Theme Week Israel – The port city of Ashdod

18 August 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  7 minutes

Port of Ashdod © Amos Meron/cc-by-sa-3.0

Port of Ashdod © Amos Meron/cc-by-sa-3.0

Ashdod is the fifth-largest city in Israel, located in the Southern District of the country, located 32 kilometres (20 mi) south of Tel Aviv, 20 km (12 mi) north of Ashkelon and 53 km (33 mi) west of Jerusalem. Ashdod is an important regional industrial center. The Port of Ashdod is Israel’s largest port, accounting for 60% of the country’s imported goods. Blue Marina in Ashdod is one of the newest marinas in Israel. It is located close to the city center in the middle of beach zone. Ashdod was established in 1956 on the sand hills near the site of the ancient town, and incorporated as a city in 1968, with a land-area of approximately 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi). Being a planned city, expansion followed a main development plan, which facilitated traffic and prevented air pollution in the residential areas, despite population growth. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, Ashdod had a population of 240,000 at the beginning of 2013, the sixth largest city in Israel, and had an area of 47,242 dunams (47.242 km2; 18.240 sq mi). After the fall of the Soviet Union, the population of Ashdod has doubled because of Russian immigrants.   read more…

Return to TopReturn to Top