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 (August 2001 est.)
People Gaza Strip
Population: 1,225,911 (July 2002 est.) note: in addition, there are fewer than 7,000 Israeli settlers in the Gaza Strip (August 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 49.7% (male 312,253; female 297,008) 15-64 years: 47.5% (male 296,488; female 286,393) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 14,407; female 19,362) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.95% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 41.85 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 4.12 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)