Ar'arat an-Naqab
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Hebrew transcription(s) | |
• Also spelled | Ar'ara BaNegev (official) |
Coordinates: 31°09′35″N 35°01′25″E / 31.15972°N 35.02361°E | |
Country | Israel |
District | Southern |
Founded | 1982 |
Government | |
• Head of Municipality | David Bonfeld (an acting mayor)[1] |
Area | |
• Total | 14,052 dunams (14.052 km2 or 5.426 sq mi) |
Population (2022)[2] | |
• Total | 20,381 |
• Density | 1,500/km2 (3,800/sq mi) |
Ar'arat an-Naqab (Arabic: Arabic: عرعرة النقب) or Ar'ara BaNegev (Hebrew: עַרְעָרָה בַּנֶּגֶב), previously called Aroer,[3] is a Bedouin town (local council) in the Southern District of Israel. Its name stands for "the juniper tree[4] in Negev". It is situated not far from the archaeological site of Aroer.[citation needed]
Ar'arat an-Naqab was founded in 1982 as part of a government project to settle Bedouins in permanent settlements. It is one of seven Bedouin townships in the Negev desert with approved plans and developed infrastructure (other six are: Hura, Lakiya, Shaqib al-Salam (Segev Shalom), Kuseife (Kseife), Tel as-Sabi (Tel-Sheva) and the city of Rahat, the largest among them).[5]