NAVIGATION
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NAVIGATION
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah
former: Transjordan
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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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, 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, including an aggressive economic reform program. Jordan acceded to the World Trade Organization in January 2000, and signed free trade agreements with the United States in 2000, and with the European Free Trade Association in 2001. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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31 00 N, 36 00 E |
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Map references:
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Middle East |
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Area:
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total: 92,300 sq km
water: 329 sq km land: 91,971 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Indiana |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,635 km
border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km |
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Coastline:
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26 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 3 NM |
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Climate:
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mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April) |
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Terrain:
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mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m |
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Natural resources:
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phosphates, potash, shale oil |
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Land use:
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arable land: 2.87%
permanent crops: 1.52% other: 95.61% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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750 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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droughts; periodic earthquakes |
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Environment - current issues:
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limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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 |
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Geography - note:
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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 |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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5,307,470 (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 36.6% (male 991,370; female 949,247)
15-64 years: 60% (male 1,698,568; female 1,485,261) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 90,186; female 92,838) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.89% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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24.58 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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2.62 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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6.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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19.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 77.71 years
female: 80.3 years (2002 est.) male: 75.26 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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3.15 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.02% (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun: Jordanian(s)
adjective: Jordanian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1% |
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Religions:
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Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several small Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.) |
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Languages:
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Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.6% male: 93.4% female: 79.4% (1995 est.) |