1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)
Coastline
26 km
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Indiana
Disputes
differences with Israel over the location of the 1949 Armistice Line that separates the two countries
Environment
lack of natural water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Land area
91,540 km2
Land boundaries
1,586 km; Iraq 134 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 742 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km
Land use
arable land 4%; permanent crops 0.5%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 0.5%; other 94%; includes irrigated 0.5%
Natural resources
phosphates, potash, shale oil
Note
The war between Israel and the Arab states in June 1967 ended with Israel in control of the West Bank. As stated in the 1978 Camp David accords and reaffirmed by President Bush's post - Gulf crisis peace initiative, the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the concerned parties. The Camp David accords also specify that these negotiations will resolve the location of the respective boundaries. Pending the completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has yet to be determined.
Terrain
mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River
Territorial sea
3 nm
Total area
91,880 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
45 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
Infant mortality rate
38 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
572,000 (1988); agriculture 20%, manufacturing and mining 20% (1987 est.)
Languages
Arabic (official); English widely understood among upper and middle classes
Life expectancy at birth
70 years male, 73 years female (1992)
Literacy
80% (male 89%, female 70%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun - Jordanian(s); adjective - Jordanian
Net migration rate
1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
about 10% of labor force
Population
3,557,304 (July 1992), growth rate 4.1% (1992); Palestinians now constitute roughly two-thirds of the population; most are Jordanian citizens
Religions
Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 8%
Total fertility rate
7.0 children born/woman (1992)
Government
Administrative divisions
8 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, `Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Ma`an
Capital
Amman
Chief of State
King HUSSEIN Ibn Talal Al Hashemi (since 11 August 1952)
Constitution
8 January 1952
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Hussein A. HAMMAMI; Chancery at 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 966-2664 US: Ambassador Roger Gram HARRISON; Embassy on Jebel Amman, Amman (mailing address is P. O. Box 354, Amman, or APO AE 09892); telephone [962] (6) 644-371
Executive branch
monarch, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Flag
three equal horizontal bands of black (top), white, and green with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a small white seven-pointed star; the seven points on the star represent the seven fundamental laws of the Koran
Head of Government
Prime Minister Zayd bin SHAKIR (since 21 November 1991)
House of Representatives
last held 8 November 1989 (next to be held November 1993); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (80 total) Muslim Brotherhood (fundamentalist) 22, Independent Islamic bloc (generally traditionalist) 6, Democratic bloc (mostly leftist) 9, Constitutionalist bloc (traditionalist) 17, Nationalist bloc (traditionalist) 16, independent 10
Independence
25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration; formerly Transjordan)
Judicial branch
Court of Cassation
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
Legislative branch
bicameral National Assembly (Majlis al-`Umma) consists of an upper house or House of Notables (Majlis al-A`ayan) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Majlis al-Nuwaab); note - the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved by the King several times since 1974 and in November 1989 the first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held
Long-form name
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Member of
ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 25 May (1946)
Political parties and leaders
approximately 24 parties have been formed since the National Charter, but the number fluctuates; after the 1989 parliamentary elections, King Hussein promised to allow the formation of political parties; a national charter that sets forth the ground rules for democracy in Jordan - including the creation of political parties - was approved in principle by the special National Conference on 9 June 1991, but its specific provisions have yet to be passed by National Assembly
Suffrage
universal at age 20
Type
constitutional monarchy
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for about 7% of GDP; principal products are wheat, barley, citrus fruit, tomatoes, melons, olives; livestock - sheep, goats, poultry; large net importer of food
Budget
revenues $1.7 billion; expenditures $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)
Currency
Jordanian dinar (plural - dinars); 1 Jordanian dinar (JD) = 1,000 fils
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.7 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.5 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $44 million
Electricity
1,025,000 kW capacity; 3,900 million kWh produced, 1,150 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1 - 0.6861 (March 1992), 0.6807 1991), 0.6636 (1990), 0.5704 (1989), 0.3709 (1988), 0.3387 (1987)
Exports
$1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: phosphates, fertilizers, potash, agricultural products, manufactures partners: India, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, UAE, China
External debt
$9 billion (December 1991 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
exchange rate conversion - $3.6 billion, per capita $1,100; real growth rate 3% (1991 est.)
Imports
$2.3 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.) commodities: crude oil, machinery, transport equipment, food, live animals, manufactured goods partners: EC, US, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Turkey
Industrial production
growth rate 1% (1991 est.); accounts for 20% of GDP
Industries
phosphate mining, petroleum refining, cement, potash, light manufacturing
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
9% (1991 est.)
Overview
Jordan benefited from increased Arab aid during the oil boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when its annual GNP growth averaged more than 10%. In the remainder of the 1980s, however, reductions in both Arab aid and worker remittances slowed economic growth to an average of roughly 2% per year. Imports - mainly oil, capital goods, consumer durables, and food - have been outstripping exports, with the difference covered by aid, remittances, and borrowing. In mid-1989, the Jordanian Government began debt-rescheduling negotiations and agreed to implement an IMF 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 Gulf Arab states and worker remittances have plunged, and refugees have flooded the country, straining government resources. Economic recovery is unlikely without substantial foreign aid, debt relief, and economic reform.
Unemployment rate
40% (1991 est.)
Communications
Airports
19 total, 15 usable; 14 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
23 major transport aircraft
Highways
7,500 km; 5,500 km asphalt, 2,000 km gravel and crushed stone
Merchant marine
2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 60,378 GRT/113,557 DWT; includes 1 cargo and 1 petroleum tanker
Pipelines
crude oil 209 km
Ports
Al `Aqabah
Railroads
619 km 1.050-meter gauge, single track
Telecommunications
adequate telephone system of microwave, cable, and radio links; 81,500 telephones; broadcast stations - 5 AM, 7 FM, 8 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, 1 domestic TV receive-only; coaxial cable and microwave to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria; microwave link to Lebanon is inactive; participates in a microwave network linking Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco
Military and Security
Branches
Jordan Arab Army, Royal Jordanian Air Force, Royal Jordanian Navy, Public Security Force
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $404 million, 9.5% of GDP (1990)
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 808,725; 576,934 fit for military service; 39,310 reach military age (18) annually