Terrain
Flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
Climate
Temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
People
Population: 1,816,379 (July 2014 est.)
Languages: Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Religions
Muslim (predominantly Sunni), Jewish, Christian
MAIN SECTS OF ISLAM (2:47)
Economy
Israeli security controls imposed since the end of the second intifada have degraded economic conditions in the Gaza Strip, the smaller of the two areas comprising the Palestinian territories. Israeli-imposed border closures, which became more restrictive after HAMAS seized control of the territory in June 2007, have resulted in high unemployment, elevated poverty rates, and a sharp contraction of the private sector that had relied primarily on export markets.