Jordan

• population heavily concentrated in the west, and particularly the northwest, in and around the capital of Amman;
• a sizeable but smaller population is located in the southwest along the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba

• droughts;
• periodic earthquakes;
• flash floods

• strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba;
• the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the West Bank;
• the Dead Sea, the lowest point in Asia and the second saltiest body of water in the world (after Lac Assal in Djibouti), lies on Jordan's western border with Israel and the West Bank;
• Jordan is almost landlocked but does have a 26 km southwestern coastline with a single port, Al 'Aqabah (Aqaba)

noun:

Jordanian(s)

adjective:

Jordanian

total:

25.4 years (2025 est.)

male:

25.5 years

female:

24.4 years

• population heavily concentrated in the west, and particularly the northwest, in and around the capital of Amman;
• a sizeable but smaller population is located in the southwest along the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.13 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.95 male(s)/female

total population:

1.1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

12.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

14.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

12.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

76.5 years (2024 est.)

male:

75 years

female:

78.1 years

total:

0.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

37.1% (2025 est.)

male:

58.6% (2025 est.)

female:

13.9% (2025 est.)

women married by age 15:

1.5% (2018)

women married by age 18:

9.7% (2018)

men married by age 18:

0.1% (2018)

• limited natural freshwater resources;
• declining water table;
• salination;
• deforestation;
• overgrazing;
• soil erosion;
• desertification;
• biodiversity and ecosystem damage/loss

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

urban population:

92% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

0.98% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

energy:

12.2 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture:

25.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste:

188.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)

other:

0.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

2.53 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

14.6% (2022 est.)

municipal:

497.37 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

36.88 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

570.61 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

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

etymology:

• named for the Jordan River, which makes up part of Jordan's northwest border;
• the origin of the river's name is unclear, but it may come from a local word meaning "river"

name:

Amman

geographic coordinates:

31 57 N, 35 56 E

time difference:

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

• in the 13th century B.C., the Ammonites named their primary city Rabbath Ammon;
• rabbath meant "capital," so the name translated as "The Capital of [the] Ammon[ites];" over time, the name was shortened to Ammon, and then to Amman

• 12 governorates ( muhafazat , singular - muhafazah );
• 'Ajlun, Al 'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, Al ‘Asimah (Amman), At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba

history:

previous 1928 (pre-independence); latest initially adopted 28 November 1947, revised and ratified 1 January 1952

amendment process:

constitutional amendments require at least a two-thirds majority vote of both the Senate and the House and ratification by the king

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

the father must be a citizen of Jordan

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

15 years

chief of state:

King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999)

head of government:

Prime Minister Jafar HASSAN (since 15 September 2024)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the monarch in consultation with the prime minister

election/appointment process:

prime minister appointed by the monarch

legislature name:

National Assembly (Majlis Al-Umma)

legislative structure:

bicameral

chamber name:

Senate (Majlis Al-Aayan)

number of seats:

69 (all appointed)

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

4 years

most recent election date:

10/24/2024

percentage of women in chamber:

14.5%

expected date of next election:

October 2028

highest court(s):

Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (consists of 15 members, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members)

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the king;
• other judges nominated by the Judicial Council, an 11-member judicial policymaking body consisting of high-level judicial officials and judges, and approved by the king;
• judge tenure not limited;
• Constitutional Court members appointed by the king for 6-year non-renewable terms with one third of the membership renewed every 2 years

subordinate courts:

• Courts of Appeal;
• Great Felonies Court;
• religious courts;
• military courts;
• juvenile courts;
• Land Settlement Courts;
• Income Tax Court;
• Higher Administrative Court;
• Customs Court;
• special courts including the State Security Court

• 'Azem
• Blessed Land Party
• Building and Labor Coalition
• Eradah Party
• Growth Party
• Islamic Action Front or IAF
• Jordanian al-Ansar Party
• Jordanian al-Ghad Party
• Jordanian Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party or JASBP
• Jordanian Civil Democratic Party
• Jordanian Communist Party or JCP
• Jordanian Equality Party
• Jordanian Democratic People's Party or HASD
• Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party or JDPUP/Wihda
• Jordanian Democratic Unionist Party
• Jordanian Flame Party
• Jordanian Future and Life Party
• Jordanian Model Party
• Jordanian National Integration Party
• Jordanian National Loyalty Party
• Jordanian Reform and Renewal Party or Hassad
• Jordanian Shura Party
• Jordanian Social Democratic Party or JSDP
• Justice and Reform Party or JRP
• Labor Party
• National Charter Party
• National Coalition Party
• National Constitutional Party
• National Current Party or NCP
• National Islamic Party
• National Union
• Nationalist Movement Party or Hsq
• New Path Party
• Progress Party

chief of mission:

Ambassador Dina Khalil Tawfiq KAWAR (since 27 June 2016)

chancery:

3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 966-2664

FAX:

[1] (202) 966-3110

email address and website:

[email protected]; http://www.jordanembassyus.org/

chief of mission:

Ambassador James HOLTSNIDER (since 7 December 2025)

embassy:

Abdoun, Al-Umawyeen St., Amman

mailing address:

6050 Amman Place, Washington DC 20521-6050

telephone:

[962] (6) 590-6000

FAX:

[962] (6) 592-0163

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://jo.usembassy.gov/

description:

• three equal horizontal bands of black (top), white, and green;
• a red isosceles triangle is on the left side, with a small white seven-pointed star in the center

meaning:

• black stands for the Abbassid Caliphate, white for the Ummayyad Caliphate, and green for the Fatimid Caliphate;
• the triangle stands for the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, and the star's points for the seven verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Quran, as well as faith in One God, humanity, national spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations

history:

the design is based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I

title:

"As-salam al-malaki al-urdoni" (Long Live the King of Jordan)

lyrics/music:

Abdul-Mone'm al-RIFAI'/Abdul-Qader al-TANEER

history:

• adopted 1946;
• the shortened version of the anthem is most commonly used;
• the full version is reserved for special occasions

total World Heritage Sites:

7 (6 cultural, 1 mixed)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Petra (c);
• Quseir Amra (c);
• Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a) (c);
• Wadi Rum Protected Area (m) ;
• Baptism Site “Bethany Beyond the Jordan” (Al-Maghtas) (c);
• As-Salt - The Place of Tolerance and Urban Hospitality (c);
• Umm Al-Jimāl (c)

• upper-middle-income Middle Eastern economy;
• high debt and unemployment, especially for youth and women;
• global events triggering trade slump and decreased revenue from tourism;
• growing manufacturing and agricultural sectors;
• key US foreign assistance recipient;
• natural-resource-poor and import-reliant

agriculture:

5.1% (2024 est.)

industry:

25.1% (2024 est.)

services:

60.4% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

41.7% (2024 est.)

male:

39.8% (2024 est.)

female:

49.2% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

25% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

4.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

consumption:

269,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

110,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

20 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

97,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

1 million barrels (2021 est.)

production:

200.004 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption:

5.441 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports:

375.998 million cubic meters (2018 est.)

imports:

4.865 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

6.031 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

• radio and TV dominated by the government-owned Jordan Radio and Television Corporation (JRTV) that operates a main network, a sports network, a film network, and a satellite channel;
• first independent TV broadcaster aired in 2007;
• international satellite TV and Israeli and Syrian TV broadcasts are available;
• roughly 30 radio stations;
• transmissions of multiple international radio broadcasters are available

total:

509 km (2020)

narrow gauge:

509 km (2014) 1.050-m gauge

total ports:

1 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

0

small:

0

very small:

1

ports with oil terminals:

1

key ports:

Al Aqabah

• 17 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women;
• initial service term is 24 months;
• selective compulsory military service (3 months) for men turning 18 will be reinstated in 2026;
• compulsory military service for jobless men aged 25-29 was reinstated in 2020 (12 months; 3 months of military training and 9 months of professional and technical training) (2025)

refugees:

675,388 (2024 est.)

stateless persons:

17 (2024 est.)