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Jordan Country Guide
Explore Jordan in Asia
The topography includes mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west with Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River. The average density of population is approximately 67 per km². The notable climate conditions in Jordan can be described as mostly arid desert with rainy season in west (November to April). Possible natural disasters include droughts or periodic earthquakes.
To reach someone in Jordan dial +962 prior to a number. There are 501,200 installed telephones. And there are 6,014,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900/1800 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".jo". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 230V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Jordan
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.
Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations awarded Britain the mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain demarcated a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in the early 1920s. The area gained its independence in 1946 and thereafter became The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The country's long-time ruler, King HUSSEIN (1953-99), successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population. Jordan lost the West Bank to Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. King HUSSEIN in 1988 permanently relinquished Jordanian claims to the West Bank; in 1994 he signed a peace treaty with Israel. King ABDALLAH II, King HUSSEIN''s eldest son, assumed the throne following his father''s death in 1999. He implemented modest political and economic reforms, but in the wake of the "Arab Revolution" across the Middle East, Jordanians continue to press for further political liberalization, government reforms, and economic improvements.
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Asia Neighbours: Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Israel, Palestinian Territory Capital: Amman |
| Size | 92,300 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 35,637 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly smaller than Indiana |
| Population | 6,198,000 |
| Currency | Name Dinar, Currency Code:JOD |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .jo |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +962 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 6,014,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 501,200 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 89,342 (sq km) | 112 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,482,081 | 104 |
| Population growth rate | 0.14 (%) | 181 |
| Birth rate | 26.23 (births/1,000 population) | 51 |
| Death rate | 2.80 (deaths/1,000 population) | 220 |
| Net migration rate | -22.02 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 220 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 63.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 97 |
| Infant mortality rate | 15.26 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 108 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.30 (years) | 29 |
| Total fertility rate | 3.32 (children born/woman) | 50 |
| Health expenditures | 8.00 (% of GDP) | 59 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.10 (%) | 137 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 600 | 149 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 500 | 90 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 30.00 (%) | 28 |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 1.90 (%) | 119 |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | 29.90 (%) | 26 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 39,290,000,000 | 105 |
| GDP - real growth rate | 2.80 (%) | 114 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 6,100 | 149 |
| Labor force | 1,824,000 | 126 |
| Unemployment rate | 12.30 (%) | 129 |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 39.70 | 62 |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 28.90 (% of GDP) | 24 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 20.40 (% of GDP) | 161 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -6.40 (% of GDP) | 182 |
| Public debt | 75.00 (% of GDP) | 32 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4.30 (%) | 119 |
| Central bank discount rate | 4.75 (%) | 75 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 8.22 (%) | 113 |
| Stock of narrow money | 11,150,000,000 | 76 |
| Stock of broad money | 38,610,000,000 | 72 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 33,270,000,000 | 70 |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 27,180,000,000 | 58 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 0.20 (%) | 142 |
| Current account balance | -3,359,000,000 | 151 |
| Exports | 7,836,000,000 | 101 |
| Imports | 20,830,000,000 | 75 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 10,700,000,000 | 71 |
| Debt - external | 19,340,000,000 | 82 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | 24,630,000,000 | 66 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 14,640,000,000 (kWh) | 86 |
| Electricity - consumption | 13,540,000,000 (kWh) | 79 |
| Electricity - exports | 86,000,000 (kWh) | 74 |
| Electricity - imports | 1,738,000,000 (kWh) | 54 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 3,140,000 (kW) | 87 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 99.30 (% of total installed capacity) | 58 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 0.50 (% of total installed capacity) | 145 |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 0.20 (% of total installed capacity) | 89 |
| Crude oil - production | 20 (bbl/day) | 102 |
| Crude oil - imports | 29,310 (bbl/day) | 65 |
| Crude oil - proved reserves | 1,000,000 (bbl) | 100 |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 79,190 (bbl/day) | 80 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 107,000 (bbl/day) | 76 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 18,620 (bbl/day) | 107 |
| Natural gas - production | 226,500,000 (cu m) | 76 |
| Natural gas - consumption | 1,400,000,000 (cu m) | 84 |
| Natural gas - imports | 793,000,000 (cu m) | 63 |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 6,031,000,000 (cu m) | 86 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 19,070,000 (Mt) | 85 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 465,400 | 102 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 7,483,000 | 93 |
| Internet hosts | 69,473 | 89 |
| Internet users | 1,642,000 | 78 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 18 | 139 |
| Railways | 507 (km) | 111 |
| Roadways | 7,891 (km) | 142 |
| Merchant marine | 12 | 106 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 9.50 (% of GDP) | 4 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| Petra Inhabited since prehistoric times, this Nabataean caravan-city, situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, was an important crossroads between Arabia, Egypt and Syria-Phoenicia. Petra is half-built, half-carved into the rock, and is surrounded by ... | 1985 |
| Quseir Amra Built in the early 8th century, this exceptionally well-preserved desert castle was both a fortress with a garrison and a residence of the Umayyad caliphs. The most outstanding features of this small pleasure palace are the reception hall and the ham ... | 1985 |
| Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a) Most of this archaeological site, which started as a Roman military camp and grew to become a town from the 5th century, has not been excavated. It contains remains from the Roman, Byzantine and Early Muslim periods (end of 3rd to 9th centuries AD) a ... | 2004 |
| Wadi Rum Protected Area The 74,000-hectare property, inscribed as a mixed natural and cultural site, is situated in southern Jordan, near the border with Saudi Arabia. It features a varied desert landscape consisting of a range of narrow gorges, natural arches, towering cli ... | 2011 |