The 2004 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
citrus, flowers
Exports - partners:
Israel, Egypt, West Bank
Imports:
$1.9 billion c.i.f., includes West Bank
Imports - commodities:
food, consumer goods, construction materials
Imports - partners:
Israel, Egypt, West Bank
Debt - external:
$108 million (includes West Bank) (1997 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$800 million (includes West Bank) (2001 est.)
Currency:
new Israeli shekel (ILS)
Currency code:
ILS
Exchange rates:
new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.55 (2003), 4.74 (2002), 4.21
(2001), 4.08 (2000), 4.14 (1999)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Gaza Strip
Telephones - main lines in use: 95,729 (total for Gaza Strip and West Bank) (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 320,000 (cellular subscribers in both Gaza Strip and West Bank) (2002)
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: rudimentary telephone services provided by an open-wire
system
international: NA
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
NA; note - most Palestinian households have radios (1999)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (operated by the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation) (1997)
Televisions:
NA; note - most Palestinian households have televisions (1997)
Internet country code:
.ps
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (1999)
Internet users:
60,000 (includes West Bank) (2001)
Transportation Gaza Strip
Highways: total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: small, poorly developed road network
Ports and harbors:
Gaza
Airports:
2 (2001)
note: includes Gaza International Airport (GIA), inaugurated on 24
November 1998 as part of agreements stipulated in the September 1995
Oslo II Accord and the 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum; GIA has
been largely closed since October 2000 by Israeli orders and its
runway was destroyed by the Israeli Defense Forces in December 2001
(2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Heliports:
1 (2003 est.)
Military Gaza Strip
Military branches:
in accordance with the peace agreement, the Palestinian Authority
is not permitted conventional military forces; there are, however, a
Public Security Force and a civil Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA
Transnational Issues Gaza Strip
Disputes - international:
West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status
subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent
status to be determined through further negotiation
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 922,674 (Palestinian Refugees
(UNRWA)) (2004)
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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@Georgia
Introduction Georgia
Background:
The region of present-day Georgia contained the ancient kingdoms of
Colchis and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence in
the first centuries AD and Christianity became the state religion in
the 330s. Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks was followed by a
Georgian golden age (11th to the 13th centuries) that was cut short
by the Mongol invasion of 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman and
Persian empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia was
absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independent
for three years (1918–1921) following the Russian revolution, it was
forcibly incorporated into the USSR until the Soviet Union dissolved
in 1991. Despite myriad problems, some progress on market reforms
and democratization has been made since then. An attempt by the
government to manipulate legislative elections in November 2003
touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of
Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, president since 1995. New elections in early
2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power along with his National
Movement Party.
Geography Georgia
Location:
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and
Russia
Geographic coordinates:
42 00 N, 43 30 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 69,700 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 69,700 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries:
total: 1,461 km
border countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km,
Turkey 252 km
Coastline:
310 km
Maritime claims:
No data available
Climate:
warm and pleasant;