Geography

The Gaza Strip is a 360 km² Palestinian territory that is located in the Middle East, bordered east of Israel, south of Egypt, and alongside a 40 km long Mediterranean Sea coastline. It is approximately 41 kilometers (25 mi) long and somewhere between 6-12 km (4-7 mi) wide, respectively. Gaza currently contains five main Palestinian territories: North Gaza, Gaza City, Deir El Balah, Khan Yunis, and Rafah. Within those territories, Khan Yunis is 7km northeast of Rafah and Beir Lahia (along with Biet Hanoun) is located to the north and northeast of Gaza City which, in turn is the country’s capital.

Gaza is known to have a temperate climate. Mild temperatures dominate in the winter and the intense heat and dryness found in the summer time. Such temperatures have led the Gaza Strip to face drought throughout the years. The landscape is flat and abundant with rolling dunes (hills of sand) along its coastline. When it comes to its natural resources, Gaza is rich in arable land (land used for growing crops) and natural gas.

COOL FACTS: The Gaza Strip contains the oldest known remains of real manmade bonfires and the oldest human skeletons ever dated.

It is also the site where the prophet Mohamed’s grandfather is buried.