| 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 |
|
