The Southern District (, Meḥoz HaDarom; ) is one of Israel's six administrative districts, the largest in terms of land area but the most sparsely populated. It covers most of the Negev desert, as well as the Arava valley. The population of the Southern District is 1,444,259 and its area is 14,185 km2. Its population is 79.66% Jewish and 12.72% Arab (mostly Muslim), with 7.62% of other origins.Area of Districts, Sub-Districts, Natural Regions and Lakes. Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
The district capital is Beersheba, while the largest city is Ashdod. Beersheba's dormitory towns of Omer, Meitar, and Lehavim are affluent relative to other Israeli cities, while the development towns of Dimona, Sderot, Netivot, Ofakim, and Yeruham and the seven Bedouin cities are lower on the socio-economic scale.Current Plans for Developing the Negev: A Critical Perspective Adva Center
Administrative local authorities Subdistricts Ashkelon Beersheba Cities Local Councils Regional Councils Arad Ashdod Ashkelon Beersheba Dimona Eilat Kiryat Gat Kiryat Malakhi Netivot Ofakim Rahat Sderot Ar'arat an-Naqab Hura Kuseife Lakiya Lehavim Meitar Mitzpe Ramon Omer Shaqib al-Salam Tel as-Sabi Yeruham Al-Kasom Be'er Tuvia Bnei Shimon Central Arava Eshkol Hevel Eilot Hof Ashkelon Lakhish Merhavim Neve Midbar Ramat HaNegev Sdot Negev (Azata) Sha'ar HaNegev Shafir Tamar Yoav
Some villages do not fall under the jurisdiction of a regional council. These include:
Mahane Yatir Umm al-Hiran (unrecognised Bedouin village)
See also List of cities in Israel Arab localities in Israel Gaza Strip
References