Jordan

Internet country code

.jo

Internet hosts

3,441 (2006)

Internet users

629,500 (2005)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1999)

Telephone system

general assessment: service has improved recently with 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 of mobile cellular systems; Internet service is available international: country code - 962; 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

Telephones - main lines in use

617,300 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1,594,500 (2004)

Television broadcast stations

20 (plus 96 repeaters) (1995)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $2.8 billion expenditures: $4.688 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.092 billion (2005 est.)

Currency (code)

Jordanian dinar (JOD)

Current account balance

$-1.613 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$8.528 billion (2005 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

36.4 (1997)

Economic aid - recipient

ODA, $500 million (2004 est.)

Economy - overview

Jordan is a small Arab country with inadequate supplies of water and other natural resources such as oil. Debt, poverty, and unemployment are fundamental problems, but King ABDALLAH, since assuming the throne in 1999, has undertaken some broad economic reforms in a long-term effort to improve living standards. 'Amman in the past three years has worked closely with the IMF, practiced careful monetary policy, and made substantial headway with privatization. The government also has liberalized the trade regime sufficiently to secure Jordan's membership in the WTO (2000), a free trade accord with the US (2001), and an association agreement with the EU (2001). These measures have helped improve productivity and have put Jordan on the foreign investment map. Jordan imported most of its oil from Iraq, but the US-led war in Iraq in 2003 made Jordan more dependent on oil from other Gulf nations, forcing the Jordanian Government to raise retail petroleum product prices and the sales tax base. Jordan's export market, which is heavily dependent on exports to Iraq, was also affected by the war but recovered quickly while contributing to the Iraq recovery effort. The main challenges facing Jordan are reducing dependence on foreign grants, reducing the budget deficit, and creating investment incentives to promote job creation.

Electricity - consumption

7.959 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports

4 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports

972 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - production

7.517 billion kWh (2003)

Exchange rates

Jordanian dinars per US dollar - 0.709 (2005), 0.709 (2004), 0.709 (2003), 0.709 (2002), 0.709 (2001)

Exports

$4.226 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

clothing, phosphates, fertilizers, potash, vegetables, manufactures, pharmaceuticals

Exports - partners

US 29.4%, Iraq 15.6%, India 8.8%, Saudi Arabia 5.9% (2005)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$11.51 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$26.85 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 3.3% industry: 28.7% services: 68% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$4,700 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.8% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.3% highest 10%: 29.8% (1997)

Imports

$8.681 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities

crude oil, textile fabrics, machinery, transport equipment, manufactured goods

Imports - partners

Saudi Arabia 20.9%, China 8%, Germany 7.1%, US 6.2%, South Korea 4.1% (2005)

Industrial production growth rate

7.5% (2005 est.)

Industries

textiles, phosphate mining, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, potash, inorganic chemicals, light manufacturing, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.5% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

20.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Labor force

1.46 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 5% industry: 12.5% services: 82.5% (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

390 million cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

390 million cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

6.23 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Oil - consumption

103,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - imports

100,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - production

40 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

445,000 bbl (1 January 2002)

Population below poverty line

30% (2001 est.)

Public debt

79.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$5.463 billion (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

12.5% official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30% (2004 est.)

Area

total: 92,300 sq km land: 91,971 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 1,734 m

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

Geographic coordinates

31 00 N, 36 00 E

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

Irrigated land

750 sq km (2003)

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

Land use

arable land: 3.32% permanent crops: 1.18% other: 95.5% (2005)

Location

Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 3 nm

Natural hazards

droughts; periodic earthquakes

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

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

Capital

name: Amman geographic coordinates: 31 57 N, 35 56 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Thursday in March; ends last Friday in September

Constitution

1 January 1952; amended 1954, 1955, 1958, 1960, 1965, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1984

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador David M. HALE embassy: Abdoun, Amman mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; Unit 70200, Box 5, APO AE 09892-0200 telephone: [962] (6) 590-6000 FAX: [962] (6) 592-0121

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Karim Tawfiq KAWAR chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664 FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110

Executive branch

chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Prince HUSSEIN (born 1994), eldest son of King ABDALLAH, is first in line to inherit the throne head of government: Prime Minister Marouf al-BAKHIT (since 24 November 2005); Deputy Prime Minister Ziad FARIZ (since 24 November 2005) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of black (top), representing the Abbassid Caliphate, white, representing the Ummayyad Caliphate, and green, representing the Fatimid Caliphate; a red isosceles triangle on the hoist side, representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, and 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; design is based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Independence

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

International organization participation

ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Judicial branch

Court of Cassation; Supreme Court (court of final appeal)

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, also called the House of Notables (Majlis al-Ayan) (55 seats; members appointed by the monarch from designated categories of public figures; members serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives, also called the House of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab) (110 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms); note - six seats are reserved for women and are allocated by a special electoral panel if no women are elected elections: House of Representatives - last held 17 June 2003 (next to be held in 2007) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - independents and other 89.6%, IAF 10.4%; seats by party - independents and other 92, IAF 18; note - one of the six quota seats was given to a female IAF candidate 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; political parties were not legalized until 1992; King ABDALLAH delayed the 2001 elections until 2003

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 May (1946)

Political parties and leaders

al-Ahd Party; Arab Islamic Democratic Movement [Yusuf ABU BAKR, president]; Arab Land Party [Dr. Ayishah Salih HIJAZAYN, secretary general]; Arab Socialist Ba'th Party [Taysir al-HIMSI, secretary general]; Ba'th Arab Progressive Party [Fu'ad DABBUR, secretary general]; Freedom Party; Future Party; Islamic Action Front or IAF [Zaki Sa'ed BANI IRSHEID, secretary general]; Islamic Center Party [Marwan al-FAURI, secretary general]; Jordanian Arab Ansar Party; Jordanian Arab New Dawn Party; Jordanian Arab Party; Jordanian Citizens' Rights Movement; Jordanian Communist Party [Munir HAMARINAH, secretary general]; Jordanian Communist Workers Party; Jordanian Democratic Left Party [Musa MA'AYTEH, secretary general]; Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'id Dhiyab Ali MUSTAFA, secretary general]; Jordanian Generations Party [Muhammad KHALAYLEH, secretary general]; Jordanian Green Party [Muhammad BATAYNEH, secretary general]; Jordanian Labor Party [Dr. Mazin Sulayman Jiryis HANNA, secretary general]; Jordanian Peace Party; Jordanian People's Committees Movement; Jordanian People's Democratic Party (Hashd) [Ahmad YUSUF, secretary general]; Jordanian Rafah Party; Jordanian Renaissance Party; Mission Party; Nation Party [Ahmad al-HANANDEH, secretary general]; National Action Party (Haqq) [Tariq al-KAYYALI, secretary general]; National Constitutional Party [Abdul Hadi MAJALI, secretary general]; National Popular Democratic Movement [Mahmud al-NUWAYHI, secretary general]; Progressive Party [Fawwaz al-ZUBI, secretary general]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Anti-Normalization Committee [Ali Abu SUKKAR, president vice chairman]; Jordan Bar Association [Hussein Mujalli, chairman]; Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]; Muslim Brotherhood [Salem AL-FALAHAT, secretary general]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the UK received a mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain separated out a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in the early 1920s, and the area gained its independence in 1946; it adopted the name of Jordan in 1950. The country's long-time ruler was King HUSSEIN (1953-99). A pragmatic leader, 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 gradual political liberalization; in 1994 he signed a peace treaty with Israel. King ABDALLAH II, the son of King HUSSEIN, 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 appointed in November 2005 stated the government would focus on political reforms, improving conditions for the poor, and fighting corruption.

Manpower available for military service

males age 17-49: 1,573,995 females age 17-49: 1,346,642 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 17-49: 1,348,076 females age 17-49: 1,158,011 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males age 18-49: 60,625 females age 17-49: 58,218 (2005 est.)

Military branches

Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF): Royal Jordanian Land Force, Royal Jordanian Navy, Royal Jordanian Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Malakiya al-Urduniya), Special Operations Command (Socom); Public Security Directorate (normally falls under Ministry of Interior, but comes under JAF in wartime or crisis situations) (2006)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

11.4% (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation

17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription at age 18 was suspended in 1999, although all males under age 37 are required to register; women not subject to conscription, but can volunteer to serve in non-combat military positions (2004)

Age structure

0-14 years: 33.8% (male 1,018,070/female 976,442) 15-64 years: 62.4% (male 1,966,794/female 1,716,255) 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 111,636/female 117,563) (2006 est.)

Birth rate

21.25 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate

2.65 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups

Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

600 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 16.76 deaths/1,000 live births male: 20.04 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78.4 years male: 75.9 years female: 81.05 years (2006 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91.3% male: 95.9% female: 86.3% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 23 years male: 23.7 years female: 22.4 years (2006 est.)

Nationality

noun: Jordanian(s) adjective: Jordanian

Net migration rate

6.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Population

5,906,760 (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate

2.49% (2006 est.)

Religions

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.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.15 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.63 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Disputes - international

2004 Agreement settles border dispute with Syria pending demarcation

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 1,827,877 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)) IDPs: 168,000 (1967 Arab-Israeli War) (2005)

Airports

17 (2006)

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 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Heliports

1 (2006)

Merchant marine

total: 25 ships (1000 GRT or over) 346,698 GRT/501,060 DWT by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 9, container 2, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 4 foreign-owned: 11 (UAE 11) registered in other countries: 15 (Bahamas 2, Panama 13) (2006)

Pipelines

gas 426 km; oil 49 km (2006)

Ports and terminals

Al 'Aqabah

Railways

total: 505 km narrow gauge: 505 km 1.050-m gauge (2005)

Roadways

total: 7,364 km paved: 7,364 km (2003)