Jordan

constitutional monarchy

Jordan as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 69 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

3.41 million July 1991 · 3.06m in 1990

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

7.1 children per woman 1991 · 6.2 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

38 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 55 in 1990

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

10 fields

Total area

91,880km2

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

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

Land use

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

Environment

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

People

15 fields

Population

3,412,553

(July 1991), growth rate 4.2% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

46Death

5Net migration

Ethnic divisions

Arab 98%Circassian 1%Armenian 1%

Labor force

572,000

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

Literacy

80%

(male 89%, female 70%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 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

House of Representatives, 80 seats, elected 8 November 1989one dot, one seat

Muslim Brotherhood 22Independent Islamic bloc 10Democratic bloc (mostly leftist) 15Liberal bloc (traditionalist) 7independent 12

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-Aayan) and a lower house or House of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab);
note--the House of Deputies 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 Tahir al-MASRI (since 17 June 1991)

Political parties and leaders

none;
after the 1989 parliamentary elections, King Hussein promised to allow the formation of political parties;
a national charter that sets forth the ground rules for democracy in Jordan--including the creation of political parties--has been completed but not yet approved

Suffrage

universal at age 20 House of Representatives--last held 8 November 1989 (next to be held November 1993);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(80 total) Muslim Brotherhood 22, Independent Islamic bloc 10, Democratic bloc (mostly leftist) 15, Liberal bloc (traditionalist) 7, Nationalist bloc (traditionalist) 14, independent 12

Communists

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

ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, 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 Roger Gram HARRISON;
Embassy on Jebel Amman, Amman (mailing address is P. O. Box 354, Amman, or APO New York 09892);
telephone [962] (6) 644-371

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

15%

(1990 est.)

Unemployment rate

30%

(January 1991 est.)

External debt

$8billion

(December 1990 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$1.05 billionExpenditures

$1.6 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.)

Overview

Jordan was a secondary beneficiary of the oil boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when its annual GNP growth averaged 10-12%. Recent years, however, have witnessed a sharp reduction in grant aid from Arab oil-producing countries and a dropoff in worker remittances, with national 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 mid-1989, the Jordanian Government agreed to implement an IMF austerity program designed to tackle the country's serious economic problems. The program sought to gradually reduce the government's budget deficit over the next several years and implement badly needed structural reforms in the economy.

In return for agreeing to the IMF program, Jordan was granted IMF standby loans of over $100 million. Recognizing that it would be unable to cover its debt obligations, the government also began debt rescheduling negotiations with creditors in mid-1989. The onset of the Gulf crisis in August 1990 forced the government to shelve the IMF program and suspend most debt payments and rescheduling negotiations. Economic prospects for 1991 are especially gloomy, given the unsettled conditions in the Middle East.

GNP

$4.6 billion, per capita $1,400; real growth rate - 15% (1990 est.)

Exports

$0.9 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--fruits and vegetables, phosphates, fertilizers;
partners--Iraq, Saudi Arabia, India, Kuwait, Japan, China, Yugoslavia, Indonesia

Imports

$2.1 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities--crude oil, textiles, capital goods, motor vehicles, foodstuffs;
partners--EC, US, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Turkey, Romania, China, Taiwan

Industrial production

growth rate - 15% (1990 est.); accounts for 20% of GDP

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

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.7 billion;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.3 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.5 billion;
Communist countries (1970-89), $44 million

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 2 ships by typeone square, one ship

bulk 1cargo 12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 22,870 GRT/38,187 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