:: adventuretours-Jordan Map ::

INTRODUCTION

Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of (Arabic Al Mamlakah al Urdunniyah al Hashimiyah ), kingdom in southwestern Asia, bounded on the north by Syria, on the east by Iraq and Saudi Arabia, on the south by Saudi Arabia and the Gulf of Aqaba, and on the west by Israel and the West Bank, an area previously held by Jordan that has been occupied by Israel since 1967. The area of Jordan is 89,556 sq km (34,578 sq mi). Amman is the capital and largest city of Jordan .

CLIMATE

The climate of Jordan is marked by sharp seasonal variations in both temperature and precipitation. Temperatures below freezing are not unknown in January, the coldest month, but the average winter temperature is above 7° C (45° F). In the Jordan Valley summer temperatures may reach 49° C (120° F) in August, the hottest month, but the average summer temperature in Amman is 26° C (78° F). Precipitation is confined largely to the winter season and ranges from about 660 mm (about 26 in) in the northwestern corner to less than 127 mm (less than 5 in) in the extreme east.

POPULATION

The population of Jordan is almost entirely Arab. The only sizable racial minorities in the country are the Circassians and the Armenians; each group accounts for less than 1 percent of the population. Jordan is 79 percent urban; nomads and seminomads make up perhaps 5 percent of the population.

POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS

The population of Jordan (2003 estimate), is 5,460,265, yielding an average population density of 61 persons per sq km (158 per sq mi).

RELIGION AND LANGUAGE

The great majority of the Jordanian people are Sunni Muslims. Shia Muslims form a small minority. Christians, about one-third of whom belong to the Greek Orthodox Church, make up about 4 percent of the population. Islam is the state religion and Arabic the official language ( see Arabic Language).

LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS

The major libraries of Jordan are the Greater Amman Public Library, the University of Jordan Library , and the Scientific and Technical Information Center , all in Amman . Major museums housing historical, religious, and archaeological treasures are the Jordan Archaeological Museum , the Mosaic Gallery, and the Folklore Museum , all in Amman .

CURRENCY AND BANKING

Since 1950 Jordan has issued its own currency, the Jordanian dinar (0.71 dinar equals U.S.$1; 2001 average), which is divided into 1,000 fils. The Central Bank of Jordan , which was founded in 1964, is the country's bank of issue.

TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS

Jordan has a modern road network of 7,245 km (4,502 mi), nearly all of it paved. All major cities are linked by asphalt roads, and small towns by oiled or dirt roads. In 1997 there were an estimated 50 passenger vehicles for every 1,000 inhabitants. The only rail lines run from the Syrian border through Amman to Ma‘ân, where branches run southeast to Saudi Arabia and southwest to the port of Al‘ Aqabah, a total of 293 km (182 mi). The air terminal in Amman is served by Alia-Royal Jordanian Airline and other international airlines.

In 2001 Jordan had in use 127 telephone mainlines, 271 radio receivers, and 119 television sets for every 1,000 inhabitants. Publications include 5 daily newspapers, as well as 20 nondaily newspapers.

HISTORY

the territory constituting modern Jordan was the site of some of the earliest settlements and political entities known to historians. The Ammonites and the kingdoms of Edom , Gilead, and Moab , situated east of the Jordan River , are referred to repeatedly in the Bible. These kingdoms were successively conquered by, or made tributary to, the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and Romans. Jordan was wrested from the Byzantine Empire by the Arabs between 633 and 636 and has since remained an Arab-Islamic country. During the Crusades parts of Jordan were governed by Christians. From 1517 until 1918 Jordan was ruled by the Ottomans