Gaza Strip vs. Egypt
Geography
| Gaza Strip | Egypt | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel | Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula |
| Geographic coordinates | 31 25 N, 34 20 E | 27 00 N, 30 00 E |
| Map references | Middle East | Africa |
| Area | total: 360 sq km land: 360 sq km water: 0 sq km | total: 1,001,450 sq km land: 995,450 sq km water: 6,000 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC | more than eight times the size of Ohio; slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico |
| Land boundaries | total: 72 km border countries (2): Egypt 13 km, Israel 59 km | total: 2,612 km border countries (4): Gaza Strip 13 km, Israel 208 km, Libya 1115 km, Sudan 1276 km |
| Coastline | 40 km | 2,450 km |
| Maritime claims | 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 | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or the equidistant median line with Cyprus continental shelf: 200 nm |
| Climate | temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers | desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters |
| Terrain | flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain | vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Awdah) 105 m lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m | highest point: Mount Catherine 2,629 m lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 m mean elevation: 321 m |
| Natural resources | arable land, natural gas | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, rare earth elements, zinc |
| Irrigated land | 240 sq km; note - includes the West Bank (2012) | 36,500 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | droughts | periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes; flash floods; landslides; hot, driving windstorms called khamsin occur in spring; dust storms; sandstorms |
| Environment - current issues | soil degradation; desertification; water pollution from chemicals and pesticides; salination of fresh water; improper sewage treatment; water-borne disease; depletion and contamination of underground water resources | agricultural land being lost to urbanization and windblown sands; increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam; desertification; oil pollution threatening coral reefs, beaches, and marine habitats; other water pollution from agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and industrial effluents; limited natural freshwater resources away from the Nile, which is the only perennial water source; rapid growth in population overstraining the Nile and natural resources |
| Geography - note | 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 | note 1: controls Sinai Peninsula, the only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics; dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues; prone to influxes of refugees from Sudan and the Palestinian territories note 2: the earliest evidence for wild sorghum cultivation occurs in southern Egypt and dates to roughly 7500 B.C. |
| Total renewable water resources | 837 million cubic meters (2017 est.) note: data represent combined total from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. | 57.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | population concentrated in major cities, particularly Gaza City in the north | approximately 95% of the population lives within 20 km of the Nile River and its delta; vast areas of the country remain sparsely populated or uninhabited as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
