Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
@Jordan
Header Affiliation: (also see separate West Bank entry)
@Jordan, Geography
Location:
Middle East, between Israel and Saudi Arabia
Map references:
Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
89,213 sq km
land area:
88,884 sq km
comparative area:
slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries:
total 1,619 km, Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 728 km, Syria
375 km, West Bank 97 km
Coastline:
26 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea:
3 nm
International disputes:
differences with Israel over the location of the 1949 Armistice Line
that separates the two countries; water-sharing issues with Israel
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%
Irrigated land:
570 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
lack of adequate natural water resources; deforestation; overgrazing;
soil erosion; desertification
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous
Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands
@Jordan, People
Population:
3,961,194 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.5% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
38.77 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
4.22 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
32.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
71.85 years
male:
70.04 years
female:
73.77 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.64 children born/woman (1994 est.)
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:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
80%
male:
89%
female:
70%
Labor force:
600,000 (1992)
by occupation:
industry 11.4%, commerce, restaurants, and hotels 10.5%, construction
10.0%, transport and communications 8.7%, agriculture 7.4%, other
services 52.0% (1992)
@Jordan, Government
Names:
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
Digraph:
JO
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)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 May (1946)
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
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
King HUSSEIN Bin Talal Al Hashimi (since 11 August 1952)
head of government:
Prime Minister Abd al-Salam al-MAJALI (since May 1993)
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the monarch
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly (Majlis al-'Umma)
House of Notables (Majlis al-A'ayan):
consists of a 40-member body appointed by the king from designated
categories of public figures
House of Representatives:
elections last held 8 November 1993 (next to be held NA November
1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (80 total)
Muslim Brotherhood (fundamentalist) 16, Independent Islamic bloc
(generally traditionalist) 6, Radical leftist 3, pro-government 55
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
Political parties and leaders:
NA; note - political parties were legalized in December 1992
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, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, PCA,
UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNRWA, UNPROFOR, UNTAC,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Fayiz A. TARAWNAH
chancery:
3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 966-2664
FAX:
(202) 966-3110
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Wesley EGAN, Jr.
embassy:
Jabel Amman, Amman
mailing address:
P. O. Box 354, Amman, or APO AE 09892-0200
telephone:
[962] (6) 820-101
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of black (top), white, and green with a
red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a small white
seven-pointed star; the seven points on the star represent the seven
fundamental laws of the Koran
@Jordan, Economy