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Jordan
The Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan
Arabic:
'al-mamlakatu l-urdunniyyati l-hāshimiyya
INTRODUCTION
1. Political situation
2. Economy
3. Health & Education
4. Religions & Peoples
5. History
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STATUS
| Independent monarchy, divided into 12 governorates (muhafaza(t)).
Day of independence: May 25, 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration).
| GOVERNMENT
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Head of state: King Abdullah 2.
Prime minister: Faysal al-Fayez.
National Assemblies: The Senate has 55 members appointed by the king, up from 40 before. The House of Representatives has 110 members elected in general elections, where 6 seats are reserved for women.
| GEOGRAPHY
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Inhabitants: 5.9 million (2005 estimate).
Census December 10 1994: 4.14 million (52% male, 48% female).
Population growth rate: 2.9%
Total area: 97,740 kmē
Water: 329 km²
Density: 60 per kmē
Border: 1,635 km (Palestine 97 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km, Iraq 181 km, Syria 375 km).
Coastline: 26 km.
Highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m
Lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
Arable land: 2.9%
Capital: Amman
| HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX
| World rank (of 177): 86
Index (1.0 max):0.760
Explanation
| DEMOGRAPHY
| Ethnic groups: Palestinian Arabs, Bedouins, Circassians, Armenians.
Languages: Arabic.
Religions: Sunni Islam, Christianity, Druze Shi'i Islam.
| ECONOMY
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Currency: Dinars
1 Dinar=US$1.41. US$1=0.71 (June 2003)
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CLIMATE AND GEOGRAPHY
Most of Jordan is semi-desert, while the eastern regions often tips over to being desert. Jordan relies much on the sparse rain falling over the country, and water flushing through the Jordan Valley (along the Jordan river).
When Jordan's territories west of the Dead Sea were lost in the war against Israel in 1967, half of the country's agricultural land disappeared (the just claim to this land is since 1988 transferred from Jordan to Palestine). Jordan is partly mountainous.
Jordan has been strongly urbanized in modern ages, and most of the nomadic activities of the indeginous bedouin population has disappeared. Even if the recent years have shown many challenges for the society and the economy, Jordan is still among the best organized societies in the Middle East.
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By: Tore Kjeilen
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