what is the gaza strip

The Gaza Strip is a Palestinian exclave located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories and borders Egypt on the southwest for 11 km (6.8 mi) and Israel on the east and north along a 51 km (32 mi) border. The Gaza Strip is densely populated and impoverished, in part due to the presence of large numbers of Palestinian Arab refugees living in extreme poverty in squalid camps. The area has been inhabited since at least the 15th century B.C. and has been dominated by many different peoples and empires throughout its history. The Gaza Strip was under Egyptian military rule from 1949 to 1956 and again from 1957 to 1967. In the Six-Day War of June 1967, the Gaza Strip was taken by Israel, which occupied the region for the next quarter-century. Israel unilaterally withdrew all of its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip in 2005, but it continues to control the Gaza Strip’s land and maritime borders and airspace. The Gaza Strip is densely populated and impoverished, in part due to the presence of large numbers of Palestinian Arab refugees living in extreme poverty in squalid camps. The main agricultural products are olives, citrus, vegetables, Halal beef, and dairy products, while primary exports are citrus and cut flowers, and primary imports are food, consumer goods, and construction materials.