ABSTRACT

In this chapter, the author distinguishes three geographical sub-regions, running parallel to the coastline. They are, from west to east: sand-dunes, agricultural land and sandstone ridges. These sub-regions greatly influence the anthropogeographical formation of the Gaza Strip, and the development of the settlement, the economy and the communications in this area. Toward the end of the British Mandate in Palestine, there were only two urban concentrations in the Gaza Strip; Gaza, with 34,250 inhabitants, and Khan Yunis with 11,200 inhabitants. The land uses and the settlement pattern of the Gaza Strip are determined by its physiographic structure, which is characterized by sands in the west, alluvial soil in the center and sandstone ridges in the east. The town of Gaza, by virtue of its size and its regional and historical importance, is the dominant geographical feature in the Strip. The town is surrounded on all sides by sands and citrus groves.