Kiryat Ata
Hebrew transcription(s)
• Hebrew	קִרְיַת אָתָא
• ISO 259	Qiryat ʔataˀ
• Also spelled	Qiryat Ata (official) Kiryat Ata (unofficial)
Arabic transcription(s)
• Arabic	كريات آتا
HaTzionut Boulevard
Logo
Kiryat Ata
Coordinates: 32°48′N 35°06′E / 32.8°N 35.1°E / 32.8; 35.1Coordinates: 32°48′N 35°06′E / 32.8°N 35.1°E / 32.8; 35.1
District	Haifa
Government
• Type	City (from 1969)
• Mayor	Yaakov Peretz
Area
• Total	16,706 dunams (16.706 km2 or 6.450 sq mi)
Population (2009)[1]
• Total	50,700

Kiryat Ata (Hebrew: קִרְיַת אָתָא‎‎; also Qiryat Ata) is a city in the Haifa District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 50,700.^[1] It is also still known by its former name of Kfar Ata (Hebrew: כְּפַר עָטָּה‎‎).

History[link]

Archeological surveys at Khirbet Sharta in the northeast part of the city revealed traces of habitation dating to the Bronze, Iron, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Mamluk eras.

In the early 20th century, the lands of the Arab village of Kofrita were purchased by a Warsaw religious foundation named "Avodat Israel" through intermediaries in the American Zion Commonwealth. Avodat Israel founded Kfar Ata in 1925, which was renamed Kiryat Ata in 1965 when the village was merged with adjacent Kiryat Binyamin. During the 1929 riots the town was attacked and abandoned. A year later the residents returned and rebuilt the community. The town was known for the Ata textile factory, established in 1934 by Erich Moller. In 1969, Kiryat Ata was declared a city.

Economy[link]

The Ata plant, which opened in 1934, became an icon of the Israeli textile industry. It suffered from financial problems in the 1960s and closed down in 1985.^[2]

Climate[link]

Kiryat Ata has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and cool and rainy winters. The hottest month is July and the coldest is February. Snowfall is rare, but snow was recorded three times in the 20th century: in 1950, 1992 and 1999. Annual precipitation is approximately 524 millimeters (21 in).

Demographics[link]

According to CBS, in 2001 the ethnic makeup of the city was 99.8% Jewish and other non-Arab, without significant Arab population. See Population groups in Israel. According to CBS, in 2001 there were 23,700 males and 24,900 females. The population of the city was spread out with 31.4% 19 years of age or younger, 15.7% between 20 and 29, 18.5% between 30 and 44, 18.3% from 45 to 59, 4.1% from 60 to 64, and 11.9% 65 years of age or older. The population growth rate in 2001 was 0.8%.

Income[link]

In 2000, there were 17,236 salaried workers and 1,226 self-employed. The mean monthly wage was ILS 5,157. Salaried males had a mean monthly wage of ILS 6,759 (a real change of 4.6%) versus ILS 3,456 for females (a real change of 2.7%). The mean income for the self-employed was 6,470. There were 1,092 people who received unemployment benefits and 4,153 people who received an income guarantee.

Panorama of Kiryat Ata

Panorama of Kiryat Ata

Education[link]

In 2000, there were 20 schools and 8,762 students in the city: 14 elementary schools with 4,899 students, and 11 high schools with 3,863 students. 52.0% of 12th graders were entitled to a matriculation certificate in 2001.

Sports[link]

The city's main football club, Maccabi Ironi Kiryat Ata, plays in Liga Leumit, the second tier of Israeli football. The local basketball club, Elitzur Kiryat Ata, are in Ligat HaAl, the top division.

Notable persons[link]

Tal Friedman

• Tal Friedman (born 1963), comedian, actor and musician
• Yaniv Katan, association football player

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kiryat Ata

External links[link]

• CBS population estimates for 2005/2006
• (Hebrew) Municipality website
• (Hebrew) Beit Fischer City Museum

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