Nazareth Illit is situated on a hilltop overlooking the Jezreel Valley, with the remains of the ancient city of Tzipori with its rich Jewish history nearby, and the old city of Nazareth renowned throughout Christendom, as its neighbor.
Nazareth Illit is a major center for the Galilee region. It houses the regional offices of government ministries and public institutions.
The character and face of Nazareth Illit has changed dramatically of four years - it is the fastest developing city in Israel. The increase of the population during this period has been truly phenomenal, rising from 25,000 in 1991 to 42,000 by 1994.
The classification of Nazareth Illit as a "National Priority Development Area" entitles investors, especially those wishing to set up new enterprises, to a wide range of benefits and incentives under the law for encouragement of entrepreneurship. This has helped the city and its environs to become a major center for industrial development, especially in high-tech fields.
The huge new Zipori industrial park forms the centerpiece of this development. The site already houses the giant Phoenicia American-Israel (Flat Glass) company as well as premises for lease that are suitable for light engineering and high tech firms. There are also Automotive Industries LTD, "ELITE" Confectionary, which products are famous far outside Israel, etc.
The municipality took the wise step of encouraging the establishment of shopping centers and business enterprises in existing neighborhoods, as well as in new quarters of the city, in order to meet needs of a rapidly growing population.
To encourage ongoing economic development in the city and its environs the municipality runs a number of public bodies whose sole aim is to assist and support new ventures or the expansion of existing ones, and help turn innovative ideas into the basis for commercial enterprises. These support organizations, whose services are always readily available, include the economic development corporation, the technologies and business incubator center, a science center and a special unit for the encouragement of entrepreneurship.
The city's education system is rightly regarded as one of the best and most advanced in Israel. The success rate among high school students is one of the highest in the country, and the numbers of students continue their studies at higher educational institutions. Special programs in several fields, including art, communications, science and technology and the environment, are run in Nazareth Illit's 11 elementary schools.
Nazareth Illit offers a wide range of sports, recreational, cultural and social activities and facilities. The "Principal Community Center" provides a comprehensive range of activities for children, youths and adults: arts and craft courses, the screening of films, the staging of live theatre productions by national repertoire companies, courses in hiking and orientation. For sports enthusiasts there are modern tennis courts, open and heated indoor swimming pools, basketball courts, football pitches and sport halls. On the cultural level the city boasts a fine municipal choir and orchestra, singing groups and dance troupes.
The Sister-City Agreement between Chernivtsi and Nazareth Illit was signed on November 11, 1997.