Beersheba Subdistrict

Beersheba Subdistrict
נפת באר שבע
قضاء بئر السبع
Subdistrict
Interactive map of Beersheba Subdistrict
Country Israel
DistrictSouthern
Area
 • Total
12,918 km2 (4,988 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)[1]
 • Total
703,700
Ethnicity
 • Jews and others65.1%
 • Arabs34.8%

31°15′32″N 34°47′52″E / 31.2589°N 34.7978°E / 31.2589; 34.7978 Beersheba Subdistrict is the southernmost sub-district of Israel and one of two sub-districts of the Southern District in the Negev. The largest city and capital of the sub-district is the metropolis of Beersheba. Spanning approximately 12,918 km2 (4,988 sq mi), it is the largest sub-district by land area, and had around 703,700 residents in 2016. The population is composed of a mixture of Jews and Arabs.

History

Beersheba finds mention in the Bible. It was under the Byzantine rule from 4th to 7th century CE before being captured by the Arabs. It was later became part of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century.[2] Beersheba and Gaza are referred to as "Bilad Ghazzeh" in the records left by Napoleon in the 19th century, at which time the territory was ruled by Arab Bedouin clans with a documented social structure.[3][4] The modern city of Beersheba was founded in 1900.[4] The Arab clans sent soldiers to fight for the Ottoman Empire during the First World War.[3] The Beersheba district was the largest district during the British Mandate of Palestine and underwent administrative reorganization after the formation of the State of Israel in 1948.[3][4]

Geography

Beersheba is the southernmost sub-district of Israel and one of two sub-districts of the Southern District. Spanning approximately 12,918 km2 (4,988 sq mi), it is the largest sub-district by land area, and stretches from central Israel to Eilat in the southern tip.[5] The largest city is the metropolis of Beersheba. It borders the Aqaba Governorate of Joran, Gaza strip and West Bank of Palestine, and Ashkelon Subdistrict of Israel.[6]

Beersheba is part of the broader Negev desert, with the city of Beersheba, the largest city in the Israeli Negev.[7] The region has low rainfall with certain areas receiving 100–300 mm (3.9–11.8 in) of rainfall annually and an annual precipitation less than 100 mm (3.9 in) in the southern part of the region.[3]

Demographics

As of 2016, the subdistrict had 703,700 residents.[1] It had an estimated population of 806,700 in 2021 with the Beersheba metropolis accounting for 211,251 inhabitants.[5][8] The population today is composed of approximately 75% Jewish and remaining Arabs.[4] The sub-district hosts almost half of Israel's total Bedouin population and virtually all of the Negev's Bedouin population. The Bedouins, who were largely limited to tents in camps in specific areas since 1960, transitioned from traditional pastoral lifestyles to semi-urbanized towns since the 1960s.[4]

Historical population[9][10]
YearPop.±%
1972170,900[a]—    
1983224,900[a]+31.6%
1995322,800[a]+43.5%
2008589,860+82.7%
2022826,164+40.1%
2024815,575[a]−1.3%

Administrative local authorities

Cities Local Councils Regional Councils

Economy

Beersheba serves as a regional hub for commerce, services, education, and technology, attracting both residents and investors. The region is a cultural and tourism hub, driven by heritage tourism, theaters, galleries, and university-linked innovation centers.[11] Desert-adapted agriculture is practiced during favorable seasons in areas with nominal rainfall.[3][7] Wages in the Southern District tend to be lower than national averages with a higher rate of unemployment.[4][12]

Transportation

The sub-district is part of the Israel Railways transit network, and is served by a major railway line from Tel Aviv to Beersheba, which further extends to Dimona and other freight routes in the south.[13][14] Major highways run through the region, connecting it to other cities in Israel. Bus operators such as Metropoline and Dan Be’er Sheva provide extensive intercity and intra-metropolitan routes.[15][16] Teyman airfield offers general aviation services in the north while Ramon Airport serves the southern region.[17][18]

Voting Patterns

In the 2022 election, 52 percent of voters in the subdistrict voted for the parties of the right-wing coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu, while 25 percent voted for the parties of the center-left coalition led by Yair Lapid, and 23 percent voted for the Arab parties.[19]

Natural Regions

Districts, Subdistricts and Natural Regions of the State of Israel, 2018
  • 621 Gerar Region
  • 622 Besor Region
  • 623 Be'er Sheva Region
  • 624 Dead Sea Region
  • 625 Arava Region
  • 626 Northern Negev Mountain
  • 627 Southern Negev Mountain

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 This statistic is incomplete, as it does not include Bedouins who lived in unrecognized villages.

References

  1. 1 2 "Population, by Population Group, Religion, Age and Sex, District and Sub-District" (PDF). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 9, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Beersheba". Britannica. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Beersheba, the forgotten half of Palestine". Plands. Archived from the original on 23 May 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cédric Parizot (2001). "Gaza, Beersheba, Dhahriyya: Another approach to the Negev Bedouins in the Israeli-Palestinian space". Bulletin du Centre de recherche français a Jérusalem. 9. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Southern District". City Population.de. Archived from the original on 16 April 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  6. ↑ "Beersheeba subdistrict". Mineral data. Archived from the original on 23 September 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  7. 1 2 "Negev". Britannica. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  8. ↑ "Beersheba city". CityPopulation.de. Archived from the original on 27 December 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  9. ↑ "Regional Statistics". www.cbs.gov.il. Archived from the original on 16 July 2026. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "Additional files - census 2008". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on July 16, 2026. Retrieved July 15, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Beersheba: Cultural and tourism hubs as economic growth accelerators". Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 9 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  12. ↑ "Labour market: wages & unemployment disparities" (PDF). INSS report. October 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 February 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  13. ↑ Hazelkorn, Shahar (17 March 2008). "Mofaz Decided: A Railway to Eilat Will Be Built". Ynet (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 21 March 2008. Retrieved 25 March 2008.
  14. ↑ Bocker, Ran (15 July 2012). "From Beersheva to Tel Aviv in 55 Minutes". Ynet (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Transportation in the Negev". Negev Information Center. Archived from the original on 14 June 2008. Retrieved 25 March 2008.
  16. ↑ "Map of lines of the Metropoline company". Metropoline (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 17 December 2008. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
  17. ↑ "Teyman Airfield". World Airports. Archived from the original on 14 July 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  18. ↑ "New Eilat airport to open April 2018". Globes. 12 December 2017.
  19. ↑ "The true results of the elections for the 25th Knesset". Israel: Central Elections Committee. November 1, 2022. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
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