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

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Background: Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire the UK received a mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain separated out a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in the early 1920s and the area gained its independence in 1946; it adopted the name of Jordan in 1950. The country's long-time ruler was King HUSSEIN (1953-99). A pragmatic leader he successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US USSR and UK) various Arab states Israel and a large internal Palestinian population despite several wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he reinstituted parliamentary elections and gradual political liberalization; in 1994 he signed a peace treaty with Israel. King ABDALLAH II the son of King HUSSEIN assumed the throne following his father's death in February 1999. Since then he has consolidated his power and undertaken an aggressive economic reform program. Jordan acceded to the World Trade Organization in 2000 and began to participate in the European Free Trade Association in 2001. Municipal elections were held in July 2007 under a system in which 20% of seats in all municipal councils were reserved by quota for women. Parliamentary elections were held in November 2007 and saw independent pro-government candidates win the vast majority of seats. In November 2007 King Abdallah instructed his new prime minister to focus on socioeconomic reform developing a healthcare and housing network for civilians and military personnel and improving the educational system.


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Location: Middle East northwest of Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates: 31 00 N 36 00 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 92,300 km²
Land: 91,971 km²
Water: 329 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Indiana

Land boundaries
Total: 1,635 km
Border countries: (5) Iraq 181 km; , Israel 238 km; , Saudi Arabia 744 km; , Syria 375 km; , West Bank 97 km

Coastline: 26 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 3 nm

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

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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
Extremes highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m

Natural resources: phosphates potash shale oil

Land use
Arable land: 3.32%
Permanent crops: 1.18%
Other: 95.5% (2005)

Irrigated land: 750 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 0.9 km³ (1997)

Natural hazards: droughts; periodic earthquakes

Geography
Note: strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank


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Population: 6,198,677 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 2.338% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Jordanian
Adjective: Jordanian

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

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

Religions: Sunni Muslim 92% Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox but some Greek and Roman Catholics Syrian Orthodox Coptic Orthodox Armenian Orthodox and Protestant denominations) other 2% (several small Shia Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 32.2% (male 1,017,233/female 976,284)
15-64 years: 63.7% (male 2,110,293/female 1,840,531)
65 years and over: 4.1% (male 122,975/female 131,361) (2008 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 23.9 years
Male: 24.6 years
Female: 23.2 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.338% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 20.13 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 2.72 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: 5.97 migrant(s)/1000 population (2008 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 1.15 male/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male/female
Total population: 1.1 male/female (2008 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 15.57 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 18.62 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 12.34 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.71 years
Male: 76.19 years
Female: 81.39 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.47 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 600 (2003 est.)
Deaths: fewer than 500 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 4.9% of GDP (1999)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 89.9%
Male: 95.1%
Female: 84.7% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 13 years (2006)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Conventional short form: Jordan
Local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah
Local short form: Al Urdun
Former: Transjordan

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital
Name: Amman
Geographic coordinates: 31 57 N, 35 56 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Thursday in March; ends last Friday in September

Administrative divisions: 12 governorates (muhafazat singular - muhafazah); Ajlun Al 'Aqabah Al Balqa' Al Karak Al Mafraq 'Amman At Tafilah Az Zarqa' Irbid Jarash Ma'an Madaba

Dependent areas

Independence: 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)

National holiday: Independence Day 25 May (1946)

Constitution: 1 January 1952; amended many times

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: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Prince HUSSEIN (born 1994), eldest son of King ABDALLAH II, is considered to be first in line to inherit the throne
Head of government: Prime Minister Nader al-DAHABI (since 25 November 2007)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the monarch
Elections: the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch
Elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held 20 November 2007 (next to be held in 2011)
Election results: Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - IAF 5.5 %, independents and other 94.5%; seats by party - IAF 6, independents and other 104; note - seven women will serve in the next Assembly - six of whom filled women's quota seats and one was directly elected

Judicial branch: Court of Cassation; Supreme Court (court of final appeal)

Political parties and leaders: al-Ahd Party; Arab Islamic Democratic Movement [Yusuf ABU BAKR]; Arab Land Party [Dr. Ayishah Salih HIJAZAYN]; Arab Socialist Ba'th Party [Taysir al-HIMSI]; Ba'th Arab Progressive Party [Fu'ad DABBUR]; Freedom Party; Future Party; Islamic Action Front or IAF [Zaki Sa'ed BANI IRSHEID]; Islamic Center Party [Marwan al-FAURI]; Jordanian Arab Ansar Party; Jordanian Arab New Dawn Party; Jordanian Arab Party; Jordanian Citizens' Rights Movement; Jordanian Communist Party [Munir HAMARINAH]; Jordanian Communist Workers Party; Jordanian Democratic Left Party [Musa MA'AYTEH]; Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'id Dhiyab Ali MUSTAFA]; Jordanian Generations Party [Muhammad KHALAYLEH]; Jordanian Green Party [Muhammad BATAYNEH]; Jordanian Labor Party [Dr. Mazin Sulayman Jiryis HANNA]; Jordanian Peace Party; Jordanian People's Committees Movement; Jordanian People's Democratic Party (Hashd) [Ahmad YUSUF]; Jordanian Rafah Party; Jordanian Renaissance Party; Mission Party; Nation Party [Ahmad al-HANANDEH]; National Action Party (Haqq) [Tariq al-KAYYALI]; National Constitutional Party [Abdul Hadi MAJALI]; National Popular Democratic Movement [Mahmud al-NUWAYHI]; Progressive Party [Fawwaz al-ZUBI]

International organization participation: ABEDA AFESD AMF CAEU FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC LAS MIGA MINURCAT MINUSTAH MONUC NAM OIC OPCW OSCE (partner) PCA UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNMIL UNMIS UNOCI UNOMIG UNRWA UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador ZEID Ra'ad Zeid al-Hussein, Prince
In the us chancery: 3,504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 966-2,664
In the us fax: [1] (202) 966-3,110
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Robert S. Beecroft
From the us embassy: Abdun, Amman
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11,118 Jordan; Unit 70,200, Box 5, APO AE 9,892-0200
From the us telephone: [962] (6) 590-6,000
From the us fax: [962] (6) 592-0121

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top) representing the Abbassid Caliphate white representing the Ummayyad Caliphate and green representing the Fatimid Caliphate; a red isosceles triangle on the hoist side representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916 and bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven points on the star represent faith in One God humanity national spirit humility social justice virtue and aspirations; design is based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Jordan is a small Arab country with insufficient supplies of water oil and other natural resources. Poverty unemployment and inflation are fundamental problems but King ABDALLAH II since assuming the throne in 1999 has undertaken some broad economic reforms in a long-term effort to improve living standards. Since Jordan's graduation from its most recent IMF program in 2002 Amman has continued to follow IMF guidelines practicing careful monetary policy making substantial headway with privatization and opening the trade regime. Jordan's exports have significantly increased under the free trade accord with the US and Jordanian Qualifying Industrial Zones (QIZ) which allow Jordan to export goods duty free to the US. In 2006 Jordan reduced its debt-to-GDP ratio significantly. These measures have helped improve productivity and have made Jordan more attractive for foreign investment. Before the US-led war in Iraq Jordan imported most of its oil from Iraq. Since 2003 however Jordan has been more dependent on oil from other Gulf nations. The government ended subsidies for petroleum and other consumer goods in 2008 in an effort to control the budget. The main challenges facing Jordan are reducing dependence on foreign grants reducing the budget deficit attracting investments and creating jobs.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $28.45 billion (2007 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 6% (2007 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $4,700 (2007 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3.5%
Industry: 10.3%
Services: 86.2% (2007 est.)

Agriculture products: citrus tomatoes cucumbers olives; sheep poultry stone fruits strawberries dairy

Industries: clothing phosphate mining fertilizers pharmaceuticals petroleum refining cement potash inorganic chemicals light manufacturing tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 7.7% (2007 est.)

Labor force: 1.563 million (2007 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 5%
By occupation industry: 12.5%
By occupation services: 82.5% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate: 13.5% official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30% (2007 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.7%
Highest 10: 30.6% (2003)

Distribution of family income gini index: 38.8 (2003)

Budget
Revenues: $5.117 billion
Expenditures: $6.468 billion (2007 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 72.4% of GDP (2007 est.)

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5.4% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate: 7% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 8.68% (31 December 2007)

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: $19.53 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $29.73 billion (2006)

Current account balance: -$2.767 billion (2007 est.)

Exports: $5.7 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: clothing pharmaceuticals potash phosphates fertilizers vegetables manufactures;
Partners: US 22.4% Iraq 12.9% India 8.3% UAE 7.8% Saudi Arabia 7.5% Syria 4.9% (2007)

Imports: $12.02 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: crude oil textile fabrics machinery transport equipment manufactured goods
Partners: Saudi Arabia 21% China 9.7% Germany 7.5% US 4.7% Egypt 4.4% (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $7.929 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt external: $8.133 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $18.18 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Jordanian dinars (JOD) per US dollar - 0.709 (2007) 0.709 (2006) 0.709 (2005) 0.709 (2004) 0.709 (2003)


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Electricity
Production: 10.87 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Consumption: 9.852 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Exports: 13 million kWh (2006 est.)
Imports: 472 million kWh (2006 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 320 million m³ (2006 est.)
Consumption: 2.25 billion m³ (2006 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Imports: 2.4 billion m³ (2007 est.)
Proven reserves: 6.031 billion m³ (1 January 2008 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 585,500 (2007)
Mobile cellular: 4.771 million (2007)

Telephone system
General assessment: service has improved recently with increased use of digital switching equipment; microwave radio relay transmission and coaxial and fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk lines; growing mobile-cellular usage in both urban and rural areas is reducing use of fixed-line services; Internet penetration remains modest and slow-growing
Domestic: 1995 telecommunications law opened all non-fixed-line services to private competition; in 2005, monopoly over fixed-line services terminated and the entire telecommunications sector was opened to competition; mobile-cellular usage is increasing rapidly and teledensity reached 80 per 100 persons in 2007
International: country code - 962; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Middle East, Europe; satellite earth stations - 33 (3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals); fiber-optic cable to Saudi Arabia and microwave radio relay link with Egypt and Syria; participant in Medarabtel (2007)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .jo
Hosts: 21,150 (2008)
Users: 1.127 million (2007)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 8.6% of GDP (2006)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription at age 18 was suspended in 1999 although all males under age 37 are required to register; women not subject to conscription but can volunteer to serve in non-combat military positions (2004)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 17 (2007)
With paved runways total: 15
With paved runways over 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 6
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 2
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2007)

Heliports: 1 (2007)

Pipelines: gas 426 km; oil 49 km (2007)

Railways
Total: 505 km
Narrow gauge: 505 km 1.050-m gauge (2006)

Roadways
Total: 7,694 km
Paved: 7,694 km (2006)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 21
By type: cargo 8, container 1, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 3
Foreign owned: 13 (UAE 13)
Registered in other countries: 24 (Algeria 7, Bahamas 2, Panama 13, Syria 2) (2008)

Ports and terminals: Al 'Aqabah


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Disputes international: approximately two million Iraqis have fled the conflict in Iraq with the majority taking refuge in Syria and Jordan; 2004 Agreement settles border dispute with Syria pending demarcation

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 1,835,704 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)); 500,000 (Iraq)
Idps: 160,000 (1967 Arab-Israeli War) (2007)

Illicit drugs