General Information

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Location

Jordan lies between latitudes 34 and 33.5 north. Longitudes 34 and 39 east.
It is right in the heart of the Middle East.. This location has made Jordan one of the most strategic places to be - at a crossroads or transit line, as well as a homeland for all the ancient civilizations.
 

Government

The type of government in Jordan is known as a constitutional monarchy.
It is currently ruled by King Abdullah the 2nd Ben Al - Hussein who is the head of state and he shares executive power with the prime minister.
The legislative authority comprises two main divisions of the parliament; the upper house of 40 members appointed by the King, and the lower house of 80 members, who are elected every 4 years.
The judicial branch (court of cassation) is an independent authority.

Climate

Due to its location, Jordan has a mild climate all year around. Mostly arid desert; the rainy season in the west is from November to April.

Terrain

Mostly desert plateau in the east and high land area in the west. A great rift valley separates the east and west banks of the river Jordan.

Area

Jordan covers an area of 89.4- square kms.

Religion

96% of the people are Muslims and 4% are Christians.
Both Muslims and Christians live together in the same sites enjoying true religious freedom in an atmosphere of love and peace. In the same places you find a mosque you may also find a church.

The Capital

'Amman' is the capital city, known in the past as the city of brotherly love (Philadelphia). Amman is the meeting place between ancient and modern history and it was considered as one of the cleanest cities in the world.

Administration & Legal System

Jordan has 12 administrative divisions, which are known as 'governorates'.

It gained independence on 25 May 1946.

The Constitution was formed on 8 Jan 1952.

The Legal system is based upon Islamic law and French codes.

Currency

The currency is the 'JD' - JORDANIAN DINAR.
The basic unit is the 'fils'.
One JD: 1000 fils.
1JD =US$ 1.5 or US$=0.70 JD.
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Travelers Cheques are all widely used and accepted almost everywhere in Jordan.

Communications

Jordan communicates with the rest of the world by means of a highly advanced satellite system, which enables the country to be up-to-date with current international affairs and news, and to be aware of the many changes taking place all over the world.
Facsimile (Fax), Internet, optical fiber, and mobile phones are widely used in Jordan.
Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 7, SW 1.
There are 8 TV Broadcast stations. In addition there are approximately 42 repeaters and 1 satellite link.

Safety

Because of the peace we enjoy in Jordan and our peaceful relationship with all our neighboring countries, Jordan is one of the safest countries in the region. The reality of Islam is that it treats all people equally, as well as engendering forgiveness, freedom, and human rights.

Language

The mother-tongue of the Jordanians is Arabic. English is the second language due to it being a compulsory subject at school.


Population

4,561,147 (1999 estimate.
Jordan is a county of the younger generation.
At least 70% of the Jordanians are under 30 years old.
Jordanians in general are very open and friendly. You will notice their sincerity from the very first moment you arrive. They are honest, warm, and hospitable.

Birth rate

34.31 births /1000 of population.
Life expectancy: at birth 73.06 [male: 71.15 years, female: 75.08 years.].
Population growth rate: 3.05%.
Infant mortality rate: 32.7 death/1000.
Total fertility rate: 4.64 children born/woman.
Ethnic groups: Arab: 98%, Circassians: 1%, Armenians: 1%.

Education

Education is compulsory from the age of 6 up to 15.
Apart from English, another requirement at school is computer education.
As most of the people are very young, (70% are under 30 years), some 67% of them are still students.

Literacy

Defined as those persons aged 15 and over who are able to read and write.
Total population: 86.6% (male 93.4%, female 79.4%).

Elevation extremes

The highest point: um al Daami Mountain 1946 m above sea level, (wadi rum).
The lowest point: Dead Sea 412 m below sea level. It is considered as the lowest point on earth.

Food and beverages

The pride of the Jordanian cuisine is 'Al-Mansaf', which is meat cooked in yogurt, arranged on a plate in a great mound, and decorated with pine nuts and parsley. Besides this, there are many other traditional meals, spiced with natural spices collected from the wilderness.
The ever-constant drink is Bedouin coffee and tea. Coffee is served as a welcome drink on all occasions, and it always has a very bitter taste, highly concentrated with cardamom (hail).
Jordanian tea is very sweet. It comprises a lot of sugar, black tea, and water boiled together, spiced sometimes with mint or sage for refreshment.

Customs and traditions

Tribal society as it is in Jordan, dictates most of the behaviors of people, which means that every individual is looked after within a framework of customs and traditions, to ensure that no one would dare to behave badly. Ultimately, everyone looks out for each other to provide an ideal society.

All people help each other, offering reciprocal treatment, participating in visiting each other or being present at wedding parties and funerals.

Economy

Jordan is a small country with an inadequate supply of water and other natural resources such as oil and coal. Jordan benefited from the increased Arab aid during the oil boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when its annual real GNP growth averaged more than 10%. In the remainder of the 1980s, however, reduction of both Arab aid and remittances slowed real economic growth to an average of roughly 2% per year.

Imports - mainly oil, capital goods, consumer durables, and food - outstrip exports, with the difference being covered by aid, remittances, and borrowing.

In mid-1989, the Jordanian government began debt-rescheduling negotiations and agreed to implement an IMF-supported program, designed to gradually reduce the budget deficit and implement badly needed structural reforms.

The Persian Gulf crisis that began in August 1990, however, aggravated Jordan's already serious economic problems, forcing the government to shelve the IMF program, stop most debt payments, and suspend rescheduling negotiations.

Aid from the Gulf Arab states, worker remittances, and trade contracted; and refugees flooded the country, producing serious balance-of-payments problems, stunting GDP growth, and straining government resources.

The economy rebounded in 1992, largely due to the influx of capital repatriated by workers returning from the Gulf, but recovery was uneven. Preliminary agreements with the IMF in early 1999 provided new loans over the next three years. Sluggish growth, along with debt, poverty, and unemployment are fundamental ongoing economic problems.

Bedouins

Bedouin life means primitive life i.e. depending upon nature to supply every thing, including food, cloths, transportation, drink, medicine, and home.

In Jordan, there are three different types of Bedouins: nomadic, semi-nomadic and permanently-settled Bedouins. Most of them are highly educated due to the existence of schools everywhere and compulsory education in the country.

The Bedouin tent is a mobile house. They move wherever they may find grass and water for the goats and a place of safety to stay. The tent is woven out of the hair of goats, while carpets are woven out of the wool of the sheep. Cheese is produced out of milk and kept for many years to be used whenever they want.
Warm hospitality is a characteristic of Bedouins. In their law a guest may stay for three days at least without any disturbunce.
A welcome drink is served on every occasion - Bedouin coffee with a bitter taste and highly concentrated with cardamom (hail). Tea is also served with a very sweet taste.

Tribal law is still practiced amongst them as a very strict law to try to solve any problem that may occur. The (sheikh) is the one who looks after everyone, assisted by a group of highly-respected members of the same tribe (tribal council).

Simply put, Bedouin life means freedom without limits, but having a sense of responsibility too. They have no worries, but dreams ! …
The Bedouin is calm as peace, dark as night, warm as summer … and as strong as coffee.

How to get to Jordan


You can come to Jordan by air …land …or sea.

" By land - there are many crossing points to Jordan from the many neighboring
Countries e.g. Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, the West Bank, and Israel.

" By sea - from Egypt (Nuweibeh) to Jordan (Aqaba) is only a 45-minute journey by Fast ferry
.

" By air - in Amman there are two airports … 'Queen Alia' airport, which is about a
35-minute drive from Amman the capital city, and 'Marka' airport, which is in the heart of the capital but it is rarely used. There is also a third airport at Aqaba in the
South of the country (Aqaba international airport) from where you can travel all around the world.

 

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