| Area |
89,342 sq km (34,495; not including West Bank). |
| Population |
4,368,000 (1996). |
| Capital |
Amman- population 1,696,300 (1996) |
| Climate |
Hot and dry summers with cool evenings. The Jordan Valley below sea level is warm during winter and extremely hot in summer. Rain falls between November and March, while colder weather conditions occur in December / January. |
| Language |
Arabic is the official language. English is also spoken, predominantly in the cities. French, German, Italian and Spanish are also spoken. |
| Religion |
Over 90 per cent Sinni Muslim, with Christian and Shi'ite Muslin minorities. |
| Time |
GMT + 2
|
| Highlights |
Jordan has been a major site of civilisation throughout recorded history from the Great Alexander, to the Nabataeans followed by the Roman Empire to the Crusaders and then the Ottoman Empire, each leaving their mark on this fascinating country. Jordan's capital city of Amman is a busy bustling modern city, which has managed to retain all of its old world charm. One of the highlights of this city is to visit the Roman amphitheatre built in the 2nd century AD. The National Archaeological Museum, the Citadel, and an ancient temple dedicated to Hercules are other places of interest. There are many other sites not to be missed to the north and south of Amman - Jerash and Umm Qais, beautifully preserved Graeco-Roman cities, the King's Highway dotted with places of interest including Mount Nebo from where Moses saw the Promised Land and Kerak, a beautiful medieval town with a castle surrounded by the high walls of the old Crusader town. The Dead Sea is easily accessible from Amman. But it is Petra, the 'Rose Red City' which dominates any visit to Jordan - one of the wonders of the Middle-Eastern world and recently voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. From Petra it is worth visiting Wadi Rum, a fort built to defend a deep wide valley in the rugged desert wilderness on an escarpment plain. Aqaba, on the Gulf of Aqaba has good beaches and excellent watersports facilities including superb diving and snorkelling, windsurfing, sailing and fishing.
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| Country Facts |
Jordan's area of 38,000 sq. miles, shares international borders with Israel, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. To the northeast is the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth at 400m below sea level, and to the southwest is the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea. The capital city of Amman is the main cultural and economic centre of the country and is home to over one quarter of the 4 million population. To the west of the country is the fertile River Jordan valley, with the East being mainly desert. Jordan has hot and dry summers giving cloudless days and cool nights with rainfall between November and March. The Jordan Valley and Aqaba are warm in winter and very hot in the summer months. |