Haifa

Haifa, city and chief seaport of Israel, in the northern part of the country, on the Bay of Haifa at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. The city lies on and around the slopes of Mount Carmel, which rises 545 m (1,789 ft) from the Plain of Esdraelon. Haifa is Israel’s leading industrial city. Oil from the Negev is refined here. Other major products include cement, chemicals, electronic equipment, glass, steel, and textiles. Road and rail links connect Haifa with other parts of Israel. The country’s main naval base is in the city, which is also an important shipbuilding centre. Haifa University (1963) and the Technion (1912), also known as the Israel Institute of Technology, are located in the city. Haifa is also the world headquarters of the Bahai faith.

Haifa was known as Sycaminum in antiquity and as Caiphas during the time of the Crusades in the 11th and 12th centuries. In the 12th century a castle built on the site by Crusaders was destroyed by Saladin, sultan of Egypt and Syria. The city remained relatively unimportant until the 20th century, when a railway was built connecting it with Damascus, the capital of Syria. As an area of industrial significance, Haifa was a disputed area in the Palestine War (1948) and became the target of Iraqi missiles during the Gulf War (1991). Population 269,417 (2004 estimate).