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Gaza Strip

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

The Gaza Strip is a small piece of land in West Asia.

Gaza Strip 2023
Gaza Strip 2023

It is part of the State of Palestine. To its west lies the Mediterranean Sea.

Gaza Beach
Gaza Beach

Israel sits to its north and east. Egypt is located to the southwest. The largest city there is Gaza City.

Gaza City
Gaza City

This area is very crowded. It is one of the most densely populated places in the world. Many people live very close to each other.

Life in Gaza is shaped by many rules. For a long time, Israel has put restrictions on movement and goods.

In 2005, Israel moved its military and settlements out of the area. However, a blockade was put in place. Egypt also began a blockade in 2007. This means it is hard for people and things to move in or out.

Some people have called this an "open-air prison." The way people live is often affected by these borders.

The history of Gaza has seen many different rulers.

Gaza Strip in Palestine
Gaza Strip in Palestine

Long ago, the Ottoman Empire controlled the region. Later, Britain ruled the area under Mandatory Palestine. After the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, Egypt controlled the Strip.

Palestine refugees leave the Gaza Strip on fishing boats in the wake of the war in 1948
Palestine refugees leave the Gaza Strip on fishing boats in the wake of the war in 1948

During the Six-Day War, Israel captured the territory. In the mid-1990s, the Palestinian Authority was created to help govern. Eventually, the group Hamas took over the governance of Gaza in 2007.

There are many facts about the people who live there. As of 2010, over 2 million people lived in Gaza.

Most of these people are Palestinian refugees. A very large number of people are young. About 50% of the population is under age 18. While many people struggle to find work, they value education. The literacy rate is 97%. This means almost everyone can read and write. Most people follow Sunni Islam, but there is also a Christian minority.

Recent years have brought very hard times to the region. A war began in 2023 and caused a huge crisis.

Many people had to leave their homes. There has been a lack of food and a humanitarian crisis. In 2025, a provisional ceasefire lasted for two months.

Later that year, a peace plan was discussed. The United Nations is also involved in planning how to govern the area during this transition.

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🖼️ Images & Media (44)
File:Gaza Strip in Palestine.svg
Gaza Strip in Palestine.svg
File:Gaza_Strip_2023.png
Gaza_Strip_2023.png
File:Palestine refugees initially displaced to Beach camp in Gaza board boats to Lebanon or Egypt during the 1948 war..jpg
Palestine refugees initially displaced to...
File:Palestine refugees leave the Gaza Strip on fishing boats in the wake of the war in 1948.jpg
Palestine refugees leave the Gaza Strip...
File:Gaza Strip (997008872766305171.jpg
Gaza Strip (997008872766305171.jpg
File:Che Guevara in Gaza.jpg
Che Guevara in Gaza.jpg
File:Gaza Strip (997009324715105171.jpg
Gaza Strip (997009324715105171.jpg
File:Dan Hadani collection (990044372600205171).jpg
Dan Hadani collection (990044372600205171).jpg
File:Intifada in Gaza Strip, 1987 VI Dan Hadani Archive.jpg
Intifada in Gaza Strip, 1987 VI Dan...
File:IDF-D9-demolishes-Palestinian-structure-01.jpg
IDF-D9-demolishes-Palestinian-structure-01.jpg
File:Gush Katif-N-Dekalim02.jpg
Gush Katif-N-Dekalim02.jpg
File:Gaza City.JPG
Gaza City.JPG

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