Jordan

Hashemite Kingdom of JordanAl Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah

constitutional monarchy

Jordan as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 95 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

Position31 00 N, 36 00 E

Area89,213 sq km

LocationMiddle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia

Populationas each edition published it

4.32 million July 1997 est. · 3.06m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.6% 1997 est. · 3.57% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 21.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

72.69 years 1997 est. · 71.61 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.94 children per woman 1997 est. · 6.2 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

30.7 deaths per 1,000 live births 1997 est. · 55 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$5,000 1996 est. · $1,100 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

5.9% 1996 est. · 3% in 1993

Geography

Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia

17 fields

Land useshare of 89,213 sq km

arable land 4%permanent crops 1%permanent pastures 9%forests and woodland 1%other 85% (1993 est.)irrigated 630 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

89,213sq km

land: 88,884 sq kmwater: 329 sq kmslightly smaller than Indiana

Coastline

26km

territorial sea: 3 nm

Highest point

1,754m

Jabal Ramlowest point: Dead Sea -408 m

Land boundaries

1,619km

border countries : Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 728 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km

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 - current issues

limited natural fresh water resources;
deforestation;
overgrazing;
soil erosion;
desertification

Environment - international agreements

party to:: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:: none of the selected agreements

People

15 fields

Population

4,324,638

(July 1997 est.)growth rate: 2.6% (1997 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1997 est.)

Birth

35.95Death

3.88Net migration

-6.07

Ethnic groups

Arab 98%Circassian 1%Armenian 1%

Literacy

86.6%

definition : age 15 and over can read and writemale : 93.4%female: 79.4% (1995 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:: 44% (male 968,833; female 921,158)
15-64 years:: 53% (male 1,188,248; female 1,125,527) 65 years and over : 3% (male 60,876; female 59,996) (July 1997 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 1.02 male(s)/female
total population:: 1.05 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate

30.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 72.69 years
male:: 70.81 years
female:: 74.68 years (1997 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Jordanian(s)
adjective:: Jordanian

Languages

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

Government

Constitutional monarchy; King HUSSEIN bin Talal Al-Hashimi (since 2 May 1953)

20 fields

House of Representatives, 80 seats, elected 8 November 1993one dot, one seat

IAF 16Jordanian National Alliance Party 4Al-Yaqazah Party 2Al-Watan Party 2Al-'Ahd Party 2Jordanian Arab Democratic Party 2Al-Mustaqbal Party 1Jordanian Arab Socialist Ba'th Party 1Jordanian Democratic Progressive Party 1Jordanian People's Democratic Party-Hashd 1Jordanian Socialist Democratic Party 1independents 47

Country name

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

Data code

Government type

constitutional monarchy

National 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)

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 May (1946)

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

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:: King HUSSEIN bin Talal Al-Hashimi (since 2 May 1953)
head of government :: Prime Minister Abd al-Salam al-MAJALI (since 19 March 1997)
cabinet:: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the king
elections:: none;
the king is a constitutional monarch;
prime minister appointed by the king

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the House of Notables or Majlis al-A'ayan (a 40-member body appointed by the king from designated categories of public figures; members serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (80 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

elections:: House of Representatives - last held 8 November 1993 (next to be held NA November 1997
election results:: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - IAF 16, Jordanian National Alliance Party 4, Al-Yaqazah Party 2, Al-Watan Party 2, Al-'Ahd Party 2, Jordanian Arab Democratic Party 2, Al-Mustaqbal Party 1, Jordanian Arab Socialist Ba'th Party 1, Jordanian Democratic Progressive Party 1, Jordanian People's Democratic Party-Hashd 1, Jordanian Socialist Democratic Party 1, independents 47

note : the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved by the king several times since 1974; in November 1989 the first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held

Judicial branch

Court of Cassation

Political parties and leaders

Al-Ahrar (Liberals) Party, Ahmad al-ZU'BI, secretary general;
Al-Taqaddumi (Progressive) Party, Fawwaz al-ZUBI, secretary general;
Constitutional Jordanian Arab Front Party, Milhim al-TALL, leader;
Democratic Arab Islamic Movement Party-Du'a', Yusuf ABU BAKR, secretary general;
Islamic Action Front (IAF), Ishaq al-FARHAN, secretary general;
Jordanian Arab Socialist Ba'th Party, Taysir al-HIMSI, command first secretary;
Jordanian Communist Party (JCP), Ya'qub ZAYADIN, secretary general;
Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party, 'Azmi al-KHAWAJA, secretary general;
Jordanian People's Democratic Party-Hashd, Salim al-NAHHAS, secretary general;
Jordanian Unionist Democratic Party, 'Isa MADANAT (secretary general), Ali AMIR (secretary general), Munis al-RAZZAZ (secretary general);
Pan-Arab Action Front Party, Muhammad al-ZU'BI, secretary general;
Progressive Arab Ba'th Party, Mahmud al-MA'AYITAH, command secretary;
Al-Mustaqbal (Future) Party, Sulayman 'ARAR, secretary general;
Jordanian Arab Partisans Party, Muhammad al-MAJALI, leader, Muhammad al-SHURAYDAH, secretary general;
Jordanian Peace Party, leader NA;
Ansar Party, leader NA;
Ummah Party, leader NA;
Arab Land Party, leader NA

note: in 1995, the Jordanian Arab Democratic Party, the Jordanian Democratic Progressive Party, and the Jordanian Socialist Democratic Party merged to form the Jordanian Unionist Democratic Party, Isa MADANAT, Ali AMIR, Munis al-RAZZAZ, secretaries general;

in May 1997 the following parties - Al-'Ahd (Pledge) Party, 'Abd al-Hadi al-MAJALI, secretary general; Al-Watan (Homeland) Party, 'Akif al-FAYIZ, leader; Al-Yaqazah (Awakening) Party, 'Abd al-Ra'uf al-RAWABIDAH, secretary general; Democratic Arab Unionist Party-Wa'd, Anis al-MU'ASHIR, secretary general;

Jordanian Arab Masses Party, 'Abd al-Khaliq SHATAT, secretary general; Jordanian National Alliance Party, Mijhim al-KHURAYSHAH, secretary general; Popular Unity Party-the Unionists, Mustafa AL-'ISAWI, secretary general; and the Progress and Justice Party, 'Ali al-SA'D, secretary general - merged to form the National Constitutional Party, 'Abd al Hadi AL-MAJALI, secretary general

International organization participation

ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFCTU, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, PCA, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNRWA, UNTAES, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Fayez A. TARAWNEH
chancery:: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone :: [1] (202) 966-2664

FAX

[1] (202) 966-3110

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Wesley W. EGAN, Jr.
embassy:: Jabel Amman, Amman
mailing address :: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; APO AE 09892-0200
telephone:: [962] (6) 820101

FAX

[962] (6) 820159

Flag description

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

22 fields

Real growth rate

5.9%

(1996 est.)industrial production growth: 3.9% (1995)

Inflation, consumer prices

4.5%

(1996 est.)

Unemployment rate

16%

(1994 est.)

Labor force

600,000

(1992)by occupation: industry 11.4%, commerce, restaurants, and hotels 10.5%, construction 10.0%, transport and communications 8.7%, agriculture 7.4%, other services 52.0% (1992)

GDP - composition by sector(1995 est.)

agriculture 6%industry 28%services 66% (1995 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$2.7 billionExpenditures

$2.8 billion (1997 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $630 million

Economy - overview

Jordan is a small Arab country with inadequate supplies of water and other natural resources such as oil and coal. Jordan benefited from increased Arab aid during the oil boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when its annual real GNP growth averaged more than 10%. In the remainder of the 1980s, however, reductions in both Arab aid and worker remittances slowed real economic growth to an average of roughly 2% per year.

Imports - mainly oil, capital goods, consumer durables, and food - outstripped 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-supported 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, worker remittances, and trade contracted;

and refugees flooded the country, producing serious balance-of-payments problems, stunting GDP growth, and straining government resources. The economy rebounded in 1992, largely due to the influx of capital repatriated by workers returning from the Gulf, but the recovery was uneven in 1994-96.

The government is implementing the reform program adopted in 1992 and continues to secure rescheduling and write-offs of its heavy foreign debt. Debt, poverty, and unemployment remain Jordan's biggest on-going problems.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $20.9 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $5,000 (1996 est.)

Industries

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

Electricity - capacity

1.07 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production

4.76 billion kWh (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita

1,173 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products

wheat, barley, citrus, tomatoes, melons, olives; sheep, goats, poultry

Exports

total value :: $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities:: phosphates, fertilizers, potash, agricultural products, manufactures
partners:: India, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, EU, Indonesia, UAE

Imports

total value:: $4.1 billion (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities :: crude oil, machinery, transport equipment, food, live animals, manufactured goods
partners:: EU, US, Iraq, Japan, Turkey

Communications

6 fields

Fixed lines

81,500

(1987 est.)

Telephone system

adequate telephone system

domestic :: microwave radio relay, cable, and radiotelephone links
international:: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat;
coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria;
microwave radio relay to Lebanon is inactive;
participant in Medarabtel

Transportation

7 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m

over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5

Railways

total :: 676 km
narrow gauge:: 676 km 1.050-m gauge; note - an additional 110 km stretch of the old Hejaz railroad is out of use

Highways

total:: 6,750 km
paved:: 6,750 km
unpaved:: 0 km (1995 est.)

Military

7 fields

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

8.2%

(1996)

Military branches

Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF; includes
- Royal Jordanian Land Force,
- Royal Naval Force,
- and Royal Jordanian Air Force)
;
Ministry of the Interior's Public Security Force (falls under JAF only in wartime or crisis situations)

Transnational Issues

1 field

Disputes - international

none JUAN DE NOVA ISLAND (possession of France)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Jordan.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/jordan/1997.

How to cite ← 1996 edition 1998 edition →