Eilat
Eilat
| |
|---|---|
  .jpg)   From upper left: Eilat coastline at night (x2), evening view of Eilat marina, view of Eilat North Beach, view from the promenade to the outskirts and the surrounding mountains of Eilat | |
 Emblem of Eilat | |
  Eilat  Eilat | |
| Coordinates: 29°33′N 34°57′E / 29.550°N 34.950°ECoordinates: 29°33′N 34°57′E / 29.550°N 34.950°E | |
| Country |  Israel |
| District | Southern |
| Founded | 7000 BCE (Earliest settlements) 1951 (Israeli city) |
| Government | |
| • Type | City (from 1959) |
| • Mayor | Meir Yitzhak Halevi |
| Area | |
| • Total | 84,789 dunams (84.789 km2 or 32.737 sq mi) |
| Population (2017) | |
| • Total | 50,724 |
| • Density | 600/km2 (1,500/sq mi) |
| Website | www.eilat.muni.il |
Eilat (/eɪˈlɑːt/ ay-LAHT, also UK: /eɪˈlæt/ ay-LAT; Hebrew: אֵילַת [eˈlat] (
listen)) is Israel's southernmost city with a population of 50,724, a busy port and popular resort at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on what is known in Israel as the Gulf of Eilat and in Jordan as the Gulf of Aqaba. The city is considered a tourist destination for domestic and international tourists heading to Israel.
Eilat is part of the Southern Negev Desert, at the southern end of the Arava, adjacent to the Egyptian village of Taba to the south, the Jordanian port city of Aqaba to the east, and within sight of Saudi Arabia to the south-east, across the gulf.
Eilat's arid desert climate and low humidity are moderated by proximity to a warm sea. Temperatures often exceed 40 °C (104 °F) in summer, and 21 °C (70 °F) in winter, while water temperatures range between 20 and 26 °C (68 and 79 °F). Eilat averages 360 sunny days a year.