Israel is a democratic state in the Middle East on the southeast coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This ancient land, which became the cradle of Christianity and the site of the development of biblical events known to all. Now it is a beautiful country, carefully preserving its rich history and developing dynamically.
Population of Israel and Tel Aviv
Israel has a population of 8.45 million and ranks 99th in the world. In terms of population density, which is 387 people per square kilometer, the country is in 34th place. Israel's capital, Jerusalem, is the country's largest city and one of the oldest in the world, with a population of 890,000.
The second largest city in Israel is Tel Aviv - the number of inhabitants here is about half a million people. The city is a major financial, economic, cultural and tourist center. Gush Dan -the agglomeration, which includes the Tel Aviv and Central districts of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, has approximately 3.2 million people.
2015 interesting facts
In 2015, the population of Tel Aviv was 432,892, of which there were 214,189 men and 218,703 women.
According to age groups:
- 0-9 years - 58,950 people
- 10-19 years - 38,279 people
- 20-29 years - 62,353 people
- 30-39 years - 91,982 people
- 40-49 years - 54,657 people
- 50-59 years - 40,465 people
- 60-69 years - 41,640 people
- 70+ years - 44,566 people
Ethnic groups:
- Jews – 91%.
- Arabs – 4%.
- Other - 5%.
Character of the city
The character of Tel Aviv often contrasts with Jerusalem. Tel Aviv is portrayed as a city in constant motion, a city of the present, with deep historical roots. It is a thriving, dynamic, modern and multicultural city. He gathered on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea people of different nationalities, languages and cultures, who perfectly understand each other and live on the same wavelength. Jerusalem, by contrast, is considered eternal, holy, and conservative. This difference is reflected in the famous saying: "Jerusalem prays, Haifa works, Tel Aviv rests." It cannot be said that the life of the city is woven from only relaxation - it is always on the move, but the fact that the people of Tel Aviv know a lot about relaxation is a fact.
Foundation of Tel Aviv
The city wasfounded on April 11, 1909, when a group of Jewish residents of Jaffa and nearby agricultural settlements founded the society with the intention of building a modern Jewish city in the Holy Land. On this day, several dozen families gathered on the sand dunes on the beach outside Jaffa to allocate land for a new Jewish quarter they called Ahuzat Bait, later known as Tel Aviv.
Because the families couldn't decide how to distribute the land, they held a lottery to ensure a fair division. One of the prominent figures in the city, Arich Weiss, suggested using white and black shells, collected according to the number of families participating in the distribution. Names were written on white shells, and numbers of plots of land were written on black shells. By way of a lottery, one by one, 66 Jewish families, pulling shells out of two hats, received their part of the Holy Land. Thus began the construction of the “first Jewish city.”
What is Jaffa (Yafo)
One of the oldest port cities in the world, dating back to the time of Noah, lives up to its name, which translates from Hebrew as "beautiful". During the reign of King Solomon, the port of Jaffa served as a gateway for the importation of cedars from Lebanon, which were used to build the First Temple. Thanks to its favorable trading position, the city has been a coveted acquisition for thousands of years, for the right to own which many world powers have fought. In April 1950, ancient Jaffa was officially merged with young TelAviv and created a single municipality - Tel Aviv-Yafo. Being a suburb of Tel Aviv at the present time, Jaffa retains its independence and is the tourist and cultural center of Tel Aviv. The majority of the Arab population lives here, and over the past 300 years many new quarters have appeared. This ancient city, like a stone statue, keeps eternal secrets, in search of a solution to which thousands of tourists visit Jaffa every year. Its narrow streets are saturated with the atmosphere of antiquity, and the architecture preserved for a long time creates an indescribable flavor.
But let's go back to the time when the foundation of Tel Aviv was laid near Jaffa.
Development of Tel Aviv
How many people were there in Tel Aviv when it was founded? We have already mentioned the lottery, which was attended by 66 families, where each family, through an honest choice, received their own plot of land and began building the new Azut Bayt district under the leadership of the future mayor of Tel Aviv, Meir Dizengoff. Thus, the shell lottery marked the birthday of Tel Aviv. On May 21, 1910, the city received its current name when, at a community meeting, Menachem Shenkin proposed renaming the Ahuzat Bait district to Tel Aviv, and by a majority of votes the city received its melodic name, which in Hebrew means "spring hill". Tel Aviv is often mistakenly considered the capital of Israel, but there is an explanation for this, because it served this function for a year and 7 months and the most important events in the history of Israel took place here.
Tel Aviv now
Tel Aviv's population has grown to nearly half a million people and is considered one of the world's 25 largest financial centers. Over a million tourists visit the "city that never sleeps" every year to experience its unique culture, cuisine and vibrant nightlife.
Tel Aviv is also called the city of contrasts. Skyscrapers located along the highway side by side with the buildings of the early twentieth century, the luxurious quarters of northern Tel Aviv - with the old Tahana Merkazit, and hotels and pubs located on the Mediterranean embankment share the territory with business offices. Do you miss relaxation and want to enjoy moments of unbridled fun among people who know a lot about it? Find an opportunity to visit this beautiful city and you won't regret it. By the way, do you know how many residents of Tel Aviv are Russian-speaking? Almost half.
