Jordan: Background & Geography

Introduction Jordan
Background:
 For most of its history since independence from British administration in 1946, Jordan was ruled by King HUSSEIN (1953-99). 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, despite several wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he reinstituted parliamentary elections and gradually political liberalization; in 1994 he signed a formal peace treaty 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 undertaken an aggressive economic reform program. Jordan acceded to the World Trade Organization in 2000, and began to participate in the European Free Trade Association in 2001. After a two-year delay, parliamentary and municipal elections took place in the summer of 2003. The prime minister and government appointed in October 2003 declared their commitment to accelerated economic and political reforms and the new cabinet includes an unprecedented three women as ministers.
Geography Jordan
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
water: 329 sq km
land: 91,971 sq km
Area - comparative:
 slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries:
 total: 1,635 km
border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km
Coastline:
 26 km
Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
 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: 2.87%
permanent crops: 1.52%
other: 95.61% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
 750 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
 droughts; periodic earthquakes
Environment - current issues:
 limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
 party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
 strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank

See Also: