Located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Tel Aviv-Yafo is a long, narrow city in Israel. It is built over low ridges of hills that run roughly parallel to the coast. As its name suggests, the city is actually two towns that have been joined together. Israel took over the Arab city of Jaffa (called Yafo in the Hebrew language) in 1948 and combined it with the Jewish city of Tel Aviv. The united city was called Tel Aviv-Yafo.

Places of interest

Tel Aviv-Yafo is a culturally rich city. The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the New Israeli Opera are located there. Plays are presented in Hebrew and other languages at numerous theaters, including Israel's national theater, Habima, and the Cameri. The city's Diaspora Museum is a unique institution with multimedia displays on Jewish culture and history throughout the world. The Tel Aviv Museum of Art has collections of Israeli, European, and American paintings and sculpture. Tel Aviv University, founded in 1956, is the largest university in Israel. Old Jaffa, the historic section of the city, is known for its gardens, art studios, and narrow alleys.

Economy

Tel Aviv-Yafo is the economic center of Israel. It is the site of major banks and insurance companies as well as Israel's only stock exchange. More than half of the city's workers are employed in finance or business services. Many others work in hotels, restaurants, shops, and other businesses that serve the many tourists who visit the city. Publishing, diamond polishing, and high-technology industries are other important parts of the city's economy.

History

The history of Tel Aviv-Yafo begins with the ancient port city of Jaffa. Considered one of the oldest cities in the world, it dates back to about the 18th century BC. The city is mentioned in the stories of ancient Greek mythology and the Bible. Because it was an important seaport, it was captured by many different peoples during its history, including the Egyptians, Israelites, Persians, and Romans. From the 13th century until the 20th century Jaffa was ruled by Muslim Arabs.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries increasing numbers of Jewish settlers began to arrive in the area. In 1906 Jewish immigrants purchased land north of Jaffa to build a settlement. They called the settlement Tel Aviv, which in Hebrew means “Hill of Spring.” Both Tel Aviv and Jaffa were captured by the Ottoman Turks during World War I (1914–18). The Turks, who were Muslim, forced all the Jews out of both cities. In 1917 the British captured Tel Aviv and Jaffa, and the Jews were allowed to return.

The population of Tel Aviv grew quickly in the 1920s and 1930s. Some Jews fled to Tel Aviv because of anti-Jewish riots among the Arabs of Jaffa. Many others settled in and around the city after leaving Germany as the Nazis rose to power in the 1930s. Tel Aviv became a thriving business center, and a port was built there. After Israel became a country in 1948, war broke out between Israel and neighboring Arab countries. Israeli troops took control of Jaffa, and almost all of the city's Arabs fled. A year later Tel Aviv and Jaffa were combined, and in 1950 the united city was named Tel Aviv-Yafo. Population (2001 estimate), 354,400.