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Wadi Rum panorama, Jordan
A panoramic view of Wadi Rum, also known as 'The Valley of the Moon', but the protected desert wilderness in southern Jordan resembles even more the red landscape of Mars, the area has been used as a background setting in a number of science fiction films set on Mars.
Image: David Bjorgen
 
Jordan Flag
Flag of Jordan
Location map of Jordan. Where in the world is Jordan?
Location map of Jordan



Destination Jordan, the Hashemite Kingdom in the Middle East, situated east of Israel and the Jordan river. It is a country at the crossroads of the continents of Asia, Africa and Europe.
Countries with international borders to Jordan are Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and a portion of the Palestinian territories (West Bank), and it shares maritime borders with Egypt.

The almost landlocked country is bordering the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea) in a small outlet in south. The country has a lakeshore at the Dead Sea, Earth's lowest elevation on land at 430.5 m below sea level.

Much of Jordan is covered by the Arabian Desert. The country covers an area of 89,342 km², making it slightly smaller than Portugal, or as well slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Indiana.

Jordan has a population of of 9.9 million people (in 2017, including refugees of the Syrian Civil War). Capital and largest city is Amman (pop. 1.5 million), about 4 million people live in Greater Amman Municipality, almost half of the country's population. Spoken language is Arabic (official). Jordan is a country with a predominantly Muslim population, about 92% of Jordanians are follower of Sunni Islam, the dominant religion in the country. Cities in the south of Jordan, have the highest percentage of Muslim population.


Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan | Al Urdun


Country Profile



Background:
For most of its history since independence from British administration in 1946, Jordan was ruled by King HUSSEIN (1953-99). 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; in 1994 a formal peace treaty was signed with Israel. King ABDALLAH II - the eldest son of King HUSSEIN and Princess MUNA - assumed the throne following his father's death in February 1999. Since then, he has consolidated his power and established his domestic priorities, including an aggressive economic reform program. Jordan acceded to the World Trade Organization in January 2000, and signed free trade agreements with the United States in 2000, and with the European Free Trade Association in 2001.
(Source: CIA - The World Factbook)

Jordan is a member state of the League of Arab States

related countries: USA, Russia, United Kingdom

 

Official Name:
Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah
short form: Al Urdun
int'l short form: Jordan
int'l long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
formerly: Transjordan

ISO Country Code: jo, jor

Actual Time: Mon-Mar-18  03:21
Local Time = UTC +2h
Daylight Saving Time (DST) 31 March - 21 October 2005 (UTC +3)

Country Calling Code: +962

Capital City: Amman (pop. 1 million)

Other Cities:
Irbid (pop. 281 000), Az-Zarqa (pop. 421 000)

Government:
Type: Constitutional Monarchy
Independence: 25 May 1946
Constitution: 8 January 1952

Geography:
Location Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia, east of Israel
Area: 89,342 km² (34,495 sq. mi.)

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

People:
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Jordanian(s)
Population 6.2 million (2012)
Ethnic groups: Mostly Arab but small communities of Circassians (Adyghe), Armenians, and Kurds.
Religions: Sunni Muslim 96%, Christian 4%.
Languages: Arabic (official), English.
Literacy: 90%

Natural resources: Phosphates, potash, shale oil.
Agriculture products: Wheat, barley, citrus, tomatoes, melons, olives; sheep, goats, poultry.

Industries: Phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, potash, light manufacturing, tourism.

Exports - commodities: textiles, fertilizers, potash, phosphates, vegetables, pharmaceuticals

Exports - partners: USA 21%, Saudi Arabia 16.5%, Iraq 10.3%, India 8.7%, UAE 4.8%, Kuwait 4.4% (2015)

Imports - commodities: crude oil, refined petroleum products, machinery, transport equipment, iron, cereals

Imports - partners: Saudi Arabia 15.4%, China 12.8%, USA 6.2%, Germany 4.7%, UAE 4.2% (2015)

Currency: Jordanian Dinar (JOD)

Jordan in Figures
Jordan key statistical data.


Note: External links will open in a new browser window.

Official Sites of Jordan

royal King Abdullah II
Official Website of King Of The Hashemite Kingdom Of Jordan with his profile, vision, initiatives and pressroom.
royal Queen Rania Al - Abdullah
Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah's site.
royal HM Queen Noor of Jordan
The official Web site of H.M. Queen Noor of Jordan.
royal HRH Prince Hassan Bin Talal
HRH Prince Hassan Bin Talal's Web Site.
royal HM King Hussein I of Jordan
Tribute to the legacy of King Hussein, the father of modern Jordan.


The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
The official site of the Jordanian e-Government.

The National Assembly
Jordan's Parliamentary System.

National Information System of Jordan
The National Information System of Jordan site includes comprehensive information on the country and on government functions, organizations and official agencies.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Jordan
Official website of the ministry (in Arabic).


Diplomatic Missions
Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in the USA
Washington D.C.
Embassy of Jordan in the UK

Statistics
Department of Statistics - DOS
Jordan in figures.

Jordan in Figures
Jordan key statistical data.


Jordan Maps
Map of Jordan
Political Map of Jordan.
Google Earth Google Earth Jordan
Searchable map/satellite view of Jordan.
Google Earth Google Earth Map Amman
Searchable map/satellite view of Jordan's capital city.

Map of the Red Sea
Political and topographic map of the Red Sea.
Map of Northern Africa and the Middle East
Political Map of of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East.
Map of Western Asia
Map of Western Asia and the Middle East region.
 

Jordan News


Ad-Dustour Newspaper
Jordan daily newspaper (in Arabic).
Al-Ra'i
National and international news (in Arabic).

Jordan Times
Jordan's English-language daily newspaper.

Petra News Agency
The Jordan News Agency.

 

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old Jordanian in the city of Petra
Old Jordanian in Petra, the famous historical and archaeological city in Jordan's southwestern desert.
Image: Roxanne Desgagnés


Arts & Culture


The Jordan Museum
The largest museum in Jordan hosts the country's most important archaeological findings.

Jordan National Gallery
The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts.

Khalid Shoman Foundation. Darat al Funun
Darat al Funun is a home for the Arts and the artists of Jordan and the Arab world.

The Jerash Festival
The Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts takes place annually in late July. The site provides background and current news about the festival, as well as a program schedule (in Arabic).
 

 

Business & Economy


Central Bank of Jordan
Central Bank of Jordan Home Page.

ASE Amman Stock Exchange


Ministry of Industry and Trade
Official site of the ministry.
Amman Chamber of Commerce
Jordan Investment Promotion Corporation (IPC)
Provides information on business and investment opportunities in Jordan, economic indicators and statistics, and Jordanian business news.

__Transportation
Royal Jordanian
Royal Jordanian Airline, serves destinations in the Middle East, Europe and the USA.
Royal Wings
Amman, Levant's commuter airline, connects Amman, to the Red Sea and neighboring countries.
 
Jordan Desert
Desert scene with horse and palm tree © Jordan Tourism Board
The Great Temple of Petra
The Great Temple of Petra, the Rose City, a historical and archaeological site in southern Jordan and the most famous tourist attraction in the country. Today Petra official website is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Image: Bernard Gagnon


Travel and Tour Consumer Information


Destination Jordan - Country Guides

Discover Jordan: Amman, Dead Sea, Um Qais, Gadara, Pella, Ummayed castles, City of Mosaics, Madaba, King's Highway, Petra, Kerak and Shobak, Wadi Rum, Aqaba.


Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
The site provides abundant information on Jordan's history, monarchy, government, culture, archaeological and tourist sites, economy and services.

Jordan Tourism Board
The Official Tourism Site on Jordan, responsible for promoting Jordan tourism internationally.

Discover Jordan
And rediscover an ancient land.
Jordan Eco Tours
Tourism company that operates both classical and ecologically orientated travels in Jordan and the Middle East.
Petra Tours
One of Jordan's largest travel and tourism companies.

 
 

Education


Al-Ahliyya Amman University
Privately funded and managed university, founded in 1990.
Philadelphia University
Located near Amman.
University of Jordan
The first ever institution of higher education in Jordan, founded in 1962.

National Library
Site of Jordan's National Library (in Arabic).

Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies
The mission of the Institute involves research, publication, and the organization of lectures, conferences, and workshops in the fields of Christian and Judaic studies with direct or indirect relevance to the Arab and Islamic worlds.

Royal Scientific Society (RSS)
The RSS was established in 1970, a non-profit institution conducting scientific and technological research and development work related to the development process in Jordan with special attention to industrial research and services.
 
 

Environment & Nature


Jordanian Friends of Environment
An independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization, formed in 1995 and specialized in environmental education.

 
 
Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan
Aerial view of a portion of the Zaatari refugee camp which contains a population of about 80,000 Syrian refugees in 2015. There are 5 Syrian refugee camps in Jordan, built following the influx of 1.4 million Syrians, escaping the civil war in Syria.
Image: U.S. Department of State

History


History of Jordan
Wikipedia entry about Jordans history.

Franciscan Archaeological Insitute
Mount Nebo
 
 

Search

JordanLinks.com
Jordan index.

Additional Information on Jordan


Amnesty International: Jordan

BBC Country Profile: Jordan

FAO: Jordan

Human Rights Watch: Jordan

GlobalEDGE: Jordan

The Heritage Foundation: Jordan

OEC: Jordan

Reporters Without Borders: Jordan

Wikipedia: Jordan

The CIA World Factbook -- Jordan
 
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Other countries and territories in the Middle East:
Bahrain | Cyprus | Egypt | Gaza Strip | Iran | Iraq | Israel | Kuwait | Lebanon | Oman |
Qatar | Saudi Arabia | Syria | Turkey | United Arab Emirates | West Bank | Yemen
 
Major Cities in the Middle East
Abu Dhabi, Aden, Alexandria, Amman, Ankara, Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, Doha, Dubai, Istanbul,
Jerusalem, Kuwait (City), Luxor, Manama, Mecca, Muscat, Nazareth, Nicosia, Port Said, Riyadh, Sana'a,
Sharm El Sheikh, Suez, Tehran, Tel Aviv

 
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