Tubas | |
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Other transcription(s) | |
• Arabic | طوباس |
• Also spelled | Toubas (official) Tubass (unofficial) |
Tubas skyline
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Location of Tubas within the Palestinian territories | |
Coordinates: 32°19′20″N 35°22′07″E / 32.32222°N 35.36861°ECoordinates: 32°19′20″N 35°22′07″E / 32.32222°N 35.36861°E | |
Palestine grid | 185/192 |
Governorate | Tubas |
Government | |
• Type | City |
• Head of Municipality | Jamal Abu Mohsin |
Area | |
• Jurisdiction | 295,123 dunams (295.1 km2 or 113.9 sq mi) |
Population (2007) | |
• Jurisdiction | 16,154 |
Website | www.tubas.ps |
Tubas (/ˈtuːbəs/ or /ˈtjuːbəs/; Arabic: طوباس, Tûbâs) is a Palestinian city in the northeastern West Bank, located 21 kilometers (13 mi) northeast of Nablus, a few kilometers west of the Jordan River. A city of over 16,000 inhabitants, it serves as the economic and administrative center of the Tubas Governorate. Its urban area consists of 2,271 dunams (227 hectares). It is governed by a municipal council of 15 members and most of its working inhabitants are employed in agriculture or public services. Jamal Abu Mohsin has been the mayor of Tubas since being elected in 2005.
Tubas has been identified as the ancient town of Thebez /ˈθiːˌbɛz/, a Canaanite town famous for revolting against King Abimelech. During the late 19th century, during Ottoman rule in Palestine, Arab clans living in the Jordan Valley came to live in Tubas, and it became a major town in the District of Nablus, particularly known for its timber and cheese-making. It came under the British Mandate of Palestine in 1917, was annexed by Jordan after their capture of the town in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and then occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. The Palestinian National Authority has had complete control of Tubas since the city was transferred to its jurisdiction in 1995.