Kiryat Gat
Kiryat Gat
קִרְיַת גַּת | |
---|---|
Hebrew transcription(s) | |
• ISO 259 | Qiryat Gatt |
Coordinates: 31°36′22″N 34°46′18″E / 31.60611°N 34.77167°E | |
Country | Israel |
District | Southern |
Founded | 1954 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Kfir Swisa[1] |
Area | |
• Total | 17,102 dunams (17.102 km2 or 6.603 sq mi) |
Population (2022)[2] | |
• Total | 64,437 |
• Density | 3,800/km2 (9,800/sq mi) |
Website | www |
Kiryat Gat, also spelled Qiryat Gat (Hebrew: קִרְיַת גַּת), is a city in the Southern District of Israel. It lies 56 km (35 miles) south of Tel Aviv, 43 km (27 mi) north of Beersheba, and 68 km (42 mi) west southwest of Jerusalem. In 2022 it had a population of 64,437.[2] The city hosts one of the most advanced semiconductor fabrication plants in the world, Intel's Fab 28 plant producing 7 nm process chips and the currently under construction Fab 38 plant due to open in 2028 and to produce 3 nm process using EUV lithography.
Etymology
Kiryat Gat is named for Gath, one of the five major cities of the Philistines. In Hebrew, "gat" means "winepress". In the 1950s, archaeologists found ruins at a nearby tell (Tel Erani) which were mistaken for the Philistine city of Gath. The location most favored for Gath now is Tel es-Safi, thirteen kilometers (8.1 miles) to the northeast.[3]
History
Kiryat Gat was founded in 1954, initially as a ma'abara. The following year it was established as a development town by 18 families from Morocco.[4] It was founded just west of the ruins of the Palestinian Arab village of Iraq al-Manshiyya, which was depopulated in 1949 after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.[5][6] The former location of Iraq al-Manshiyya is now within the built-up area of Kiryat Gat.[6] By 1992, Kiryat Gat had grown and spread also onto the land that formerly belonged to the village of Al-Faluja.[7]
The population of Kiryat Gat rose from 4,400 inhabitants in 1958 to 17,000 in 1969, mostly Jewish immigrants from
During the 1990s, the
Demographics
In 2012, the ethnic makeup of the city was 93.8 percent
Economy
The
The headquarters and small-arms (guns) manufacturing facility of Israeli Weapons Industries is now located in Kiryat Gat.[14]
Transportation
Kiryat Gat is served by the
Education
Kiryat Gat has 25 schools with an enrollment of 10,676. Of these schools, 18 are elementary schools with a student population of 5,498, and 13 are high schools with a student population of 5,178. In 2001, 54.7% of Kiryat Gat's 12th grade students graduated with a matriculation certificate. Kiryat Gat has a Pedagogic Center, science centers, a computerized library and a center devoted to industry, art and technology.[4] In 2012, a high school student from Kiryat Gat won first prize in the First Step to Nobel Prize in Physics competition.[15]
Twin towns — sister cities
Kiryat Gat is
- Chicago, United States of America (1998)[16]
- Buffalo, United States of America (1977)[17]
- Kruševac, Serbia (1990)[18]
Notable people
- Tali Fahima (born 1976), pro-Palestinian activist
- Adi Nes (born 1966), photographer
- Miri Regev (born 1965), politician and a former Brigadier General. She is a member of the Cabinet as the Minister of Culture and Sport from 2015–2020 and the Minister of Transportation since 2020[19][20]
- Miki Zohar (born 1980), politician. He is a former member of the Kiryat Gat City Council, a member of Knesset from 2015 to 2023, and a member of Cabinet as the Minister of Culture and Sport since 2022.[21]
- Ninet Tayeb (born 1983), singer and actress
See also
References
- ^ "Ultra-Orthodox retake Beit Shemesh, former Haifa mayor Yona Yahav returns to office". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
- ^ a b "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- S2CID 162186999.
- ^ a b "Partnership 2000, Kiryat Gat". Jewish United Fund. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
- ISBN 0-88728-224-5.
- ^ a b Sheet Hebron of 100,000 topological map series, Survey of Israel, 1956.
- ^ Khalidi, 1992, p. 97
- ISBN 965-07-0665-8.
- ^ "Kiryat Gat- Municipality Profile" (PDF) (in Hebrew). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-06-27.
- ^ "Local Authorities in Israel 2012, Publication No. 1573. Kiryat Gat" הרשויות המקומיות בישראל 2012, פרסום מס' 1573. קריית גת (PDF) (in Hebrew). הלשכה המרכזית לסטטיסטיקה Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
- ^ ISBN 0-684-86973-X.
- ^ Gazzar, Brenda (2006-01-05). "Intel's Inside". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
- ^ "Intel to Invest $10B in New Israeli Manufacturing Site". The Media Line. 2021-05-03. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
- ^ Etsion, Udi (2019-09-05). "Scoot Over, Uzi, There's a new Gun in Town". CTECH - www.calcalistech.com. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
- ^ Kiryat Gat teen wins first prize in international physics competition, Haaretz
- ^ "Partnership Together". Jewish United Fund. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
- ^ "Buffalo, New York & Kiryat Gat, Israel". Sister Cities International. Archived from the original on 2014-07-26. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
- ^ "Градови побратими". Град Крушевац. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
- ^ "All Governments of Israel". main.knesset.gov.il. The Knesset. n.d. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
- ^ "Knesset Member, Miri Regev". knesset.gov.il. The Knesset. n.d. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
- ^ "All Past and Present MKs". main.knesset.gov.il. The Knesset. n.d. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
External links
- Media related to Kiryat Gat at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website (in Hebrew)