Map of Jordan | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


Background: For most of its history since independence from British administration in 1946 Jordan was ruled by King HUSSEIN (1953-1989). A pragmatic ruler he successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US USSR and UK) various Arab states Israel and a large internal Palestinian population through several wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he resumed parliamentary elections and gradually permitted political liberalization.


top of page


Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries:

Coastline: 26 km

Maritime claims: Territorial sea:3 nm

Climate: mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)

Terrain: mostly high desert plateau in east; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River

Elevation

Natural resources: phosphates, potash, shale oil

Land use: 4% arable land; 0.5% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 0.5% forest and woodland; 94% other; includes 0.5% irrigated

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: 1.3-1.6 million Palestinians live on the East Bank (55-60% of the population), most are Jordanian citizens


top of page


Population: 2,955,660 (July 1989), growth rate 3.6% (1989)

Nationality: noun - Jordanian(s; adjective - Jordanian

Ethnic groups: 98% Arab, 1% Circassian, 1% Armenian

Languages: Arabic (official; English widely understood among upper and middle classes

Religions: 92% Sunni Muslim, 8% Christian

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 42 births/1000 population (1989)

Death rate: 6 deaths/1000 population (1989)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1989)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: lack of natural water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification geoad0.gif" border="0" geoad1

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 55 deaths/1000 live births (July 1989)

Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 71 years female (July 1989)

Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/woman (1989)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 71% (est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name: conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Amman

Administrative divisions: 8 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah; Al Balqa, Al Karak, Al Mafraq, Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa, Irbid, Maan

Dependent areas

Independence: 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration; formerly Trans-Jordan)

National holiday: Independence Day, 25 May (1946)

Constitution: 8 January 1952

Legal system: based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 20

Executive branch: Chief of State - King HUSSEIN Ibn Talal I (since 11 August 1952; Head of Government - Prime Minister Zayd bin SHAKIR (since 27 April 1989)

Legislative branch: Jordan Arab Army, Royal Jordanian Air Force, Royal Jordanian Coast Guard

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: Arab League, CCC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB - Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Hussein A. HAMMAMI; Chancery at 3,504 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 966-2,664; US - Ambassador Roscoe S. SUDDARTH; Embassy on Jebel Amman, Amman (mailing address is P. O. Box 354, Amman, or APO New York 9,892; telephone Õ962å (6) 644,371 through 644,376

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), white, and green with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a small white seven-pointed star; the seven points on the star represent the seven fundamental laws of the Koran

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: Jordan was a secondary beneficiary of the oil boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when its GNP growth averaged 10-12%. Recent years, however, have witnessed a sharp reduction in cash aid from Arab oil-producing countries and in worker remittances, with growth averaging 1-2%. Imports - mainly oil, capital goods, consumer durables, and foodstuffs - have been outstripping exports by roughly $2 billion annually, the difference being made up by aid, remittances, and borrowing. In 1989 the government is pursuing policies to encourage private investment, curb imports of luxury goods, promote exports, reduce the budget deficit, and, in general, reinvigorate economic growth. Success will depend largely on exogenous forces, such as the absence of drought and a pick-up in outside support. Down the road, the completion of the proposed Unity Dam on the Yarmuk is vital to meet rapidly growing requirements for water.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: vegetables, fruits, olive oil, wheat; self-sufficient in few foodstuffs

Industries: phosphate mining, petroleum refining, cement, potash, light manufacturing

Industrial production growth rate: 1.4% (1986)

Labor force: 550,000; 20% agriculture, 20% manufacturing and mining (1987 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9-10% (January 1989 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $2.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $723 million (f.o.b., 1987)
Commodities: fruits and vegetables, phosphates, fertilizers
Partners: Iraq, Saudi Arabia, India, Kuwait, Japan, China, Yugoslavia, Indonesia

Imports: $2.5 billion (c.i.f., 1987)
Commodities: crude oil, textiles, capital goods, motor vehicles, foodstuffs
Partners: EC, US, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Turkey, Romania, China, Taiwan

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $5.6 billion (December 1988)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1 - 0.4857 (January 1989), 0.3715 (1988), 0.3387 (1987), 0.3499 (1986), 0.3940 (1985)


top of page


Electricity
Capacity: 979,000 kW capacity; 3,310 million kWh produced, 1,160 kWh per capita (1988)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $593 million, 19.4% of central government budget (1988)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 20 total, 17 usable; 15 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 14 with runways 2,440-3,659 m

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil, 209 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 32,635 GRT/44,618 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 2 bulk cargo

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international: separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line; West Bank is Israeli occupied with status to be determined

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs