Jordan

constitutional monarchy

Jordan as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 70 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalAmman

Area91,880 km2

Populationas each edition published it

3.06 million July 1990 · 11.31m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.57% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 21.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 71.61 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.2 children per woman 1990 · 2.83 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

55 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 12.9 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $1,100 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 3% in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Land useshare of 91,880 km2

arable land 4%permanent crops 0.5%meadows and pastures 1%forest and woodland 0.5%other 94%includes 0.5% irrigated

Total area

91,880km2

land area: 91,540 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana

Coastline

26km

Territorial sea: 3 nm

Land boundaries

1,586km total

Iraq 134 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 742 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km

Disputes

differences with Israel over the location of the 1949 Armistice Line which separates the two countries

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

Environment

lack of natural water resources;
deforestation;
overgrazing;
soil erosion;
desertification

People

15 fields

Population

3,064,508

(July 1990), growth rate 3.6% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

42Death

5Net migration

Ethnic divisions

Arab 98%Circassian 1%Armenian 1%

Religion

Sunni Muslim 92%Christian 8%

Labor force

572,000

(1988); 20% agriculture, 20% manufacturing and mining (1987 est.)

Literacy

71%

(est.)

Nationality

noun--Jordanian(s); adjective--Jordanian

Language

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

Note

1.5-1.7 million Palestinians live on the East Bank (55-60% of the population), most are Jordanian citizens

Government

Constitutional monarchy

17 fields

Administrative divisions

8 governorates (muhafazat, singular--muhafazah); Al Balqa, Al Karak, Al Mafraq, Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa, Irbid, Maan

Independence

25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration; formerly Trans-Jordan)

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

Executive branch

monarch, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly (Majlis al Umma) consists of an upper house or House of Notables (Majlis al-Ayaan) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Majlis al-Nuwwab);
note--the House of Representatives was dissolved by King Hussein on 30 July 1988 as part of Jordanian disengagement from the West Bank and in November 1989 the first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held, with no seats going to Palestinians on the West Bank

Judicial branch

Court of Cassation Chief of State--King HUSSEIN Ibn Talal I (since 11 August 1952); Head of Government--Prime Minister Mudar BADRAN (since 4 December 1989)

Political parties and leaders

none; after 1989 parliamentary elections, King Hussein promised to allow the formation of political parties

Suffrage

universal at age 20 House of Representatives--last held 8 November 1989 (next to be held NA);
results--percent of vote NA;
seats--(80 total) percent of vote NA

Communists

party actively repressed, membership less than 500 (est.)

Member of

ACC, Arab League, CCC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Hussein A. HAMMAMI;
Chancery at 3504 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 966-2664;
US--Ambassador Roscoe S. SUDDARTH;
Embassy on Jebel Amman, Amman (mailing address is P. O. Box 354, Amman, or APO New York 09892);
telephone [962] (6) 644371 through 644376

Flag

three equal horizontal bands of black (top), white, and green with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a small white seven-pointed star;
the seven points on the star represent the seven fundamental laws of the Koran

Economy

16 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

35%

(1989 est.)

External debt

$8.3billion

(December 1989)

Budget

Revenues

$0.92 billionExpenditures

$1.6 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $540 million (1989 est.)

Jordan was a secondary beneficiary of the oil boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when its GNP growth averaged 10-12%. Recent years, however, have witnessed a sharp reduction in cash aid from Arab oil-producing countries and in worker remittances, with growth averaging 1-2%. Imports--mainly oil, capital goods, consumer durables, and foodstuffs--have been outstripping exports by roughly $2 billion annually, the difference being made up by aid, remittances, and borrowing.

In 1989 the government pursued policies to encourage private investment, curb imports of luxury goods, promote exports, reduce the budget deficit, and, in general, reinvigorate economic growth. Success will depend largely on exogenous forces, such as the absence of drought and a pickup in outside support. Down the road, the completion of the proposed Unity Dam on the Yarmuk is vital to meet rapidly growing requirements for water.

GNP

$5.2 billion, per capita $1,760; real growth rate 0% (1989)

Unemployment rate

9-10% (December 1989 est.)

Exports

$0.910 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities--fruits and vegetables, phosphates, fertilizers;
partners--Iraq, Saudi Arabia, India, Kuwait, Japan, China, Yugoslavia, Indonesia

Imports

$1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities--crude oil, textiles, capital goods, motor vehicles, foodstuffs;
partners--EC, US, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Turkey, Romania, China, Taiwan

Industrial production

growth rate - 7.8% (1988 est.)

Electricity

981,000 kW capacity; 3,500 million kWh produced, 1,180 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

phosphate mining, petroleum refining, cement, potash, light manufacturing

Agriculture

accounts for only 5% of GDP;
principal products are wheat, barley, citrus fruit, tomatoes, melons, olives;
livestock--sheep, goats, poultry;
large net importer of food

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.7 billion;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.2 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.5 billion;
Communist countries (1970-88), $44 million

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 3 ships by typeone square, one ship

short-sea passenger 1bulk cargo 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 32,635 GRT/44,618 DWT

Airports, 19 total, 16 usable

permanent-surface runways

14runways over 3,659 m

1runways 2,440-3,659 m

13runways 1,220-2,439 m

none

Networkskm

Highways

7,500Railroads

619

Highways: ; 5,500 km asphalt, 2,000 km gravel and crushed stone · Railroads: , single track

adequate system of radio relay, cable, and radio;
81,500 telephones;
stations--4 AM, 3 FM, 24 TV;
satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, 1 domestic TV receive-only;
coaxial cable and radio relay to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria;
radio relay to Lebanon is inactive;
a microwave network linking Syria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Jordan

Defense Forces

Jordan Arab Army, Royal Jordanian Air Force, Royal Jordanian Coast Guard

3 fields

Military manpower

males 15-49

726,736fit for military service

519,972reach military age (18) annually

38,730

Defense expenditures

11%of GNP

or $570 million (1990 est.)

Branches