Location:
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel
Geographic coordinates:
31 25 N, 34 20 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area: Area - comparative: Land boundaries: Coastline: Maritime claims: Climate: Terrain: Elevation: Natural resources: Irrigated land: Population - distribution: Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Geography - note:
total: 360 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 360 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 207
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
total: 72 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (2): Egypt 13 km, Israel 59 km
40 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
see entry for Israel
note: effective 3 January 2009, the Gaza maritime area is closed to all maritime traffic and is under blockade imposed by Israeli Navy until further notice
temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
mean elevation: NA
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Awdah) 105 m
arable land, natural gas
240 sq km; note - includes the West Bank (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
population concentrated in major cities, particularly Gaza City in the north
droughts
desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage treatment; water-borne disease; soil degradation; depletion and contamination of underground water resources
strategic strip of land along Mideast-North African trade routes has experienced an incredibly turbulent history; the town of Gaza itself has been besieged countless times in its history; there are no Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip; the Gaza Strip settlements were evacuated in 2005 (2017)