Northern District (Israel)

The Northern District (Hebrew: מחוז הצפון, romanized: Mekhoz HaTzafon; Arabic: منطقة الشمال, romanized: Minṭaqat ash-Shamāl) is one of Israel's six administrative districts. The Northern District has a land area of 3,324 km², making it the second largest district in Israel. The district capital is Nof HaGalil and the largest city is Nazareth.

Northern District
District
- transcription(s)
• Arabic	منطقة الشمال Minṭaqat ash-Shamāl
• Hebrew	מחוז הצפון‎ Mekhoz HaTzafon
Cities	18
Local Councils	60
Regional Councils	15
Capital	Nof HaGalil
Largest	Nazareth
Government
• District Commissioner[1]	Uri Ilan (acting)[2]
Area
• Total	3,324 km2 (1,283 sq mi)
Population  (2023)[3]
• Total	1,527,800
• Density	460/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	IL-Z

The Golan Heights has been run as a sub-district of the North District of Israel since the 1981 Golan Heights Law was passed, although the claim is only recognized by the United States^[4] while United Nations Security Council condemned the annexation in its Resolution 497 without enforcing it. The Golan Heights covers a land area of 1,154 km² and the remainder of the Northern District covers 3,324 km² (3,484 km² including water).

Demographics

According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics data for 2022:^[5]

• Total population: 1,527,800 (2022)
• Ethnic:
  • Arabs: 816,800 (53.5%)
  • Jews: 647,500 (42.4%)
  • Others: 63,500 (4.2%)

In the Israeli census, no distinction is made between Arab citizens of Israel and Syrian inhabitants of the Golan Heights, many of whom are not citizens of Israel, but of Syria.

• Religious:
  • Jews: 647,500 (42.4%)
  • Muslims: 597,300 (39.1%)
  • Druze: 120,300 (7.9%)
  • Christians: 97,800 (6.4%)
  • Not classified: 55,600 (3.6%)
• Density: 335/km²

The Northern District is the only district of Israel where the majority of inhabitants are Arabs.

Administrative local authorities

Geographical distribution of the main ethno-cultural communities Haifa and Northern districts^[6]

Safed

Nazareth, the largest city in the North District

Subdistricts
Acre Golan Jezreel Kinneret (Tiberias) Safed
Cities	Local Councils	Regional Councils
Acre Afula Arraba Bet She'an Karmiel Kiryat Shmona Ma'alot-Tarshiha Maghar Migdal HaEmek Nahariyya Nazareth Nof HaGalil Safed Sakhnin Shefa-'Amr Tamra Tiberias Yokneam	Abu Sinan Basmat Tab'un Beit Jann Bi'ina Bir al-Maksur Bu'eine Nujeidat Buq'ata Daburiyya Deir al-Asad Deir Hanna Eilabun Ein Qiniyye Ein Mahil Fassuta Ghajar Hazor HaGelilit Hurfeish I'billin Iksal Ilut Jadeidi-Makr Jish (also: Gush Halav) Julis Ka'abiyye-Tabbash-Hajajre Kabul Kafr Kanna Kafr Manda Kafr Yasif Kaukab Abu al-Hija Katzrin Kfar Kama Kfar Tavor Kfar Vradim Kisra-Sumei Majd al-Krum Majdal Shams Mas'ada Mashhad Mazra'a Metula Migdal Mi'ilya Nahf Peki'in Ramat Yishai Rameh Reineh Rosh Pinna Sajur Sha'ab Shibli-Umm al-Ghanam Shlomi Tuba-Zangariyye Tur'an Yafa an-Naseriyye Yanuh-Jat Yavne'el Yesod HaMa'ala Yirka Zarzir	al-Batuf Bustan al-Marj Emek HaYarden Gilboa Golan Jezreel Valley Lower Galilee Ma'ale Yosef Matte Asher Megiddo Merom HaGalil Mevo'ot HaHermon Misgav Upper Galilee Valley of Springs (formerly Beit She'an Valley)

See also

• Galilee
• Arab localities in Israel
• List of cities in Israel

References

1. Transfer of Power (District Commissioners and District Officers) Law, 5724-1964, Laws of the State of Israel vol. 18 no 38. (pp. 70-71)
2. "בעלי תפקידים במשרד הפנים".
3. "Localities by Population, by District, Sub-District and Type of Locality". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics.
4. Romo, Vanessa (25 March 2019). "Trump Formally Recognizes Israeli Sovereignty Over Golan Heights". NPR.
5. "Population, by Population Group, Religion, Age and Sex, District and Sub-District" (PDF). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
6. Population in localities and statistical areas, by religion, end of 2019

32°50′N 35°20′E