Jordan

total:

1.01 cu km/yr (21%/4%/75%)

per capita:

177 cu m/yr (2000)

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

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.15 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.93 male(s)/female

total population:

1.1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

noun:

Jordanian(s)

adjective:

Jordanian

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

name:

Amman

geographic coordinates:

31 57 N, 35 56 E

time difference:

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

daylight saving time:

+1hr, begins last Thursday in March; ends last Friday in September

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

• based on Islamic law and French codes;
• judicial review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal;
• has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

chief of state:

King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Crown Prince HUSSEIN (born 28 June 1994), eldest son of King ABDALLAH II

head of government:

Prime Minister Nader al-DAHABI (since 25 November 2007)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the monarch

elections:

the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch

• Arab Ba'ath Socialist Party [Fuad DABBOUR];
• Ba'ath Arab Progressive Party [Tayseer al-HAMSI];
• Call Party [Mohammed Abu BAKR];
• Democratic People's Party [Ahmad Yusuf 'ALIYA];
• Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'ed DIAB];
• Islamic Action Front or IAF [Ishaq al-FARHAN];
• Islamic Center Party [Marwan al-FA'OURI; Jordanian Communist Party [Munir HAMARNEH]; Jordanian National Party [Mona Abu BAKR]; Jordanian United Front [Amjad al-MAJALI]; Life Party [Thaher 'AMROU]; Message Party [Hazem QASHOU]; National Constitution Party [Ahmed al-SHUNAQ]; National Movement for Direct Democracy [Mohammed al-QAQ];

• Anti-Normalization Committee [Ali Abu SUKKAR, president vice chairman];
• Jordan Bar Association [Saleh al-ARMUTI, chairman];
• Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president];
• Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood [Dr. Hamam SAID, controller general]

chief of mission:

Ambassador ZEID Ra'ad Zeid al-Hussein, Prince

chancery:

3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 966-2664

FAX:

[1] (202) 966-3110

chief of mission:

Ambassador Robert S. BEECROFT

embassy:

Abdoun, Amman

mailing address:

P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; Unit 70200, Box 5, DPO AE 09892-0200

telephone:

[962] (6) 590-6000

FAX:

[962] (6) 592-0121

• three equal horizontal bands of black (top), representing the Abbassid Caliphate, white, representing the Ummayyad Caliphate, and green, representing the Fatimid Caliphate;
• a red isosceles triangle on the hoist side, representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, and bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran;
• the seven points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations;
• design is based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I

agriculture:

2.7%

industry:

20%

services:

77.4% (2001 est.)

lowest 10%:

3%

highest 10%:

30.7% (2006)

general assessment:

• service has improved recently with increased use of digital switching equipment;
• microwave radio relay transmission and coaxial and fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk lines;
• growing mobile-cellular usage in both urban and rural areas is reducing use of fixed-line services;
• Internet penetration remains modest and slow-growing

domestic:

• 1995 telecommunications law opened all non-fixed-line services to private competition;
• in 2005, monopoly over fixed-line services terminated and the entire telecommunications sector was opened to competition;
• mobile-cellular usage has increased and teledensity reached 85 per 100 persons in 2008

international:

• country code - 962;
• landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Middle East, Europe;
• satellite earth stations - 33 (3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals);
• fiber-optic cable to Saudi Arabia and microwave radio relay link with Egypt and Syria;
• participant in Medarabtel (2008)

total:

507 km

country comparison to the world: 115

narrow gauge:

507 km 1.050-m gauge (2008)

total:

8,002 km

country comparison to the world: 141

paved:

8,002 km (2007)

Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF):

• Royal Jordanian Land Force (RJLF), Royal Jordanian Navy, Royal Jordanian Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Malakiya al-Urduniya, RJAF), Special Operations Command (Socom);
• Public Security Directorate (normally falls under Ministry of Interior, but comes under JAF in wartime or crisis) (2008)

• 17 years of age for voluntary military service;
• male conscription at age 18 - suspended in 1999 - resurrected in July 2007 in order to provide youth training necessary for job market needs;
• all males under age 37 are required to register;
• women not subject to conscription, but can volunteer to serve in non-combat military positions in the Royal Jordanian Arab Army Women's Corps (2009)

males age 16-49:

1,812,551

females age 16-49:

1,559,155 (2008 est.)

males age 16-49:

1,593,919

females age 16-49:

1,382,097 (2009 est.)

male:

69,830

female:

67,292 (2009 est.)

• approximately two million Iraqis have fled the conflict in Iraq, with the majority taking refuge in Syria and Jordan;
• 2004 Agreement settles border dispute with Syria pending demarcation

refugees (country of origin):

1,835,704 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)); 500,000 (Iraq)

IDPs:

160,000 (1967 Arab-Israeli War) (2007)

current situation:

• Jordan is a destination and transit country for women and men from South and Southeast Asia trafficked for the purpose of forced labor;
• Jordan is also a destination for women from Eastern Europe and Morocco for prostitution;
• women from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and the Philippines migrate willingly to work as domestic servants, but some are subjected to conditions of forced labor, including unlawful withholding of passports, restrictions on movement, non-payment of wages, threats, and physical or sexual abuse

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List - Jordan is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons in 2007, particularly in the area of law enforcement against trafficking for forced labor;
• the government made minimal efforts to investigate or prosecute numerous allegations related to exploitation of foreign domestic workers;
• Jordan failed for a second year to criminally prosecute and punish those who committed acts of forced labor;
• Jordan also continues to lack victim protection services;
• Jordan has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)