, consumer goods, construction materials
Currency: new Israeli shekel (ILS)
National GDP: $768,000,000
** Source for population (2012 est.) and GDP (2011 est.) is CIA World Factbook.
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