The State of Palestine lays claim to a region on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
The Gaza Strip -LRB- -LSB- ` gɑːzə ` strɪp -RSB- -LSB- qɪˈtˤɑːʕ ˈɣazza -RSB- -RRB- , or simply Gaza , is a small self-governing Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea , that borders Egypt on the southwest for 11 km and Israel on the east and north along a 51 km border .. Palestinian. Palestinians. Gaza. Gaza City. Mediterranean Sea. Mediterranean Sea. Egypt. Egypt. Israel. Israel. Gaza , together with the West Bank , comprise the Palestinian territories claimed by the Palestinians as the State of Palestine .. State of Palestine. State of Palestine. Palestinian. Palestinians. Gaza. Gaza City. West Bank. West Bank. Palestinian territories. Palestinian territories. Palestinians. Palestinians. The territories of Gaza and the West Bank are separated from each other by Israeli territory .. Gaza. Gaza City. West Bank. West Bank. Both fall under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority , but Gaza has since June 2007 been governed by Hamas , a Palestinian Islamic organization which came to power in free elections in 2006 .. Palestinian Authority. Palestinian National Authority. Hamas. Hamas. Palestinian. Palestinians. Gaza. Gaza City. came to power in free elections. Palestinian legislative election, 2006. It has been placed under an Israeli and U.S.-led international economic and political boycott from that time onwards .. The territory is 41 km long , and from 6 to wide , with a total area of 365 km2 .. With around 1.85 million Palestinians on some 362 square kilometers , Gaza ranks as the 3rd most densely populated polity in the world .. Gaza. Gaza City. Palestinians. Palestinians. as the 3rd most densely populated polity. Population density#By political boundaries. An extensive Israeli buffer zone within the Strip renders much land off-limits to Gaza 's Palestinians .. Gaza. Gaza City. Palestinians. Palestinians. Gaza has an annual population growth rate of 2.91 % -LRB- 2014 est. -RRB- , the 13th highest in the world , and is often referred to as overcrowded .. Gaza. Gaza City. 13th highest. List of countries by population growth rate. The population is expected to increase to 2.1 million in 2020 .. By that time , Gaza may be rendered unliveable , if present trends continue .. Gaza. Gaza City. Due to the Israeli and Egyptian border closures and the Israeli sea and air blockade , the population is not free to leave or enter the Gaza Strip , nor allowed to freely import or export goods .. Gaza. Gaza City. Sunni Muslims make up the predominant part of the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip .. Palestinian. Palestinians. Gaza. Gaza City. Despite the 2005 Israeli disengagement from Gaza , the United Nations , international human rights organisations , and the majority of governments and legal commentators consider the territory to be still occupied by Israel , supported by additional restrictions placed on Gaza by Egypt .. Gaza. Gaza City. Egypt. Egypt. Israel. Israel. Israeli disengagement from Gaza. Israeli disengagement from Gaza. Israel maintains direct external control over Gaza and indirect control over life within Gaza  : it controls Gaza 's air and maritime space , and six of Gaza 's seven land crossings .. Gaza. Gaza City. Israel. Israel. It reserves the right to enter Gaza at will with its military and maintains a no-go buffer zone within the Gaza territory .. Gaza. Gaza City. Gaza is dependent on Israel for its water , electricity , telecommunications , and other utilities .. Gaza. Gaza City. Israel. Israel. When Hamas won the Palestinian legislative election , 2006 , Fatah refused to join the proposed coalition , until a short-lived unity government agreement was brokered by Saudi Arabia .. Hamas. Hamas. Palestinian. Palestinians. unity government agreement. Palestinian National Unity Government of March 2007. Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia. When this collapsed under joint Israeli and United States pressure , the Palestinian Authority instituted a non-Hamas government in the West Bank while Hamas formed a government on its own in Gaza .. Palestinian Authority. Palestinian National Authority. Hamas. Hamas. Palestinian. Palestinians. Gaza. Gaza City. West Bank. West Bank. the Palestinian Authority instituted a non-Hamas government in the West Bank. Palestinian Government of June 2007. formed a government on its own in Gaza. Hamas government of June 2007. Further economic sanctions were imposed by Israel and the European Quartet against Hamas .. Hamas. Hamas. Israel. Israel. Further economic sanctions were imposed by Israel. 2006–2007 economic sanctions against the Palestinian National Authority. European Quartet. European Quartet. A brief civil war between the two groups had broken out in Gaza when , apparently under a U.S.-backed plan , Fatah contested Hamas 's administration .. Hamas. Hamas. Gaza. Gaza City. A brief civil war between the two groups had broken out in Gaza. Hamas' takeover of Gaza. Hamas emerged the victor and expelled Fatah-allied officials and members of the PA 's security apparatus from the Strip , and has remained the sole governing power in Gaza since that date .. Hamas. Hamas. Gaza. Gaza City