Ein al-Beida

Ein al-Beida
Other transcription(s)
  Arabic عين البيضا
  Also spelled Ayn al-Bayda (official)
'Ayn al-Baydah (unofficial)

Ein al-Beida
Ein al-Beida

Location of Ein al-Beida within the Palestinian territories

Coordinates: 32°22′49.64″N 35°30′27.73″E / 32.3804556°N 35.5077028°E / 32.3804556; 35.5077028Coordinates: 32°22′49.64″N 35°30′27.73″E / 32.3804556°N 35.5077028°E / 32.3804556; 35.5077028
Governorate Tubas
Founded 1952
Government
  Type Village council (from 1996)
Area
  Jurisdiction 15,000 dunams (15.0 km2 or 5.8 sq mi)
Population (2006)
  Jurisdiction 1,050
Name meaning "The White Spring"[1]

Ein al-Beida (Arabic: عين البيضا) is a Palestinian village of in the Tubas Governorate in the northeastern West Bank. It has a population of about 1,050.

History

Ein al-Beida was established in 1952 by Arab farmers belonging to the Fuquha and Daraghmah families from nearby Tubas who owned farms in the area and decided to establish a village. The village is named after a large spring in the area, Ein al-Beida, which was once used to irrigate the neighboring land,[2] but which is currently dry due to a lack of effective water conservation practices / water wastage by Palestinians.[3]

Geography and climate

Ein al-Beida is situated in a plain area on the eastern foothill of the Jordan Valley surrounded by hills and mountains. It is located 15 kilometers northeast of Tubas, bordered by the Jordan River to the east, Bardala to the west, the Green Line to the north and the Israeli settlement of Mehola to the south. The town's elevation is 166 meters below sea level.[4]

The total jurisdiction of the village is 15,000 dunams, constituting 3% of the Tubas Governorate's land. Built-up area accounts for 480 dunams while 8,500 dunams are agricultural or cultivated lands.[4]

Warm weather is characteristic of Ein al-Beida, with hot, dry summers and cold and dry winters. The average rainfall in the village 275 millimeters. The average annual temperature is 21-22 degrees Celsius and the humidity rate is 55%.[4]

Demographics

Ein al-Beida's population in 1961 was 573, increasing to 791 in 1997. According to a census by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) in that year, 398 were males and 393 were females. The census also revealed that 42.9% of the inhabitants were younger than 15, 54.1% between the ages of 15 and 64 and 3% above the age of 64.[5] In 2006, Ein al-Beida's population was 1,048.[6] The Fuquha family represent about 80% of the village residents while the Daraghma represent roughly 20%.[4]

Government

A village council was established in 1996 to govern Ein al-Beida. It consists of 7 members, including a chairman and holds elections every four years. Responsibilities of the council include administration, planning and development, social services, infrastructural maintenance and utilities.[4]

References

Bibliography

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