Tulkarm
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| Tulkarm | |
| Arabic | طولكرم |
| Founded in | 3rd Century |
| Government | City |
| Also Spelled | Tulkarem (officially)
Tul Qarem (unofficially) |
| Governorate | Tulkarm |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Population | 58,950 (includes refugee camp) (2006) |
| Jurisdiction | 28,793 dunams (28.8 km²) |
| Head of Municipality | Mahmoud al-Jallad |
Tulkarm or Tulkarem (Arabic: طولكرم Ṭūlkarm; Hebrew: טול כרם) is a Palestinian city in the Tulkarm Governorate in the northwestern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Tulkarm city and the adjacent refugee camp had a population of approximately 58,962 inhabitants at mid-year 2006.[1] Its land area consists of 28,793 dunam.
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[edit] Origins and name
The city's origins can be traced back to at least the 3rd century CE under the name "Berat Soreqa", and in later centuries as "Tur Karma" (in Aramaic: טור כרמא) - which means “mount of vineyards”, as the city is known for the fertility of its land and the vineyards around it. The name "Tur Karma" was later Arabized into "Tul Karem".[2] Tulkarm's Aramaic name was used by the Samaritan inhabitants of the Middle Ages and by the Crusaders. "Kerem" means "vineyard" in both Arabic and Hebrew and it is mentioned in Book of Jeremiah:31:3:"Again shalt thou plant vineyards upon the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant, and shall have the use thereof".
[edit] Location
The city is situated on the western part of the northern West bank, in the foothills of the Samarian mountains about 15 kilometers (9 mi) west of Nablus and 15 kilometers (9 mi) east of the Israeli coastal town of Netanya. It is bordered by the 1948 cease-fire line in the west. Its central location between a plain and a mountain has made it commercially and strategically significant and has had a great effect on its growth. In the past, Tulkarm was a caravan station and a trading center for products from the city's surrounding villages and farms, as well as a point from which armies crossed to Egypt and the Levant (al-Sham).
Tulkarm is at the crossroads of three historically important arteries: A road which runs north from the Latrun area along the edge of the plain to Mount Carmel and the Galilee, a road which winds northward along the outer tier of hills from the Ajalon valley to the Jezreel Valley, and a road that rises from the Mediterranean Sea at modern-day Netanya east to Nablus. In the past it was a junction of the coastal railroad from north of Haifa to Cairo and a branch of the narrow gauge Hejaz railway to Damascus.
Archaeological findings reveal that an agglomeration has existed here at least since the Roman Period. In the past, Tulkarm has assumed the form of a small village, but it has expanded since the beginning of the 20th century due to an increase in the traffic passing through. This development came to a halt in the 1930s with the construction of the Petah Tikva-Hadera highway, which bypasses the town in the west. Despite the fact that the Israel-Jordan armistice border of 1949 encircled Tulkarm in the southwest, west and north-west, the city's population has increased considerably and it has become an administrative and agricultural center. The town has an agricultural school that was established during the British Mandate period with a monetary contribution by the philanthropist J.S. Kadoorie. In modern times, the school is recognized as a prominent community college in agriculture and teacher training.
[edit] Land use
Tulkarm was built over a relatively higher area than that surrounding it. The land which was formed as a result of the new fourth epoch consists mostly of creeping sands from the west to the east. The mountainous valleys carry quantities of alluvium and gravel to Tulkarm's lands in seasons of heavy rain and floods, thus creating fertile soil. In addition, an aquifer feeds numerous wells and springs in the area.
Tulkarm's arable land allows the city inhabitants to produce citrus fruits, melons, olives, olive oil, tomatoes, potatoes, wheat, sesame, peanut, eggplant, peppers, green beans, guava, and other products.
Land designations in the West Bank are defined by the recent "Oslo II" interim agreement, where Tulkarm proper is Area 'A,' or full Palestinian control.
[edit] Climate
The climate of Tulkarm is subtropical, with rainfall limited to the winter. The average temperature in the winter ranges from 8 to 16 °C (46–61°F), while the average temperature in the summer ranges from 17 to 30 °C (63–86°F). Tulkarm is distinguished by the moderating effect the sea breeze has on its climate. The average temperature doesn’t exceed 27 °C (81 °F) in August, while February's average temperature doesn’t fall below 13.5 °C (56 °F). Humidity is moderate in summer, about 40-70%, though it rises in winter to between 70-85%. Tulkarm receives in excess of 550 millimeters (21.7 in) of rain yearly, which is dispersed and intermittent, characteristic of the Mediterranean Basin.
[edit] Precipitation
The rainy season in the Tulkarm Governorate usually starts in October and continues through May. Between December and February, almost 70% of annual rainfall occurs, while 20% of annual rainfall occurs in October and November. Rain in June and September is rare and comes to negligible amounts. July and August have no rain at all, except for one rainfall of 1.5 millimeters (0.1 in) on July 10, 1995 in Tulkarm City (Tulkarm Agricultural Department). The mean annual rainfall in the city of Tulkarm is 642 millimeters (25.3 in) for the period from 1952 to 1995 (Tulkarm Agricultural Department).
[edit] Transportation
[edit] Roads
Roads in this district are classified into three categories, the first type is the solid surfaced roads with two lanes which connect Tulkarm and Qalqiliya cities with other districts. The second one is the one-lane solid surfaced roads which connect most of the rural communities. The third type is the unpaved roads in the rural areas. It should be mentioned here that most of the roads in the Tulkarm district lack the basic safety requirements.
[edit] Public transportation services
Transportation services available in the Tulkarm district comprise public buses and taxis in addition to private vehicles. However, due to insufficiency of organized public transportation system, a high percentage of private vehicles are being used by their owners to transport passengers between communities. This kind of transportation is dangerous due to lack of safety requirements and because drivers operating these vehicles are not qualified to work in public transportation. Added to this is the lack of insurance and licensing in most of these cars, which makes such transportation risky.
[edit] Communications
Nearly 21% of the population in the Tulkarm district have access to a limited number of lever-turned telephones in rural areas and 27% of the population have access to automatic switchboards. It is concluded that 52% of the total population in this district are deprived of telephone services.[3]
[edit] Education
There is a two-year and a four-year college at Tulkarm called the Khodori Institute and Khodori University, Al-Quds open university and two colleges for An-Najah National University. There are four high schools - two for girls and two for boys.
[edit] Sports
Tulkarm has 2 semi-professional soccer teams; Thaqafi Tulkarm and Markez Shabab Tulkarm. Both are in the Palestinian League Division One and both are usually at or near the top of the standings.
[edit] Notable residents
- Ekrem Akurgal - Turkish archaeologist born in 1911 in Tulkarm
- Khaled Abu Toameh - Palestinian Israeli-Arab Muslim journalist
- Queen Rania of Jordan is the daughter of Palestinian refugees from Tulkarm.
- Samara Al Samara
- Shakeeb Dallal
- Hasan Karmi
[edit] References
- ^ Projected Mid -Year Population for Tulkarm Governorate by Locality 2004- 2006 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ Tourism In Tulkarem Governorate Palestinian National Information Center (PNIC)
- ^ (Barghouthi and Daibes,1993)
[edit] External links
- Tulkarm Gate website for local commerce and services; includes notice board for congratulations and condolences {Arabic}
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