1998 Edition

Area

total: 89,213 sq km land: 88,884 sq km water: 329 sq km

Area-comparative

slightly smaller than Indiana

Climate

mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)

Coastline

26 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m highest point: Jabal Ram 1,754 m

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

Geographic coordinates

31 00 N, 36 00 E

Irrigated land

630 sq km (1993 est.)

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

Land use

arable land: 4% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 9% forests and woodland: 1% other: 85% (1993 est.)

Location

Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 3 nm

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

phosphates, potash, shale oil

Terrain

mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River

Age structure

0-14 years: 43% (male 985,211; female 935,982) 15-64 years: 54% (male 1,224,595; female 1,160,915) 65 years and over: 3% (male 64,406; female 63,869) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate

35.18 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate

3.91 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups

Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%

Infant mortality rate

33.29 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages

Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.84 years male: 70.96 years female: 74.84 years (1998 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 86.6% male: 93.4% female: 79.4% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Jordanian(s) adjective: Jordanian

Net migration rate

-5.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population

4,434,978 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate

2.54% (1998 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 96%, Christian 4% (1997 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.79 children born/woman (1998 est.)

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

Constitution

8 January 1952

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

Data code

JO

Executive branch

chief of state: King HUSSEIN bin Talal Al-Hashimi (since 2 May 1953) head of government: Prime Minister Abd al-Salam al-MAJALI (since 19 March 1997) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the king elections: none; the king is a constitutional monarch; prime minister appointed by the king

FAX

[1] (202) 966-3110 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Wesley W. EGAN, Jr. embassy: Jabel Amman, Amman mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; APO AE 09892-0200 telephone: [962] (6) 820101

[962] (6) 820159

Flag description

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

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Independence

25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)

International organization participation

ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFCTU, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MONUA, NAM, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant) Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Marwan Jamil MUASHIR chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664

Judicial branch

Court of Cassation Political parties and leaders: Al-Ahrar (Freedom) Party, Dr. Ahmad ZO'BI, secretary general; Arab Ba'th Progressive Party, Mahmoud al-MA'AYTAH, secretary general; Arab Islamic Democratic Party (Doa'a), Yousif ABU BAKR, secretary general; Arab Jordanian Ansar Party, Muhammad MAJALI, secretary general; Arab Land Party, Dr. Muhammad al-'ORAN, secretary general; Islamic Action Front, Dr. Ishaq al-FARHAN, secretary general; Jordanian Arab Constitutional Front Party, Milhem TELL, secretary general; Jordanian Ba'th Arab Socialist Party, Tayseer al-HOMSI, secretary general; Jordanian Communist Party, Ya'acoub ZAYADIN, secretary general; Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party, Sa'eed MUSTAPHA, secretary general; Jordanian Labor Party, Muhammad KHATAYIBAH, secretary general; Jordanian Peace Party, Dr. Shaher KHREIS, secretary general; Jordanian People's Democratic Party (HASHD), Salem NAHHAS, secretary general; Jordanian Unitary Democratic Party, Mousa al-MA'AYTAH, secretary general; Al-Mustaqbal (Future) Party, Suleiman 'ARAR, secretary general; National Action Party (Haqq), Muhammad ZO'BI, secretary general; National Constitutional Party, Abdul Hadi MAJALI, secretary general; National Democratic Public Movement Party, Muhammad al-'AMER, secretary general; Progressive Party, Na'el BARAKAT, secretary general; Al-Umma (Nation) Party, Ahmad HNEIDI, secretary general

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 or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the Senate (a 40-member body appointed by the king 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 king several times since 1974; in November 1989 the first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held

National capital

Amman

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 May (1946)

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal

Agriculture-products

wheat, barley, citrus, tomatoes, melons, olives; sheep, goats, poultry

Budget

revenues: $2.7 billion expenditures: $2.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $630 million (1997 est.)

Currency

1 Jordanian dinar (JD) = 1,000 fils

Debt-external

$7.3 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $424 million (1996)

Economy-overview

Jordan is a small Arab country with inadequate supplies of water and other natural resources such as oil and coal. Jordan benefited from 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, reductions in both Arab aid and worker remittances slowed real economic growth to an average of roughly 2% per year. Imports-mainly oil, capital goods, consumer durables, and food-outstripped 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-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 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 in 1994-97. The government is implementing the reform program adopted in 1992 and continues to secure rescheduling and write-offs of its heavy foreign debt. Debt, poverty, and unemployment remain Jordan's biggest on-going problems.

Electricity-capacity

1.066 million kW (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita

1,259 kWh (1995)

Electricity-production

5.02 billion kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1-0.7090 (January 1998-1996), 0.7005 (1995), 0.6987 (1994), 0.6928 (1993) note: since May 1989, the dinar has been pegged to a basket of currencies

Exports

total value: $1.53 billion (f.o.b., 1997) commodities: phosphates, fertilizers, potash, agricultural products, manufactures partners: Iraq, India, Saudi Arabia, EU, Indonesia, UAE

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

GDP

purchasing power parity-$20.7 billion (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector

agriculture: 6% industry: 30% services: 64% (1995 est.)

GDP-per capita

purchasing power parity-$4,800 (1997 est.)

GDP-real growth rate

5.3% (1997 est.)

Imports

total value: $3.7 billion (c.i.f., 1997) commodities: crude oil, machinery, transport equipment, food, live animals, manufactured goods partners: EU, Iraq, US, Japan, Turkey

Industrial production growth rate

-3.4% (1996)

Industries

phosphate mining, petroleum refining, cement, potash, light manufacturing

Inflation rate-consumer price index

3% (1997 est.)

Labor force

total: 1.15 million plus 300,000 foreign workers (1997 est.) by occupation: industry 11.4%, commerce, restaurants, and hotels 10.5%, construction 10.0%, transport and communications 8.7%, agriculture 7.4%, other services 52.0% (1992)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM 7, shortwave 0

Radios

1.1 million (1992 est.)

Telephone system

adequate telephone system domestic: microwave radio relay, cable, and radiotelephone links international: satellite earth stations-2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria; microwave radio relay to Lebanon is inactive; participant in Medarabtel

Telephones

81,500 (1987 est.)

Television broadcast stations

8 and 1 TV receive-only satellite link

Televisions

350,000 (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

15% official rate; note-actual rate is 20%-25% (1997 est.)

Airports

17 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 14 over 3,047 m: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1997 est.)

Highways

total: 6,640 km paved: 6,640 km unpaved: 0 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 43,759 GRT/69,795 DWT ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 1 (1997 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil 209 km Ports and harbors: Al 'Aqabah

Railways

total: 676 km narrow gauge: 676 km 1.050-m gauge; note-an additional 110 km stretch of the old Hejaz railroad is out of use

Military branches

Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF; includes Royal Jordanian Land Force, Royal Naval Force, and Royal Jordanian Air Force); Badiya (irregular) Border Guards; Ministry of the Interior's Public Security Force (falls under JAF only in wartime or crisis situations)

Military expenditures-dollar figure

$627 million (1997 est.)

Military expenditures-percent of GDP

7.8% (1997)

Military manpower-availability

males age 15-49: 1,076,618 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 766,973 (1998 est.)

Military manpower-military age

18 years of age

Military manpower-reaching military age annually

males: 48,706 (1998 est.)

Disputes-international

none JUAN DE NOVA ISLAND (possession of France)