Tel Aviv is the second most populous city of Israel, located on the Mediterranean coast. It is the main city of the largest and most populous metropolitan area in Israel, Gush Dan (Dan Bloc), which has a population of 3.04 million. The city itself has a population of 382,500 over an area covering 50,553 dunams (50.6 km² or 19.5 sq mi). As of 2007, it has been named the costliest city in the Middle East.
The City of Tel Aviv was originally founded in the 1880s by Jewish immigrants as an alternative to the expensive neighbouring, historic town of Jaffa.
Tel Aviv grew and grew, and eventually overtook the Arab dominated town. The two towns became united in the single municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo in 1950, two years after the establishment of the State of Israel. Tel Aviv is today viewed by many as Israel’s economic capital (Jerusalem is the official capital) and the city lies in the area known internationally as Silicon Wadi.
Tel Aviv is also viewed by many to be the country’s cultural capital with a vibrant, modern, cosmopolitan character, and a UNESCO World Heritage Status for its Bauhaus architecture.