Region / Country specific information - Jordan
| Background: |
For most of its history since
independence from British administration in 1946, Jordan was ruled by
King HUSSEIN (1953-1999). 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, through
several wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he resumed parliamentary elections
and gradually permitted political liberalization; in 1994 a formal peace
treaty was signed 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
established his domestic priorities. |
| Location: |
Middle East, northwest of Saudi
Arabia |
| Geographic coordinates: |
31 00 N, 36 00 E |
| Map
references: |
Middle East |
| Area: |
total: 92,300 sq
km
land: 91,971 sq km
water: 329 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller than Indiana
|
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 1,619 km
border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia
728 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
territorial sea:
3 NM |
| 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 |
| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Dead
Sea -408 m
highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m |
| Natural
resources: |
phosphates, potash, shale oil
|
| Land
use: |
arable land: 4%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 9%
forests and woodland: 1%
other: 85% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated land: |
630 sq km (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
droughts |
| Environment - current issues: |
limited natural fresh water resources;
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification |
| Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
|
| Population: |
5,153,378 (July 2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 37.23%
(male 980,345; female 938,081)
15-64 years: 59.44% (male 1,633,579; female 1,429,631)
65 years and over: 3.33% (male 84,815; female 86,927) (2001
est.) |
| Population growth rate: |
3% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
25.44 births/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
2.62 deaths/1,000 population (2001
est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
7.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
20.36 deaths/1,000 live births
(2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
77.53 years
male: 75.1 years
female: 80.12 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
3.29 children born/woman (2001
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.02% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun: Jordanian(s)
adjective: Jordanian |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian
1% |
| Religions: |
Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6%
(majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek Catholics, Roman Catholics,
Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant
denominations), other 2% (several small Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations)
(2000 est.) |
| Languages: |
Arabic (official), English widely
understood among upper and middle classes |
| Literacy: |
definition: age 15
and over can read and write
total population: 86.6%
male: 93.4%
female: 79.4% (1995 est.) |
| Country
name: |
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 |
| Government type: |
constitutional monarchy |
| Administrative divisions: |
12 governorates (muhafazat, singular
- muhafazah); Ajlun, Al 'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, 'Amman,
At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba |
| 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
ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Crown Prince HAMZAH (half brother
of the monarch, born 29 March 1980)
head of government: Prime Minister Ali Abul RAGHEB (since
19 June 2000)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation
with the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister
appointed by the monarch |
| Legislative branch: |
bicameral National Assembly or
Majlis al-'Umma consists of the Senate (a 40-member body appointed by
the monarch from designated categories of public figures; members serve
four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (80 seats; members
elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation
to serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 4 November
1997 (next to be held NA November 2001)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party - National Constitutional Party
2, Arab Land Party 1, independents 75, other 2
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 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Court of Cassation; Supreme Court
(court of final appeal) |
| Political parties and leaders: |
Al-Umma (Nation) Party [Ahmad
al-HANANDEH, secretary general]; Arab Land Party [Dr. Muhammad al-'ORAN,
secretary general]; Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'eed
THIYAB, secretary general]; National Constitutional Party [Abdul Hadi
MAJALI, secretary general] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: |
Council of Professional Association
Presidents [Ahmad al-QADIRI, chairman]; Jordanian Press Association
[Sayf al-SHARIF, president]; Muslim Brotherhood [Abd-al-Majid DHUNAYBAT,
secretary general] |
| International organization participation: |
ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU,
CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent),
ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNRWA,
UNTAET, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Marwan Jamil MUASHER
chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664
FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador William J. BURNS
embassy: Abdoum, Amman
mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; APO
AE 09892-0200
telephone: [962] (6) 5920101
FAX: [962] (6) 5920121 |
| Flag
description: |
three equal horizontal bands of
black (top, the Abbassid Caliphate of Islam), white (the Ummayyad Caliphate
of Islam), and green (the Fatimid Caliphate of Islam) with a red isosceles
triangle (representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916) based on the hoist
side bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven
verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven
points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national spirit,
humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations |
| Economy
- overview: |
Jordan is a small Arab country
with inadequate supplies of water and other natural resources such as
oil. The Persian Gulf crisis, which began in August 1990, aggravated
Jordan's already serious economic problems, forcing the government to
stop most debt payments and suspend rescheduling negotiations. Aid from
Gulf Arab states, worker remittances, and trade revenues contracted.
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. After averaging 9% in 1992-95, GDP
growth averaged only 1.5% during 1996-99. In an attempt to spur growth,
King ABDALLAH has undertaken limited economic reform, including partial
privatization of some state-owned enterprises and Jordan's entry in
January 2000 into the World Trade Organization (WTrO). Debt, poverty,
and unemployment are fundamental ongoing economic problems. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $17.3
billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
2% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $3,500
(2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 3%
industry: 25%
services: 72% (1998 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: |
30% (1998 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 34.7% (1991) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
0.7% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
1.15 million
note: in addition, at least 300,000 workers are employed
abroad (1997 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
industry 11.4%, commerce, restaurants,
and hotels 10.5%, construction 10%, transport and communications 8.7%,
agriculture 7.4%, other services 52% (1992) |
| Unemployment rate: |
15% official rate; actual rate
is 25%-30% (1999 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $2.8 billion
expenditures: $3.1 billion, including capital expenditures
of $NA (2000 est.) |
| Industries: |
phosphate mining, petroleum refining,
cement, potash, light manufacturing, tourism |
| Industrial production growth rate: |
3.8% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity - production: |
6.657 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 99.79%
hydro: 0.21%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity - consumption: |
6.594 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - exports: |
4 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - imports: |
407 million kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture - products: |
wheat, barley, citrus, tomatoes,
melons, olives; sheep, goats, poultry |
| Exports: |
$2 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
|
| Exports
- commodities: |
phosphates, fertilizers, potash,
agricultural products, manufactures |
| Exports
- partners: |
India, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, EU,
Indonesia, UAE, Lebanon, Kuwait, Syria, Ethiopia |
| Imports: |
$4 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
|
| Imports
- commodities: |
crude oil, machinery, transport
equipment, food, live animals, manufactured goods |
| Imports
- partners: |
Iraq, Germany, US, Japan, UK,
Italy, Turkey, Malaysia, Syria, China |
| Debt
- external: |
$8 billion (2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
ODA, $850 million (1996 est.)
|
| Currency: |
Jordanian dinar (JOD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Jordanian dinars per US dollar
- 0.7090 (1996-present )
note: since May 1989, the Jordanian dinar has been pegged
to a group of currencies |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones - main lines in use: |
403,000 (1997) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: |
11,500 (1995) |
| Telephone system: |
general assessment:
service has improved recently with the 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
is made of mobile cellular systems; Internet service is available
international: 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 |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1999)
|
| Radios: |
1.66 million (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: |
20 (plus 96 repeaters) (1995)
|
| Televisions: |
500,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.jo |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
5 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
87,500 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total: 677 km
narrow gauge: 677 km 1.050-m gauge (2000) |
| Highways: |
total: 8,000 km
paved: 8,000 km
unpaved: 0 km (2000 est.) |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 209 km; note - may not
be in use |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Al 'Aqabah |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 6 ships (1,000
GRT or over) totaling 40,919 GRT/57,777 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 3, container 1, roll on/roll
off 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 15
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF; includes
Royal Jordanian Land Force, Royal Naval Force, and Royal Jordanian Air
Force); Ministry of the Interior's Public Security Force (falls under
JAF only in wartime or crisis situations) |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49:
1,458,571 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49:
1,034,109 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males: 57,131 (2001
est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$608.9 million (FY98/99) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
7.8% (FY98/99) |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
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