General Information
Other Twins of Dundee and Nablus
Trade and Industry
Education
General Information
The city of Nablus lies in the middle of Palestine, in a valley rich in springs of fresh water between the two mountains of Jerzim and Ebal. It is about 24 km west of the River Jordan and is 550m. above sea level.
Nablus is about 66 km north of Jerusalem, 42 km east of the Mediterranean Summer is hot and dry, winter moderate and rainy. The temperature ranges from 8° to 26° Centigrade.
One of Palestine’s largest cities, Nablus has a population of 326,752 in 2003, about half in the old city and half in surrounding suburbs and refugee camps.
The city of Dundee is situated beside the River Tay, at sea level. It is at the end of a rift valley, and is overlooked by The Law: a ‘pipe’ or small volcano. It is about 60 km north of Edinburgh.
Summer is cool but sunny, winter is cold. The temperature ranges from about 0° to 20° Centigrade. Scotland’s fourth largest city, with a population of about 140,000.(’04: 147,000 in’99)
Other Twins of Dundee and Nablus
Besides Nablus, Dundee is twinned with Orleans (France), Wurtzburg (Germany) and Alexandria (USA).
Besides Dundee, Nablus is twinned with Stavanger (Norway), Toscana (Italy) and Poznan (Poland).
Trade and Industry
Nablus is famous for its soap industry. Also for marble and building materials, pharmaceuticals, goldsmiths, and the making of delicious sweets, the local variety being called ‘knafeh’.
Dundee’s chief business today is in biotechnology and electronics. Also computer games and comics, tyres, cash machines and call centres.
Both cities have been important trading centres. Dundee’s harbours are no longer as busy as they used to be, though it has enjoyed something of a revival with oil business and cruise ship visits. Nablus is at the junction of two ancient commercial roads running north/south and east/west. But in recent years Israeli road blocks have severely hampered imports and exports.
Education
In Nablus there are 66 public schools and 21 private. In the refugee camps and the villages round about there are another 104, with camp schools run by the United Nations. There are two universities; An Najah University, largest of the three universities in Palestine, with 9,000 students, and Al-Rawda National School. Nearly all the students live in the old city because it is impossible to travel daily from the villages through the checkpoints.
Dundee has 52 schools; 10 secondary, 41 primary and 1 special. There are 2 universities, Dundee and Abertay, plus Dundee College, with 33,000 students between them.