Haifa
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Haifa (Hebrew: חֵיפָה); is the lairgest ceety in northren Israel, an the third-lairgest ceety in the kintra (after Jerusalem an Tel Aviv), wi a population o 278,903 in 2015. Anither 300,000 fowk bide in touns directly adjacent tae the ceety includin the ceeties o the Krayot, as weel as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel an Nesher. Thegither thir auries form a contiguous urban aurie hame tae near 600,000 residents that maks up the inner core o the Haifa metropolitan aurie.[2][3] Haifa haes a mixed population o Jews an Arabs, awtho Jews mak up tae 90% majority. The Arab population is predominantly Christian, whauras 28% o the Jewish population (correct for 2009) is made o immigrants frae the umwhile Soviet Union.[4] It is an important port ceety and industrial ceety. It is hame tae the Bahá'í Warld Centre, a UNESCO Warld Heritage Steid, an aw.[5][6]
Built on the sclents o Munt Carmel, Haifa haes a history datin back tae Biblical times. The earliest kent dounset in the vicinity wis Tell Abu Hawam, a sma port ceety established in the Late Bronze Age (14t century BC).[7] In the 3rd century AD, Haifa wis kent as a dye-makin center. Ower the centuries, the ceety haes chynged haunds: It haes been conquered an ruled bi the Phoenicians, Ebreus, Persians, Hasmoneans, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottomans, Egyptians, Breetish, an the Israelis. Synee the establishment o the State o Israel in 1948, the ceety haes been govrened bi the Haifa Municipality.
The day, the ceety is a major seaport locatit on Israel's Mediterranean coastline in the Bay o Haifa coverin 63.7 square kilometres (24.6 sq mi). It is locatit aboot 90 kilometres (56 mi) north o Tel Aviv an is the major regional centre o northren Israel. Twa respectit academic institutions, the University o Haifa an the Technion, are locatit in Haifa, an the ceety plays an important role in Israel's economy. It haes several heh-tech pairks, amang them the auldest an lairgest in the kintra,[8] an industrial port, an a petroleum refinery. Haifa wis umwhile the wastren terminus o an ile pipeline frae Iraq via Jordan.[9]
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Etymology
The oreegin o the name "Haifa" is unclear. Accordin tae historian Alex Carmel, it mey come frae the Ebreu verb ruit חפה (hafa), meanin tae kiver or shield, i.e. Munt Carmel covers Haifa.[10] Anither possible oreegin is the Ebreu wird חוֹף (hof), an aa meanin beach, or חוֹף יָפֶה (hof yafe), meanin bonnie beach.[11] Some Christians believe that the toun wis named efter the heich priest Caiaphas, or Saunt Peter (Keiphah in Aramaic).[10]
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Gallery
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Twin touns - Sister ceeties
Haifa is twinned wi the follaein ceeties:[12]
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References
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