Hadera

Hadera, is a city located in the Haifa District of Israel approximately 45 kilometers (28.0 mi) from the major cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa. The city is located along 7 kilometers (4 mi) of the Israeli Mediterranean Coastal Plain. The city has a population of 80,200 which includes a high proportion of immigrants arriving since 1990, notably from Ethiopia and the former Soviet Union.
Hadera was established in 1891 as a farming colony by members of the Zionist group, Hovevei Zion, from Lithuania and Latvia. By 1948, it was a regional center with a population of 11,800. It was declared a city in 1952. With an area of jurisdiction of 53,000 dunams.
Several projects are under way to improve the quality of life in Hadera, including regenerating the city center, constructing a hi-tech business park, and building the world's largest desalination plant.


Transportation


Hadera lies along two main Israel Railways lines: the Coastal Line and the nowadays freight-only Eastern Line. The city's railway station is located in the west of the city and is on the Tel Aviv suburban line which runs between Binyamina and Ashkelon. The city center of Hadera is located near Israel's two main north-south highways; Highway 2, linking Tel Aviv to Haifa, and Highway 4.[2] This made Hadera an important junction for all coastal bus transportation after 1948 and into the 1950s.


Economy


Hadera's importance as an economic center was first recognised when Israel's first paper mill was opened here in 1953. Hadera Paper continues to be a large employer in the city. In December 2009 the world's largest desalination plant of its type, located within the municipal borders, was inaugurated. Hadera is the location of the Orot Rabin Power Plant, Israel's largest power station.


Demographics


According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, as of December 2007, Hadera had a population of 77,100 which is growing at an annual rate of 1.2%. As of 2003, the city had a population density of 1,516.6 per km2.Of the city's population of 2003 of 74,900, approximately 22,400 were immigrants, many from Ethiopia.
Hadera has grown steadily since 1948, when the city had a population of 11,800. In 1955, the population almost doubled to 22,500. In 1961 it rose to 25,600, 1972 to 32,200, and 1983, to 38,700.
The median age in Hadera is 32.8, with 23,200 people 19 years of age or younger, 12.1% between 20 and 29, 14,100 between 30 and 44, 17,600 from 45 to 64, and 9,700, 65 or older. As of 2007, there were 37,500 males and 39,200 females.
In 2001, the ethnic makeup was 99.2% Jewish and other non-Arab, with no significant Arab population. In 2000, there were 27,920 salaried workers and 1,819 self-employed. The mean monthly wage in 2000 for a salaried worker was ILS 5,135, a real change of 8.0% over the course of 2000. Salaried males had a mean monthly wage of ILS 6,607 (a real change of 9.0%) compared with ILS 3,598 for females (a real change of 3.1%). The mean income for the self-employed was 6,584. A total of 1,752 people received unemployment benefits and 6,753 received income supplements.