Jordan

constitutional monarchy

Jordan as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 72 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

3.56 million July 1992 · 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 children per woman 1992 · 6.2 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

38 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 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

13 fields

Total area

91,880km2

Comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana

Coastline

26km

Territorial sea: 3 nm

Land boundaries

1,586km

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 that 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

The war between Israel and the Arab states in June 1967 ended with Israel in control of the West Bank. As stated in the 1978 Camp David accords and reaffirmed by President Bush's post - Gulf crisis peace initiative, the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the concerned parties.

The Camp David accords also specify that these negotiations will resolve the location of the respective boundaries. Pending the completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has yet to be determined.

People

14 fields

Population

3,557,304

(July 1992), growth rate 4.1% (1992); Palestinians now constitute roughly two-thirds of the population; most are Jordanian citizens

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

45Death

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.)

Infant mortality rate

38 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth

70 years male, 73 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate

7.0 children born/woman (1992)

Nationality

noun - Jordanian(s); adjective - Jordanian

Religions

Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 8%

Languages

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

Organized labor

about 10% of labor force

Government

Constitutional monarchy

18 fields

Long-form name

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Type

constitutional monarchy

Capital

Amman

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

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

Constitution

8 January 1952

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 May (1946)

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-A`ayan) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Majlis al-Nuwaab);
note - the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved by the King several times since 1974 and in November 1989 the first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held

Judicial branch

Court of Cassation

Leaders

Chief of State:: King HUSSEIN Ibn Talal Al Hashemi (since 11 August 1952)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister Zayd bin SHAKIR (since 21 November 1991)

Political parties and leaders

approximately 24 parties have been formed since the National Charter, but the number fluctuates;
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 - was approved in principle by the special National Conference on 9 June 1991, but its specific provisions have yet to be passed by National Assembly

Suffrage

universal at age 20

Elections

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 (fundamentalist) 22, Independent Islamic bloc (generally traditionalist) 6, Democratic bloc (mostly leftist) 9, Constitutionalist bloc (traditionalist) 17, Nationalist bloc (traditionalist) 16, independent 10

Member of

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 AE 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

(1991 est.)

Unemployment rate

40%

(1991 est.)

External debt

$9billion

(December 1991 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$1.7 billionExpenditures

$1.9 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)

Overview

Jordan benefited from increased Arab aid during the oil boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when its annual GNP growth averaged more than 10%. In the remainder of the 1980s, however, reductions in both Arab aid and worker remittances slowed economic growth to an average of roughly 2% per year.

Imports - mainly oil, capital goods, consumer durables, and food - have been outstripping exports, with the difference covered by aid, remittances, and borrowing. In mid-1989, the Jordanian Government began debt-rescheduling negotiations and agreed to implement an IMF program designed to gradually reduce the budget deficit and implement badly needed structural reforms.

The Persian Gulf crisis that began in August 1990, however, aggravated Jordan's already serious economic problems, forcing the government to shelve the IMF program, stop most debt payments, and suspend rescheduling negotiations. Aid from Gulf Arab states and worker remittances have plunged, and refugees have flooded the country, straining government resources. Economic recovery is unlikely without substantial foreign aid, debt relief, and economic reform.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $3.6 billion, per capita $1,100; real growth rate 3% (1991 est.)

Exports

$1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)

commodities:: phosphates, fertilizers, potash, agricultural products, manufactures
partners:: India, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, UAE, China

Imports

$2.3 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)

commodities:: crude oil, machinery, transport equipment, food, live animals, manufactured goods
partners:: EC, US, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Turkey

Industrial production

growth rate 1% (1991 est.); accounts for 20% of GDP

Electricity

1,025,000 kW capacity; 3,900 million kWh produced, 1,150 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for about 7% 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 (1970-89), $1.5 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.5 billion;
Communist countries (1970-89), $44 million

Currency

Jordanian dinar (plural - dinars); 1 Jordanian dinar (JD) = 1,000 fils

Exchange rates

Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1 - 0.6861 (March 1992), 0.6807 1991), 0.6636 (1990), 0.5704 (1989), 0.3709 (1988), 0.3387 (1987)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Airports, 19 total, 15 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 telephone system of microwave, cable, and radio links;
81,500 telephones;
broadcast stations - 5 AM, 7 FM, 8 TV;
satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, 1 domestic TV receive-only;
coaxial cable and microwave to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria;
microwave link to Lebanon is inactive;
participates in a microwave network linking Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco