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Tel Aviv

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of the Middle
East

   Tel Aviv-Yafo

   Image:Tel Aviv coatofarms.jpg

   Hebrew       תֵּל אָבִיב-יָפוֹ
   Arabic       تَلْ أَبِيبْ-يَافَا‎
   Name meaning Spring Hill
   Founded in   1909
   Government   City
   District     Tel Aviv
   Population   380,600
                Metro: 2.90 million ( CBS end of 2006)
   Jurisdiction 50,553 dunams (50.6 km²)
   Mayor        Ron Huldai
   Panorama showing north Tel Aviv (right) and Ramat Gan (left) taken from
   Tel Aviv University
   Enlarge
   Panorama showing north Tel Aviv (right) and Ramat Gan (left) taken from
   Tel Aviv University

   Tel Aviv-Yafo (Hebrew: תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ; Arabic: تَلْ أَبِيبْ يَافَا‎)
   is the second largest city in Israel and is located on the coast of the
   Mediterranean Sea. It is also the main part of the largest and most
   populous metropolitan area in Israel, Gush Dan (Dan Bloc).

   Tel Aviv's jurisdiction is 50,553 dunams (50.6 km² or 19.5 mi²). The
   population density is 7,445 people per km². According to the Israel
   Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), as of June 2006, the city's
   population stood at 380,600, growing at an annual rate of 0.9%. 96.1%
   percent of residents are Jewish, while 3.0% are Arab Muslims and 0.9%
   are Arab Christians. According to some estimates, about 50,000
   unregistered foreign workers live in Tel Aviv.

Origin of the name

   The name Tel Aviv in Hebrew means "Hill ( tel) of Spring (aviv)". This
   is the title given by Nahum Sokolow to his Hebrew translation of
   Theodor Herzl's book Altneuland (German: " The Old New Land").

   There is an account that Sokolow came up with the Hebrew title "Tel
   Aviv" to allude to the destruction of the ancient Jewish state and its
   hoped-for restoration: aviv = "spring" to symbolize renewal; and tel to
   symbolize the destruction of the ancient state, following not the usual
   Hebrew meaning of the word "tel" but its use in archaeology, meaning
   "mound of accumulated ruins". Sokolow took the name from the Book of
   Ezekiel, 3:15 : "Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel Aviv, that
   lived by the river Chebar, and to where they lived; and I sat there
   overwhelmed among them seven days." (The spelling in the King James
   Version of the Bible is Telabib ). The Aviv referred to is possibly an
   indirect reference to a Mesopotamian god or goddess believed to bring
   forth the season of spring.

   (The Arabic تل الربيع (tal al-rabeý) was used before 1948 to name the
   area. It literally means "Hill of Spring", with ربيع, rabeý
   specifically denoting grass and flowers that flourish in the Spring
   time.

   Jaffa is Yafo in Hebrew, which may well be derived from yafah/yofi
   (beautiful) or may simply come from the name of its founder, Japhet,
   son of Noah. This port city is mentioned in the book of Jonah. A
   mention of the city by the name of "Japo" was found on an ancient
   Egyptian tax register clay tablet found at Tel el-Amarna, which could
   render the etymological derivation from "yofi" (or "Yefet") unlikely.

History

                                   Tel Aviv's hotels from a southern point
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                                   Tel Aviv's hotels from a southern point

                                                      Rothschild Boulevard
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                                                      Rothschild Boulevard

                              The corner of Sheinkin St. & King George St.
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                              The corner of Sheinkin St. & King George St.

         Tel Aviv was founded on empty dunes north of the existing city of
               Jaffa. This photograph is of the auction of the first lots.
                                                                   Enlarge
         Tel Aviv was founded on empty dunes north of the existing city of
               Jaffa. This photograph is of the auction of the first lots.

                  The Engineering Faculty Boulevard in Tel Aviv University
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                  The Engineering Faculty Boulevard in Tel Aviv University

                                       The Tel Aviv performing arts centre
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                                       The Tel Aviv performing arts centre

                                      The pagoda house in central Tel Aviv
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                                      The pagoda house in central Tel Aviv

                                          Tel Aviv's main basketball arena
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                                          Tel Aviv's main basketball arena

     Multimodal traffic in Tel Aviv: pedestrians, private vehicles, buses,
      trucks and taxis (and accessible from the other side of the building
                                           shown is also a train station).
                                                                   Enlarge
     Multimodal traffic in Tel Aviv: pedestrians, private vehicles, buses,
      trucks and taxis (and accessible from the other side of the building
                                           shown is also a train station).

        Dizengoff Square, named after Zina Dizengof the wife of Tel Aviv's
      first mayor Meir Dizengoff. The fountain was designed by Yaacov Agam
                             and combines fire, water, movement and music.
                                                                   Enlarge
        Dizengoff Square, named after Zina Dizengof the wife of Tel Aviv's
      first mayor Meir Dizengoff. The fountain was designed by Yaacov Agam
                             and combines fire, water, movement and music.

                                                 Central Tel Aviv Panorama
                                                                   Enlarge
                                                 Central Tel Aviv Panorama

                                     South Tel Aviv from the Azrieli Tower
                                                                   Enlarge
                                     South Tel Aviv from the Azrieli Tower

                                                Tel Aviv's Beach at Winter
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                                                Tel Aviv's Beach at Winter

                                                      Old Tel Aviv Harbour
                                                                   Enlarge
                                                      Old Tel Aviv Harbour

                     Tel Aviv Skyline from the Carmel mountains, 80km away
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                     Tel Aviv Skyline from the Carmel mountains, 80km away

   The settlement in the area of modern southern Tel Aviv (the
   neighbourhoods of Neve Shalom and Neve Tsedek) was started in the 1880s
   as a substitute for the relatively expensive Arab neighbourhoods of
   Jaffa. In 1908 the Ahuzat Bayit homebuilders association bought land
   north of Jaffa. Building started in 1909, and the association admitted
   members of two sururbs established nearby. In 1910, the common name of
   Tel Aviv was adopted. At its founding, Tel Aviv was intended only to be
   a suburb, a bedroom community, with the workers commuting to Jaffa.
   However, disputes between the Jews of Tel Aviv and the Arabs of Jaffa
   in 1921 led the inhabitants of Tel Aviv to create a new central
   business district. The master plan for development of the city, based
   on a framework of central routes and boulevards, was designed in 1925
   by Patrick Geddes and adopted by the city council under Meir Dizengoff.
   Owing to its proximity to the port of Jaffa, and its status as the
   first Jewish community that immigrants saw when coming into the
   country, Tel Aviv quickly grew to become the centre of Israeli urban
   life, which it remains to this day.

   During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, for a period of eight months
   (May-December 1948) during the Arab blockade of Jerusalem it also
   served as the temporary capital of Israel. When Jerusalem was
   proclaimed the capital, most embassies stayed in the Tel Aviv area.
   Thirteen more moved there in the early eighties .

   In 1950 Tel Aviv and Jaffa were united in the single municipality Tel
   Aviv-Yafo.

   Tel Aviv has been targeted several times by Palestinian terrorist
   groups. On October 19, 1994, a suicide bomber exploded on the Line 5
   bus killing himself and 25 civilians. On March 4, 1996, another suicide
   bomber exploded nearby at an ATM and killed 18 civilians. Оn June 1,
   2001, a suicide bomber exploded in a line for a discotheque and 32 were
   killed. On January 25, 2002, 20 were killed in a suicide attack. On
   January 5, 2003, in two nearly simultaneous attacks, 23 were killed. On
   17 April 2006, 10 people were killed and dozens wounded in a suicide
   attack near the old Central bus station.

Culture and arts

   Tel Aviv University is one of the largest universities in Israel. It
   has an excellent reputation internationally, mostly famous for its
   physics, computer science and chemistry departments.

   There are many cultural centers in Tel Aviv, including the Opera House
   where Plácido Domingo was the house tenor between 1962 and 1965, as
   well as the Culture Hall (with 3,000 seats). Tel Aviv also has many
   theatre companies and theatre halls. The Israeli National Theatre,
   Habima Theatre ("The Stage") is the most recognized, but the Tel-Aviv
   Municipal Cameri Theatre, the Jaffa-based Gesher Theatre, and Beit
   Lessin Theatre are also well-konwn. Tzavta and Tmuna are smaller
   theaters used mainly for musical and fringe productions. In Jaffa, the
   Simta ("Alley") and Notzar ("created") theaters also specialize in
   fringe.

   Tel Aviv has many museums and art galleries.
     * The Eretz Israel Museum is known for its rich collection of
       archaeology and history exhibits.
     * Tel Aviv Museum of Art is one of the major art museums in Israel.
     * The campus of TAU houses the Jewish Diaspora Museum, dedicated to
       Jewish history throughout the world. Carrying both historical
       documents and art, the museum tells the story of Jewish prosperity
       and persecution throughout the centuries of exile.
     * Batey Haosef Museum is a museum for the military history of the
       Israel Defense Forces. It is regarded by many experts and arms
       collectors as a real jewel, containing rare exhibits and authentic
       pieces from Israel's history as well as a wide variety of firearms
       and pictures.
     * The Palmach Museum near Tel Aviv University offers a unique
       multimedia experience, as well as vast archives, depicting the
       lives of young self-trained Jewish soldiers who eventually became
       the first defenders of Israel.
     * Near Charles Clore's garden in north Jaffa, Israel, there is a
       small museum of the Etzel Jewish militant organization, one of
       whose achievements was conquering Jaffa for Israel in the 1948
       Arab-Israeli War.
     * The Tel Aviv Exhibition Centre which is located in the northern
       part of the city.

   Between the 1930s and 1950s, approximately 2500 structures in the
   Bauhaus or International Style were built in Tel Aviv. In July 2003,
   Tel Aviv's White City was declared by the UNESCO council as a World
   Heritage Site.

   Tel Aviv has several public parks and gardens, the biggest being The
   Yarqon Park. Gan Meir, named after first mayor Meir Dizengoff, is
   located on King George Street.

   Tel Aviv hosts the largest Gay Pride Parade in Israel followed by
   Jerusalem (the only country to do so in the Middle East), drawing
   upwards of 100,000 people. Tel Aviv is known for its openness as well
   as its thriving night life.

Economy

   According to December 2001 statistics, Tel Aviv's socio-economic status
   was classified as high (8 out of 10). 63.1% percent of twelfth grade
   students received graduation certificates in 2000. In 2000, the average
   monthly wage stood at 6,773 NIS, roughly the national average.

   According to Newsweek, Tel Aviv is a flourishing technological centre.
   As a result of immigration from the former Soviet Union, many computer
   scientists now live and work in Tel Aviv. The city is considered by
   Newsweek to be one of the top ten most technologically influential
   cities in the world. Actually, it is the metropolitan area (including
   suburbs such as Herzlia and Petah Tikva) that contains much of Israel's
   high-tech muscle.

Sports

   Tel Aviv is the home of some of the top sports teams in Israel,
   including a world-class basketball team. Tel Aviv is the only city with
   three teams in the Israeli football premier league.

   Maccabi Tel Aviv Sports Club was founded in 1906 and competes in over
   10 sports. Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball has 45 Israeli titles, won 35
   editions of the Israel cup, and has 5 European Championships. The
   Maccabi Tel Aviv FC football club has 18 Israeli league titles, won 22
   editions of the Israel cup, two Israel Toto cup and two Asia cups.
   Maccabi's Judo club athlete Yael Arad won a silver medal in the 1992
   Olympic Games.

   Hapoel Tel Aviv Sports Club was founded in 1923, and over the years has
   included over 11 sports, including Hapoel Tel Aviv basketball club (5
   Israeli championships, 4 Israeli cups) and Hapoel Tel Aviv football
   club (13 Israeli championships, 11 Israeli cups, one Toto cup and once
   Asia champion), kayaking Club, women's basketball club and more that
   have always been amongst the top Israeli clubs.

   Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv Tel Aviv's football club (once Israeli champion,
   twice Israeli cup holder and twice Israeli Toto cup holder) is the only
   Israeli football team in the top division (Ligat Ha'al) that represents
   a neighbourhood - Shechunat Hatikva ("The Hope Neighbourhood") in Tel
   Aviv - and not a city.

   Other football clubs which used to play in the top division were
   Shimshon Tel Aviv and Beitar Tel Aviv, which are now merged into one
   team that plays in the 3rd division ( Liga Artzit). Maccabi Yafo is
   another former 1st division team that currently plays in the lower
   divisions.

   Tel Aviv is also the home of many other sports. Two rowing clubs
   operate in Tel Aviv. The Tel Aviv Rowing Club, which was established as
   early as 1935 on the banks of the Yarkon River, is the biggest rowing
   club in Israel.

   The beaches of Tel Aviv provide arguably the most vibrant Matkot scene
   in the world.

Climate

   Tel Aviv has a mediterranean climate with hot summers and cool, rainy
   winters. The average temperature in summer is 26 °C and in winter, 12
   °C. Humidity tends to be high all year round and October to April is
   the wet season. The average amount of precipitation is 530 millimetres.
   Once or twice every winter the temperature can drop down to around 6 °C
   in the early morning. The temperature can also reach 35 °C during
   heatwaves.

Transportation

   Some of the city's main routes are King George Street, Allenby Street,
   Dizengoff Street, Rothschild Boulevard and in Jaffa - Jerusalem
   Boulevard, Jaffa. The main access route to Tel Aviv is Ayalon Highway
   (a.k.a. Highway 20), which goes through the city - north to south - on
   Ayalon River riverbed, which has been channeled and runs between the
   northbound and southbound lanes. Driving south on the Ayalon gives
   access to Highway 1, leading to Ben Gurion International Airport and to
   Jerusalem.

   Other access routes are Namir Road (which connects to Highway 2, and
   provides access from the North) and Begin/Jabotinsky Road (which
   provides access from the east, through Ramat Gan, Bnei Brak and Petach
   Tiqva).

   Tel Aviv has 4 train stations along the Ayalon Highway. The stops are
   from north to south: Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv Merkaz (Tel Aviv
   Central Train Station), Tel Aviv Hashalom (near Azrieli Centre shopping
   mall) and Tel Aviv Hahaganah (near the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station).
   It is estimated that over 1 million people use the train from Rishon
   LeZion, Rehovot, and Petah Tikva to Tel Aviv and back, each month.

   The Tel Aviv Central Bus Station, A large central bus station, is
   located in the south. The main bus network in Tel Aviv is operated by
   Dan Bus Company. Egged Bus Cooperative, the world's second-largest bus
   company, provides mainly intercity transportation to and from Tel Aviv.

   Tel Aviv's airport is Dov Hoz Airport Sde Dov (code: SDV), located at
   the north of the city and serves as a major airport for domestic
   flights. Ben Gurion International Airport (code:TLV), Israel's main
   international airport for people and freight traffic, is located 15 km
   southeast of Tel Aviv near the city of Lod. Because of its proximity to
   Tel Aviv and its location within the metropolitan area of Tel Aviv,
   Ben-Gurion International Airport is often referred to as Tel Aviv
   International Airport. The area of the airport, however, is not
   included in any municipal jurisdiction.

   The first phase of the Tel Aviv Subway is planned to be completed by
   2012, improving public transportation in the city dramatically.

Mayors of Tel Aviv

     * Meir Dizengoff (1921–1925)
     * David Bloch (1925–1927)
     * Meir Dizengoff (1928–1936)
     * Israel Rokach (1936–1952)
     * Chaim Levanon (1953–1959)
     * Mordechai Namir (1959–1969)
     * Yehoshua Rabinowitz (1969–1974)
     * Shlomo Lahat ("Chich") (1974–1993)
     * Ronnie Milo (1993–1998)
     * Ron Huldai (1998–)

Sister cities

   France Toulouse (1962)
   United States Philadelphia (1967)
   Germany Frankfurt (1980)
   Germany Bonn (1983)
   Argentina Buenos Aires (1988)
   Hungary Budapest (1989)
   Germany Essen (1992)
   Bulgaria Sofia (1992)

   Poland Warsaw (1992)
   France Cannes (1993)
   Poland Łódź (1994)
   Italy Milan (1994)
   Greece Thessaloniki (1994)
   People's Republic of China Beijing (1995)
   United States Los Angeles (1996)
   Germany Cologne (1997)

   Spain Barcelona (1998)
   Palestinian National Authority Gaza (1998)
   Turkey İzmir (1998)
   Moldova Chişinău (2000)
   South Korea Incheon (2000)
   Russia Moscow (2000)
   Brazil São Paulo (2004)
   Austria Vienna (2005)
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tel_Aviv"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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