Jordan (الأردن)

Official name: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan "HKJ"
Also known as: Al-Mamlakah al-Urduniyyah al-Hāshimiyyah, Al-Urdun, المملكة الأردنية الهاشمية (Arabic)

Capital: Amman
Total Area: 89,342 km² (34,495 mi²) (111th)
Approximate population: 11,552,876 (84th) - (2024 est.)
Location: Location: Southwestern Asia, Middle East
Languages: Arabic (official), English
Religions: 95% Sunni Islam (official), 3% Christianity, 1% Druze, Baháʼí 1% others.
Calling code: (+962)
Organizations: United Nations
Government: Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Motto: Allah, Al-Watan, Al-Malik (God, Country, King)
National anthem: Al-Salam Al-Malaki Al-Urdunni (The Royal Anthem of Jordan)
Postal codes: Jordan uses five-digit postal codes.

Border countries (4): Iraq 179 km (111 mi), Occupied Palestine 455 km (282 mi), Saudi Arabia 731 km (454 mi), Syria 379 km (235 mi).
Coastline: Gulf of Aqaba 26 km
Note: Jordan also borders the Dead Sea, for 50 km (31 mi)
Maritime boundaries: Dead Sea, Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea)

Jordan (Arabic: الأردنّ, al-Urdunn) — is an Arab kingdom in the Middle East, at the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe. It has been repeatedly called an "oasis of stability" in the Middle East.
Jordan is a state occupying an ancient land, bearing the traces of many civilizations. The kingdoms of Moab, Gilead, and Edom are located within its borders, as is the famous red-stone city of Petra, the capital of the Nabataean kingdom and the Roman province of Arabia Petraea. Part of the Ottoman Empire until 1918 and later a mandate of the United Kingdom, Jordan has been an independent kingdom since 1946.
The country's capital and largest city is Amman, an ancient city built on the ruins of a city known as "Rabbath-Ammon," then "Philadelphia," and finally "Amman," derived from "Rabbath-Ammon," which was named after the Ammonites, who made it their capital in the 13th century BC. Amman was later a major city of ancient Near Eastern civilization, Philadelphia of the Roman Decapolis, and now serves as one of the region's major commercial and transportation hubs, as well as a major cultural capital of the Arab world.

Jordan is divided into (12) muhafazat (sing. muhafazah: provinces):
Jordan is divided into (12) muhafazat
  •  Al ‘AsimahAmman is the capital and the largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of four million as of 2021, Amman is Jordan's primate city and is the largest city in the Levant region, the fifth-largest city in the Arab world, and the tenth-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East.

    New_Abdali.jpg
    (Amman/عَمَّان) — The capital is the largest city and the beating heart of the social, political, economic and cultural life of the Kingdom. Amman's layered history is reflected in its diverse people and its varied architecture. Even within the midst of the ultra-modern commercial center, there is evidence of its ancient roots, with colorful souks, Roman ruins, cultural museums and monuments painting a picture of the history of the region.
  •  Irbid (إربد) — university city that is second largest metropolitan area in the north of the kingdom, It is characterised by the availability of social, youth and cultural services and urban renaissance.
  •  Zarqa (الزرقاء) — third largest metropolitan area of the kingdom, Zarqa is considered the industrial capital of Jordan.
  •  Balqa (البلقاء) — Its capital is As-Salt, from which many writers, politicians and scientists have emerged throughout history. It includes a number of religious and archaeological tourist sites (therapeutic, religious, recreational).
  •  Karak (الكرك) — This ancient city is famous for its famous Karak Castle, and the picturesque Wadi Mujib Nature Reserve, which contains adventures and natural creations carved by water into the rocks.
  •  Ma'an (معان) — It is the largest in the Kingdom in terms of area. There are civilizations bearing the name Ma'an at least since the Nabataean era. Among the archaeological and historical landmarks are the city of Petra, Shobak Castle, and the palace of the founding king.
  •  Mafraq (المفرق) — The desert turned into green fields as a result of the spread of artesian wells in that area. It is considered the second source of agricultural production. It was named Al-Mafraq, because of its location at the crossroads of international roads.
  •  Tafila (الطفيلة) — It is characterised by its geographical and climatic diversity, economic activity, and the presence of natural resources such as arable land, and mineral resources such as phosphate, cement, and copper.
  •  Madaba (مادبا) — The "City of Mosaics" cosy town known for its mosaics and churches, being rich in Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics that are still produced locally today.
  •  Jerash (جرش) — boasts one of the largest and best preserved Roman ruins in the Middle East and one of the most important archaeological cities in the world and became one of the ten cities (Decapolis).
  •  Ajlun (عجلون) — lush green rolling hills and a castle built by Saladin during the Crusades called "Qal'at al-Rabadh" is surrounded by a moat carved from solid rock.
  •  Aqaba (العقبة) — beach resort located on the Gulf of Aqaba, It is Jordan's only seaport and represents a vital nerve of the Jordanian economy as it is a special economic zone exempt from customs duties.

Natural resources: phosphates, potash, oil shale


Interesting facts:
- Jordan is Home to the Dead Sea (It is the Lowest Point on Earth), the lake's surface is (1,378ft) (420m) beneath sea level.
"note - endorheic hypersaline lake, 9.6 times saltier than the ocean."
- Petra is Jordan’s Most Famous Sight.
- There are Over 100,000 Archaeological (and Tourist) sites in Jordan!
- Jordan has the world’s oldest dam
The Jawa Dam is the first dam to be built, it was constructed in 3,000 BCE, located in the driest areas of the Black Desert of Eastern Jordan.