:Johnston Atoll Communications
Ports:
Johnston Island
Airports:
1 with permanent-surface runways 2,743 m
Telecommunications:
excellent system including 60-channel submarine cable, Autodin/SRT terminal,
digital telephone switch, Military Affiliated Radio System (MARS station),
commercial satellite television system, and UHF/VHF air-ground radio, marine
VHF/FM Channel 16
Note:
US Coast Guard operates a LORAN transmitting station (estimated closing date
for LORAN is December 1992)
:Johnston Atoll Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
:Jordan Geography
Total area:
91,880 km2
Land area:
91,540 km2
Comparative area:
slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries:
1,586 km; Iraq 134 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 742 km, Syria 375 km,
West Bank 97 km
Coastline:
26 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea:
3 nm
Disputes:
differences with Israel over the location of the 1949 Armistice Line that
separates the two countries
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
Natural resources:
phosphates, potash, shale oil
Land use:
arable land 4%; permanent crops 0.5%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and
woodland 0.5%; other 94%; includes irrigated 0.5%
Environment:
lack of natural water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
desertification
Note:
The war between Israel and the Arab states in June 1967 ended with Israel in
control of the West Bank. As stated in the 1978 Camp David accords and
reaffirmed by President Bush's post - Gulf crisis peace initiative, the
final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, their relationship with their
neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated
among the concerned parties. The Camp David accords also specify that these
negotiations will resolve the location of the respective boundaries. Pending
the completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the
West Bank and Gaza Strip has yet to be determined.
:Jordan People
Population:
3,557,304 (July 1992), growth rate 4.1% (1992); Palestinians now constitute
roughly two-thirds of the population; most are Jordanian citizens
Birth rate:
45 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
38 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
70 years male, 73 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
7.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Jordanian(s); adjective - Jordanian
Ethnic divisions:
Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 8%
Languages:
Arabic (official); English widely understood among upper and middle classes
Literacy:
80% (male 89%, female 70%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
572,000 (1988); agriculture 20%, manufacturing and mining 20% (1987 est.)
Organized labor:
about 10% of labor force
:Jordan Government
Long-form name:
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
Amman
Administrative divisions:
8 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al
Mafraq, `Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Ma`an
Independence:
25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration;
formerly Transjordan)
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
National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 May (1946)
Executive branch:
monarch, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly (Majlis al-`Umma) consists of an upper house or
House of Notables (Majlis al-A`ayan) and a lower house or House of
Representatives (Majlis al-Nuwaab); note - the House of Representatives has
been convened and dissolved by the King several times since 1974 and in
November 1989 the first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held
Judicial branch:
Court of Cassation
Leaders:
Chief of State:
King HUSSEIN Ibn Talal Al Hashemi (since 11 August 1952)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Zayd bin SHAKIR (since 21 November 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
approximately 24 parties have been formed since the National Charter, but
the number fluctuates; after the 1989 parliamentary elections, King Hussein
promised to allow the formation of political parties; a national charter
that sets forth the ground rules for democracy in Jordan - including the
creation of political parties - was approved in principle by the special
National Conference on 9 June 1991, but its specific provisions have yet to
be passed by National Assembly
Suffrage:
universal at age 20
Elections:
House of Representatives:
last held 8 November 1989 (next to be held November 1993); results - percent
of vote by party NA; seats - (80 total) Muslim Brotherhood (fundamentalist)
22, Independent Islamic bloc (generally traditionalist) 6, Democratic bloc
(mostly leftist) 9, Constitutionalist bloc (traditionalist) 17, Nationalist
bloc (traditionalist) 16, independent 10
Member of:
ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO