Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל-אָבִיב-יָפוֹ) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel, with a population of 388,700. Although it is less than a century old, Tel Aviv is recognized as a strong candidate global city with strong evidence of world city formation. Tel Aviv is known as "the city that never sleeps" because of its nightlife and 24-hour culture. The city is governed by the Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality, headed by Ron Huldai.
Tel Aviv was founded in 1909 on the outskirts of Jaffa (יפו, Yafo), believed to be the oldest port in the world. The growth of Tel Aviv soon outpaced Jaffa, which was largely Arab at the time. Tel Aviv and Jaffa were merged into a single municipality in 1950, two years after the establishment of the State of Israel. An area of northern Tel Aviv was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 due to its large collection of Bauhaus buildings, the largest concentration in the world.
The "White City", as it came to be known, was designed by German Jewish architects who fled Nazi Germany and covers an area in the north of the city. Tel Aviv is Israel's economic hub, the home of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and many corporate offices and research and development centers. Its beaches, cafes, upscale shopping and secular lifestyle have made it a magnet for tourism. Tel Aviv is the country's cultural capital, and as such is a center of music, theater and the arts.
In the 2007 Mercer cost of living survey, Tel Aviv was ranked as the most expensive city in the Middle East, and 17th most expensive city in the world.
