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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, despite several wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he
reinstituted parliamentary elections and gradually political
liberalization; in 1994 he signed a formal peace treaty 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 undertaken an aggressive economic reform program.
Jordan acceded to the World Trade Organization in 2000, and
began to participate in the European Free Trade Association in
2001. After a two-year delay, parliamentary and municipal
elections took place in the summer of 2003. The prime minister
and government appointed in October 2003 declared their
commitment to accelerated economic and political reforms and
the new cabinet includes an unprecedented three women as
ministers. |
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Location:
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Middle East,
northwest of Saudi Arabia |
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Map references:
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Middle
East |
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Area:
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total:
92,300 sq km
water: 329 sq km
land: 91,971 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller
than Indiana |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
1,635 km
border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi
Arabia 744 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km |
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Coastline:
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26 km |
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Climate:
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mostly arid
desert; rainy season in west (November to April) |
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Terrain:
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mostly desert
plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley
separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m |
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Natural resources:
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phosphates,
potash, shale oil |
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Land use:
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arable land:
2.87%
permanent crops: 1.52%
other: 95.61% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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750 sq km (1998
est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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droughts;
periodic earthquakes |
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Environment - current issues:
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limited natural
fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil
erosion; desertification |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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strategic
location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab
country that shares the longest border with Israel and the
occupied West Bank |
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Population:
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5,611,202
(July 2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 35.2% (male 1,009,604; female 967,645)
15-64 years: 61.1% (male 1,829,984; female 1,598,141)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 100,896; female 104,932)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
22.2 years
male: 22.8 years
female: 21.5 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
|
2.67%
(2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
|
22.73
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
|
2.62
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
|
6.59
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.15 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
18.11 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 21.63 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 78.06 years
male: 75.59 years
female: 80.69 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less
than 0.1% (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Jordanian(s)
adjective: Jordanian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Arab
98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1% |
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Religions:
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Sunni
Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some
Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox,
Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2%
(several small Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.) |
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Languages:
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Arabic
(official), English widely understood among upper and middle
classes |
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Literacy:
|
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.3%
male: 95.9%
female: 86.3% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
|
conventional
long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
conventional short form: Jordan
local short form: Al Urdun
local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah
former: Transjordan |
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Government type:
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constitutional
monarchy |
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Capital:
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'Amman |
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Administrative divisions:
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12 governorates (muhafazat,
singular - muhafazah); Ajlun, Al 'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak,
Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an,
Madaba |
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Independence:
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25 May 1946 (from
League of Nations mandate under British administration) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day,
25 May (1946) |
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Constitution:
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8 January 1952 |
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Legal system:
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based on Islamic
law and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in a
specially provided High Tribunal; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Crown
Prince HAMZAH (half brother of the monarch, born 29 March
1980)
head of government: Prime Minister Faisal al-FAYEZ
(since 25 October 2003)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in
consultation with the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime
minister appointed by the monarch |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral
National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the Senate,
also called the House of Notables (Majlis al-Ayan) (55 seats;
members appointed by the monarch from designated categories of
public figures; members serve four-year terms) and the House
of Representatives, also called the House of Deputies (Majlis
al-Nuwaab) (110 seats; members elected by popular vote on the
basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms;
note - six seats are reserved for women and are allocated by a
special electoral panel if no women are elected)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 17 June
2003 (next to be held NA 2007)
note: the House of Representatives has been convened
and dissolved by the monarch several times since 1974; in
November 1989, the first parliamentary elections in 22 years
were held; political parties were not legalized until 1992;
King ABDALLAH delayed the 2001 elections until 2003
election results: House of Representatives - percent of
vote by party - independents and others 89.6%, Islamic Action
Front 10.4%; seats by party - independents and others 92,
Islamic Action Front 18; note - one of the six quota seats was
given to a female IAF candidate |
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Judicial branch:
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Court of
Cassation; Supreme Court (court of final appeal) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Al-Umma (Nation)
Party [Ahmad al-HANANDEH, secretary general]; Arab Land Party
[Dr. Muhammad al-'ORAN, secretary general]; Communist Party [Munir
HAMARINAH, secretary general]; Constitutional Front [Mahdi
al-TALL, secretary general]; Jordanian Democratic Popular
Unity Party [Sa'id DHIYAB, secretary general]; Jordanian
Progressive Party [Fawwaz al-ZUBI, secretary general];
Jordanian People's Democratic (Hashd) Party [Salim al-NAHHAS,
secretary general]; Islamic Action Front [Hazma MANSOUR,
secretary general]; National Action (Haqq) Party [Muhammad al-ZUBI,
secretary general]; National Constitutional Party [Abdul Hadi
MAJALI, secretary general]; (Arab) Socialist Ba'th Party [Taysif
al-HIMSI, secretary general]; Pan-Arab (Democratic) Movement [Mahmud
al-NUWAYHI, secretary general] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Anti-Normalization
Committee [Ali Abu SUKKAR, president vice chairman]; Jordanian
Bar Association [Saleh ARMOUTI, president]; Jordanian Press
Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]; Muslim Brotherhood [Abd-al-Majid
DHUNAYBAT, secretary general] |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Karim Tawfiq KAWAR
chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC
20008
FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110
telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Edward William GNEHM, Jr.
embassy: Abdoun, Amman
mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan;
Unit 70200, Box 5, APO AE 09892-0200
telephone: [962] (6) 5906000
FAX: [962] (6) 5920121 |
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Economy - overview:
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Jordan is a small
Arab country with inadequate supplies of water and other
natural resources such as oil. Debt, poverty, and unemployment
are fundamental problems, but King ABDALLAH, since assuming
the throne in 1999, has undertaken some broad economic reforms
in a long-term effort to improve living standards. 'Amman in
the past three years has worked closely with the IMF,
practiced careful monetary policy, and made substantial
headway with privatization. The government also has
liberalized the trade regime sufficiently to secure Jordan's
membership in the WTrO (2000), a free trade accord with the US
(2000), and an association agreement with the EU (2001). These
measures have helped improve productivity and have put Jordan
on the foreign investment map. The US-led war in Iraq in 2003
dealt an economic blow to Jordan, which was dependent on Iraq
for discounted oil (worth $300-$600 million a year). Several
Gulf nations have provided temporary aid to compensate for the
loss of this oil; when this foreign aid expires, the Jordanian
government has pledged to raise retail petroleum product
prices and the sales tax base. Other ongoing challenges
include fiscal adjustment to reduce the budget deficit,
broader investment incentives to promote job-creating
ventures, and the encouragement of tourism. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $23.64 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.1% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $4,300 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
3.7%
industry: 26%
services: 70.3% (2002 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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30% (2001 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.5% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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1.36 million
(2002) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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services 82.5%,
industry 12.5%, agriculture 5% (2001 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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16% official
rate; actual rate is 25%-30% (2001 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$3.3 billion
expenditures: $3.7 billion, including capital
expenditures of $582 million (2003 est.) |
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Industries:
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phosphate mining,
pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, potash, light
manufacturing, tourism |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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7% (2003 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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7.091 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
99.4%
hydro: 0.6%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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6.86 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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2 million kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - imports:
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267 million kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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40 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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103,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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290 million cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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290 million cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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wheat, barley,
citrus, tomatoes, melons, olives; sheep, goats, poultry |
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Exports:
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$2.908 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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clothing,
phosphates, fertilizers, potash, vegetables, manufactures,
pharmaceuticals |
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Exports - partners:
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Iraq 20.6%, US
14.9%, India 8.3%, Saudi Arabia 5.5%, UAE 4% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$4.946 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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crude oil,
textile fabrics, machinery, transport equipment, manufactured
goods |
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Imports - partners:
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Iraq 13.3%,
Germany 8.7%, US 7.9%, China 6%, France 4.2%, UK 4.1%, Italy
4% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
|
$8.2 billion
(2002 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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ODA, $553 million
(2000 est.) |
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Currency:
|
Jordanian dinar (JOD) |
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Currency code:
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JOD |
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Exchange rates:
|
Jordanian dinars
per US dollar - 0.71 (2003), 0.71 (2002), 0.71 (2001), 0.71
(2000), 0.71 (1999) |
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Fiscal year:
|
calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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674,500 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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1,219,600 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: service has improved recently with increased
use of digital switching equipment, but better access to the
telephone system is needed in the rural areas and easier
access to pay telephones is needed by the urban public
domestic: microwave radio relay transmission and
coaxial and fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk lines;
considerable use of mobile cellular systems; Internet service
is available
international: country code - 962; satellite earth
stations - 3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime
Inmarsat terminals; fiber-optic cable to Saudi Arabia and
microwave radio relay link with Egypt and Syria; connection to
international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around
the Globe); participant in MEDARABTEL; international links
total about 4,000 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 6, FM 5,
shortwave 1 (1999) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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20 (plus 96
repeaters) (1995) |
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Internet country code:
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.jo |
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Internet hosts:
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4,116 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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307,500 (2002) |
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Railways:
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total: 505
km
narrow gauge: 505 km 1.050-m gauge (2002) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
7,245 km
paved: 7,245 km
unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
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Waterways:
|
none |
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Pipelines:
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gas 10 km; oil
743 km (2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Al 'Aqabah |
|
Merchant marine:
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total: 9
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 78,814 GRT/92,695 DWT
registered in other countries: 11 (2003 est.)
by type: cargo 2, container 1, roll on/roll off 5,
short-sea/passenger 1
foreign-owned: Greece 6 |
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Airports:
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17 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 15
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.)
914 to 1,523 m: 1 |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2003 est.) |
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Heliports:
|
1 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
|
Jordanian Armed
Forces (JAF) (Royal Jordanian Land Force, Royal Naval Force,
Royal Jordanian Air Force, and Special Operations Command or
SOCOM); note - Public Security Directorate normally falls
under Ministry of Interior but comes under JAF in wartime or
crisis situations |
|
Military manpower - military age:
|
17 years of age
(conscription at age 18 was suspended in 1999, although all
males under age 37 are required to register; recruits are
accepted from age 17) (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 1,636,537 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 1,153,385 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
|
males:
59,471 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$2,043.2 million
(2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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20.2% (2003) |
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Disputes - international:
|
none |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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