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Umm al-Fahm
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Umm al-Fahm | |
| Hebrew | אום אל-פחם |
| Arabic | أم الفحم |
| Name Meaning | Mother of the charcoals |
| Government | City |
| District | Haifa |
| Population | 40,000 (2004) |
| Jurisdiction | 25,500 dunams (25.5 km²) |
Umm al-Fahm (Arabic: أمّ الفحم ʼUmm al-Faḥm lit. Mother of Coal, Hebrew: אום אל-פחם) is a city in the Haifa District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), the city's population is entirely Arab). The city sits on the Umm al-Fahm mountain ridge, the highest point of which is Mt. Iskander (522 metres above sea level), and watches over the Wadi Ara, through which passes the Hadera - Afula highway. Umm al-Fahm serves as the social, cultural and economic center for a large proportion of the residents of the Galilee Triangle.
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Umm al-Fahm (meaning Mother of the Charcoals in Arabic) had been established as a settlement by 1265 according to the Muslim historian Al-Maqrizi. The village was surrounded by natural forests which were used to produce coal for trade. Several archaeological sites around the city date to the Muslim, Roman and Hellenistic periods and the Iron Age. In 1948 there were 4500 inhabitants, mostly farmers, in Umm al-Fahm area. Since the establishment of Israel, the population has grown constantly. In 1960 Umm al-Fahm was given the status of a local council. Between 1965 and 1985 the town was governed by appointed councils. In 1985 Umm al-Fahm was granted the formal status of a city.
According to CBS, in 2001 the ethnic makeup of the city was 100.0% Arab (99.7% Muslim), with no significant Jewish population. See Population groups in Israel.
According to CBS, in 2001 there were 18,700 males and 18,000 females (36,800 total). The population of the city was spread out with 51.2% 19 years of age or younger, 18.2% between 20 and 29, 18.9% between 30 and 44, 7.8% from 45 to 59, 1.5% from 60 to 64, and 2.4% 65 years of age or older. The population growth rate in 2001 was 3.2%.
According to CBS, as of 2000, in the city there were 5,843 salaried workers and 1,089 are self-employed. The mean monthly wage in 2000 for a salaried worker in the city is ILS 2,855, a real change of 3.4% over the course of 2000. Salaried males have a mean monthly wage of ILS 3,192 (a real change of 4.6%) versus ILS 1,466 for females (a real change of -12.6%). The mean income for the self-employed is 4,885. There are 488 people who receive unemployment benefits and 4,949 people who receive an income guarantee.
The city is now the commercial centre for many of the surrounding villages. Following the establishment of Israel, Umm El-Fahm has transformed from a rural village to an urban settlement. Most breadwinners make their living in the building sector. The remainder work mostly in clerical or self-employed jobs, though a few small factories have been built over the years.
According to CBS, there are a total of 17 schools and 9,106 students in the city: 12 elementary schools for 5,329 elementary school students, and 7 high schools for 3,777 high school students. In 2001, 50.4% of 12th grade students received a matriculation certificate.
The city is very close to the Israeli West Bank barrier. Before the barrier was constructed, the inhabitants of some nearby villages in the West Bank had jobs in Umm El-Fahm, or regularly visited relatives living there. Now, if West Bank Palestinians want to travel, they need a permit and have to go around by way of Jerusalem.
Umm al-Fahm was the site of protests in 2002 against the Israeli-West Bank barrier wall, and in 2006 against the Israel-Lebanon war.
http://www.umelfahemgallery.org/
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| Cities | Baqa-Jat | Carmel City | Hadera | Haifa | Kiryat Atta | Kiryat Bialik | Kiryat Motzkin | Kiryat Yam | Nesher | Or Akiva | Tirat Karmel | Umm al-Fahm |  |
| Local councils | Ar'ara | Binyamina-Giv'at Ada | Jisr az-Zarqa | Kfar Qara | Ma'ale Iron | Pardes Hanna-Karkur | Fureidis | Kiryat Tiv'on | Rekhasim | Zikhron Ya'aqov | |
| Regional councils | Alona | Hof Karmel | Menashe | Zevulun | |