Agreement Signed: 22 May 1997
Range of Cooperation: Due to the Agreement - culture, science and technolgy, education, sport and tourism, healthcare and business.
Population: 150 thousand inhabitants
Location: 66km north of Jerusalem and 42 km east of the mediterranean sea.
Information about the City:
Nablus - an Arabic Canaanite city, is one of the oldest cities in the world, possibly first established 9000 years ago; was first mentioned in Egyptian documents as Biblical Shechem in 19th BC and has a very rich history. As a result the city is an archeologist's paradise. It was founded as Flavia Neapolis ("new city of the emperor Flavius") in 72 CE by the Roman emperor Vespasian over an older Samaritan village, Mabartha ("the passage"). Population reaches over 180 thousand inhabitants. Nablus city is the largest city in West Bank after Jerusalem; lies about 66km north of Jerusalem and 42 km east of the Mediterranean Sea. The Najah University (and its 16,500 students) can also be found in the city.
Before the current Intifada Nablus was the major commercial, industrial and agricultural centre in the northern West Bank. This commercial and industrial wealth has been shattered by invasions -- roadblocks, curfews, severe damage to the city's basic infrastructure and the demolition of multiple factories.
The city's economy is based around agriculture and food processing. Nablus is a commercial trade center dealing in traditional industries such as the production of soap, olive oil, and handicrafts. Other industries include furniture production, tile production, stone quarrying, textile manufacturing and leather tanning. The city is also a regional trading center for livestock. Most of these industries are centered in the old city.