Jordan

§1. Jordan Introduction

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.

§2. Jordan Geography

Location:
  Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates:
  31 00 N, 36 00 E

Map references:
  Middle East

Area:
  total: 92,300 kmē
  land: 91,971 kmē
  water: 329 kmē

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

Coastline:
  26 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 kmē (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

§3. Jordan People

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  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.)

§4. Jordan Government

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

Capital:
  Amman

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

§5. Jordan Economy

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)

Currency code:
  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

§6. Jordan Communications

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)

§7. Jordan Transportation

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.)

Waterways:
  none

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:
  18 (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.)

Heliports:
  1 (2000 est.)

§8. Jordan Military

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)

§9. Jordan Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none
