Virtual Tour of Israel: Tel Aviv

	Israel
	Dead Sea
	Eilat
	Haifa
	Jerusalem
	Jordan River
	Kinneret
	Masada
	Negev
	Tel Aviv
	Tiberias

Tel Aviv is Israel's second largest city after Jerusalem. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea, and south of the mouth of the Yarkon River.

Tel Aviv is Israel's main commercial, financial and manufacturing center. Among its diverse products are processed food, textiles, clothing, chemicals, metal and wood items, motor vehicles, and electrical and electronic equipment. Also important are diamond cutting and printing and publishing. Tel Aviv is also an important tourist center as the city is almost entirely fronted by beaches and enjoys warm weather.

To the south of Tel Aviv lies the former Arab town of Jaffa (ancient Joppa) with old buildings and winding streets. The site of Jaffa has been occupied for nearly 4000 years. During ancient times it was besieged by the Egyptians, Persians, and Greeks. It was destroyed by the Romans during the Jewish war of AD 68. Jaffa was captured by Crusaders in 1126 and again in 1191 and in each case was reconquered by the Muslims.

In 1909 Jewish settlers established Tel Aviv (Hebrew for "hill of spring") on a sand dune north of Jaffa. The new suburb grew slowly, first under Ottomon rule and then under British rule. Following anti-Jewish riots in Jaffa in 1921, the Jewish population of that town immigrated to Tel Aviv, increasing its population considerably. The rise of the Nazis in Germany led to Jewish immigration to Palestine, and the population of Tel Aviv increased from 45,000 to 145,000 between 1931 and 1936.

During Israel's War of Independence, Jewish forces took control of Jaffa and most of its Arab population fled. In 1950 Tel Aviv and Jaffa were incorporated as a single municipality. The city's period of greatest growth was during the early 1950s, when large numbers of Jewish immigrants, mainly from Europe, swelled its population. According to a 1993 estimate, the population of the city of Tel Aviv is 357,400.

Information from the Israeli Ministry of Tourism and Microsoft's Encarta '95.

back to top of page

back to Tour of Israel


~ Lisa Katz

More Articles