Fun Facts

The Regional Council spreads over 4.2 million dunam most of which are military firing zones or nature reserves.

Ramat HaNegev constitutes more than 22% of the total are of the State of Israel and is the largest regional council in Israel.

As of 2020, over 8,000+ residents call Ramat HaNegev home and counting...

Our residents live in 15 varied communities and 24 family farms. 

Our communities are – 15 communities, which are 5 secular, 1 mixed and 2 religious communities, 4 kibbutzim, 3 moshavim and 1 is even on air force base community.

Also, some residents live on 24 family farms and many focus on eco-tourism such as goat dairy farms and wineries.

Every Agriculture farm in Ramat HaNegev has access to 2 pipelines of brackish and of desalinated water. Each farmer can control the mix of the two according to the crop and the season.

There are 77,600 dunam of cultivated farmland

Women account for 53% of the Council management staff.

As of 2020, there are approximately 2,400 children in the council and growing...

More than 70% of the students in grades 1-8 participate in the Councils afterschool activities.

Ramat HaNegev school buses travel 1,500,000 km per year.

The Ashalim solar power station stands 250 meters high and it is the tallest tower in Israel.

Three solar power stations near Ashalim produce 2%-3% of the State of Israel's electricity. 

Approximately, 70% of the cherry tomatoes marketed in Israel are grown in Pitchat Nitzana.

In Retamim, the children make up the highest percentage of the communities population… to be precise 60%.

Revivim was established in 1943, but due to the White Paper policy that prohibited the establishment of new Jewish settlements, the kibbutz was established under the guise of an agricultural research station. Thanks to Revivim the Negev was included in the Partition Plan in 1947.

The Ezuz forest was planted during World War 1 by students of Charles Netter – graduates of the Mikve Israel agricultural school; they enlisted to plant forests on the borders of the desert and were thus exempt from conscription to the Ottoman army.

Tlalim was established by a Nahal Brigade garin of the Scouts Movement and they originally settles temporarily in the area of Bir 'Asluj. 

Sheizaf is the only joint religious-secualr rural community south of Beer Sheva and the most recently established community in the Negev.

In 1953, Prime Minister and Minister of Defense David Ben-Gurion resigned from office, and he and his wife Paula joined Kibbutz Sde Boker.

In the 1990's the Council initiated the "Wine Route" project, set up along the path of the Nabatean-era Spice trail. The project includes 24 lone family farms that were established between Mashabei Sadeh and Mitzpe Ramon, specializing in the production of wine, olives, boutique chesses and more. The farms create a pleasant option to meet people who love the desert and choose to live from their labor, alongside hospitality and tourism. The farms are an excellent opportunity to taste, smell and feel what ancient life was.

Kmehin was established in 1988 by for Nahal Brigade garinim (settlement groups) as a "moshabbutz" – a combination of a moshav and a kibbutz. In 1992, Kmehin became a workers cooperative settlement. It is named for the truffles (Kmehin in Hebrew) common in the are of the Agur Dunes. 

Mashabei Sadeh was formerly known as Mashabim. The kibbutz changed its name in honor of Yitzhak Sadeh, after he passed away.

Beer Milka is located at confluence of the Lvan and Nitzana Rivers. The Moshaiv is named after the nearby ancient well – "Bir Milga" or "Bir Milka" in Arabic. 

All the streets of Tali Camp (IDF Airforce base community) are named after rivers.

Aryeh "Lova" Eliav founded the educational village at Nitzana and served as its head for 24 years. He received honorary doctorates from all the universities in Israel and was also awarded the Israel Prize for his contribution to society.

Ashalim was founded as a communal moshav, under the auspices of the Kibbutz Movement. Later the communal moshav became a community settlement.

Merchav Am is the first religious community in the Council. It was founded in 2001 and was originally named Halukim. After the assassination of then Minister of Tourism Rehavam Ze'evi, the community's name was changed to Merchav Am.