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Middle East :: JORDAN
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JORDAN

  • Introduction :: JORDAN

  • Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations awarded Britain the mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain demarcated a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in the early 1920s. The area gained its independence in 1946 and thereafter became The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The country's long-time ruler, King HUSSEIN (1953-99), successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population. Jordan lost the West Bank to Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. King HUSSEIN in 1988 permanently relinquished Jordanian claims to the West Bank; in 1994 he signed a peace treaty with Israel. King ABDALLAH II, King HUSSEIN's eldest son, assumed the throne following his father's death in 1999. He implemented modest political and economic reforms, but in the wake of the 2011 "Arab Revolution" across the Middle East, Jordanians continue to press for further political liberalization, government reforms, and economic improvements. Jordan held a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2014-15 term.

  • Geography :: JORDAN

  • Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia, between Israel (to the west) and Iraq
    31 00 N, 36 00 E
    Middle East
    total: 89,342 sq km
    land: 88,802 sq km
    water: 540 sq km
    country comparison to the world: 112
    about three-quarters the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Indiana
    Area comparison map:
    total: 1,744 km
    border countries (5): Iraq 179 km, Israel 307 km, Saudi Arabia 731 km, Syria 379 km, West Bank 148 km
    26 km
    territorial sea: 3 nm
    mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)
    mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates eastern and western banks of the Jordan River
    mean elevation: 812 m
    elevation extremes: lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
    highest point: Jabal Umm ad Dami 1,854 m
    phosphates, potash, shale oil
    agricultural land: 11.4%
    arable land 2%; permanent crops 1%; permanent pasture 8.4%
    forest: 1.1%
    other: 87.5% (2011 est.)
    964 sq km (2012)
    population heavily concentrated in the west, and particularly the northwest, in and around the capital of Amman; a sizeable, but smaller population is located in the southwest along the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba
    droughts; periodic earthquakes
    limited natural freshwater 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
    strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank

  • People and Society :: JORDAN

  • 8,185,384
    note: increased estimate reflects revised assumptions about the net migration rate due to the increased flow of Syrian refugees (July 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 97
    noun: Jordanian(s)
    adjective: Jordanian
    Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
    Arabic (official), English (widely understood among upper and middle classes)
    Muslim 97.2% (official; predominantly Sunni), Christian 2.2% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), Buddhist 0.4%, Hindu 0.1%, Jewish <0.1, folk religionist <0.1, unaffiliated <0.1, other <0.1 (2010 est.)
    religious affiliation:
    0-14 years: 35.04% (male 1,470,865/female 1,397,057)
    15-24 years: 20.12% (male 842,202/female 804,557)
    25-54 years: 36.44% (male 1,491,855/female 1,491,302)
    55-64 years: 4.46% (male 177,720/female 187,181)
    65 years and over: 3.94% (male 151,071/female 171,574) (2016 est.)
    population pyramid:
    total dependency ratio: 64.8%
    youth dependency ratio: 58.5%
    elderly dependency ratio: 6.2%
    potential support ratio: 16% (2015 est.)
    total: 22.3 years
    male: 21.9 years
    female: 22.7 years (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 177
    0.83% (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 132
    25.5 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 49
    3.8 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 211
    -13.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 218
    population heavily concentrated in the west, and particularly the northwest, in and around the capital of Amman; a sizeable, but smaller population is located in the southwest along the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba
    urban population: 83.7% of total population (2015)
    rate of urbanization: 3.79% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
    AMMAN (capital) 1.155 million (2015)
    at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
    0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
    15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
    25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
    55-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
    65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
    total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
    24.7
    note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2012 est.)
    58 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 97
    total: 14.7 deaths/1,000 live births
    male: 15.5 deaths/1,000 live births
    female: 13.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 104
    total population: 74.6 years
    male: 73.2 years
    female: 76.1 years (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 119
    3.18 children born/woman (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 50
    61.2% (2012)
    7.5% of GDP (2014)
    country comparison to the world: 25
    2.56 physicians/1,000 population (2010)
    1.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)
    improved:
    urban: 97.8% of population
    rural: 92.3% of population
    total: 96.9% of population
    unimproved:
    urban: 2.2% of population
    rural: 7.7% of population
    total: 3.1% of population (2015 est.)
    improved:
    urban: 98.6% of population
    rural: 98.9% of population
    total: 98.6% of population
    unimproved:
    urban: 1.4% of population
    rural: 1.1% of population
    total: 1.4% of population (2015 est.)
    NA
    NA
    NA
    28.1% (2014)
    country comparison to the world: 28
    3% (2012)
    country comparison to the world: 114
    NA
    definition: age 15 and over can read and write
    total population: 95.4%
    male: 97.7%
    female: 92.9% (2015 est.)
    total: 13 years
    male: 12 years
    female: 13 years (2012)
    total: 29.3%
    male: 25.2%
    female: 48.8% (2012 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 27

  • Government :: JORDAN

  • 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
    etymology: named for the Jordan River, which makes up part of Jordan's northwest border
    parliamentary constitutional monarchy
    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 Friday in March; ends last Friday in October
    12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); 'Ajlun, Al 'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, Al'Asimah, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Ma'daba
    25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
    Independence Day, 25 May (1946)
    previous 1928 (preindependence); latest initially adopted 28 November 1947, revised and ratified 1 January 1952; amended several times, last in 2016 (2016)
    mixed system developed from codes instituted by the Ottoman Empire (based on French law), British common law, and Islamic law
    has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
    citizenship by birth: no
    citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Jordan
    dual citizenship recognized: yes
    residency requirement for naturalization: 15 years
    Citizenship
    18 years of age; universal
    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 Hani MULKI (since 1 June 2016)
    cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the monarch
    elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch
    description: bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the Senate, or the House of Notables or Majlis al-Ayan (60 seats; members appointed by the monarch to serve 4-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or House of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwaab (130 seats; 115 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by open-list proportional representation vote and 15 seats for women; 12 of the 115 seats reserved for Christian, Chechen, and Circassian candidates; members serve 4-year terms)
    elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held on 20 September 2016 (next to be held in 2020)
    election results: Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA
    highest court(s): Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (consists of 15 judges including the chief justice; 7-judge panels for important cases and 5 judge panels for most appeals cases); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members including the court chairman)
    judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the king; other judges nominated by the Judicial Council, an 11-member judicial policy-making body consisting of high-level judicial officials and judges, and approved by the king; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court members appointed by the king for 6-year non-renewable terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years
    subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Major Felonies Court; Courts of First Instance; Magistrate Courts; religious courts; state security courts
    Ahl al-Himma
    Al-Bayyan
    Al-Hayah Jordanian Party [Zahier AMR]
    Arab Ba'ath Socialist Party [Akram al-HIMSI]
    Ba'ath Arab Progressive Party [Fuad DABBOUR]
    Citizenship
    Construction
    Cooperation
    Dawn
    Democratic People's Party [Ablah ABU ULBAH]
    Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'id DIAB]
    Dignity
    Du'a Party [Muhammed ABU BAKR]
    Free Voice
    Islamic Action Front or IAF [Hamzah MANSOUR]
    Islamic Centrist Party [Muhammad al-HAJ]
    Jordanian Communist Party [Munir HAMARNAH]
    Jordanian National Party [Muna ABU BAKR]
    Jordanian United Front [Amjad al-MAJALI]
    Labor and Trade
    Muslim Center Party [Haitham ALAMAERAH]
    Nation
    National Accord Youth Block
    National Action
    National Constitution Party [Ahmad al-SHUNAQ]
    National Current Party [Abd al-Hadi al-MAJALI]
    National Movement for Direct Democracy [Muhammad al-QAQ]
    National Union
    National Unity
    Nobel Jerusalem
    Risalah Party [Hazem QASHOU]
    Salvation
    Stronger Jordan
    The Direct Democratic Nationalists Movement Party [Nash'at KHALIFAH]
    The Homeland (Hizb Al-Watan)
    The People
    Unified Front
    United Front
    Voice of the Nation; qtgan
    15 April Movement [Mohammad SUNEID, chairman]
    24 March Movement [Mu'az al-KHAWALIDAH, Abdel Rahman HASANEIN, spokespersons]
    1952 Constitution Movement
    Anti-Normalization Committee [Hamzah MANSOUR, chairman]
    Economic and Social Association of Retired Servicemen and Veterans or ESARSV [Abdulsalam al-HASSANAT, chairman]
    Group of 36
    Higher Coordination Committee of Opposition Parties [Said DIAB]
    Higher National Committee for Military Retirees or HNCMR [Ali al-HABASHNEH, chairman]
    Hirak
    Jordan Bar Association [Saleh al-ARMUTI, chairman]
    Jordanian Campaign for Change or Jayin
    Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood [Dr. Hamam SAID, controller general]
    Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]
    National Front for Reform or NFR [Ahmad OBEIDAT, chairman]
    Popular Gathering for Reform
    Professional Associations Council [Abd al-Hadi al-FALAHAT, chairman]
    Sons of Jordan
    ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, CICA, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
    chief of mission: Ambassador Dina Khalil Tawiq KAWAR (since 27 June 2016)
    chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
    telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664
    FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110
    chief of mission: Ambassador Alice G. WELLS (since 31 August 2014)
    embassy: Abdoun, Al-Umawyeen St., 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) 592-0163
    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
    eagle; national colors: black, white, green, red
    name: "As-salam al-malaki al-urdoni" (Long Live the King of Jordan)
    lyrics/music: Abdul-Mone'm al-RIFAI'/Abdul-Qader al-TANEER
    note: adopted 1946; the shortened version of the anthem is used most commonly, while the full version is reserved for special occasions

  • Economy :: JORDAN

  • Jordan's economy is among the smallest in the Middle East, with insufficient supplies of water, oil, and other natural resources, underlying the government's heavy reliance on foreign assistance. Other economic challenges for the government include chronic high rates of poverty, unemployment and underemployment, budget and current account deficits, and government debt.
    King ABDALLAH, during the first decade of the 2000s, implemented significant economic reforms, such as expanding foreign trade and privatizing state-owned companies that attracted foreign investment and contributed to average annual economic growth of 8% for 2004 through 2008. The global economic slowdown and regional turmoil contributed to slower growth from 2010 to 2014 - with growth averaging 2.8% per year - and hurt export-oriented sectors, construction, and tourism. Through 2014, Jordan's finances were strained by a series of natural gas pipeline attacks in Egypt, disrupting natural gas exports to Jordan, and led Jordan to rely on more expensive diesel imports, primarily from Saudi Arabia, to generate electricity.
    To diversify its energy mix, Jordan has secured several contracts for liquefied natural gas and is currently exploring nuclear power generation, exploitation of abundant oil shale reserves and renewable technologies, as well as the import of Israeli offshore gas. In August 2015, Jordan completed a $2.1 billion, three-year IMF Stand-By Arrangement, which the government had entered to help correct budgetary and balance of payments imbalances. Jordan plans to expand on its fiscal reform measures enacted over the previous few years with a follow-on IMF agreement in 2016 to boost government revenues, reduce the budget deficit, and manage its burgeoning debt, brought on in part by an influx of over 650,000 Syrian refugees since 2011, which put additional pressure on expenditures.
    $82.73 billion (2015 est.)
    $80.71 billion (2014 est.)
    $78.28 billion (2013 est.)
    note: data are in 2015 US dollars
    country comparison to the world: 89
    $37.62 billion (2015 est.)
    2.5% (2015 est.)
    3.1% (2014 est.)
    2.8% (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 125
    $12,100 (2015 est.)
    $12,100 (2014 est.)
    $12,000 (2013 est.)
    note: data are in 2015 US dollars
    country comparison to the world: 134
    15.8% of GDP (2015 est.)
    18.3% of GDP (2014 est.)
    16.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 155
    household consumption: 82%
    government consumption: 19.8%
    investment in fixed capital: 22.5%
    investment in inventories: 2.3%
    exports of goods and services: 35.6%
    imports of goods and services: -62.2% (2015 est.)
    agriculture: 4.2%
    industry: 29.6%
    services: 66.2% (2015 est.)
    citrus, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, strawberries, stone fruits; sheep, poultry, dairy
    tourism, information technology, clothing, fertilizers, potash, phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, inorganic chemicals, light manufacturing
    2.2% (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 94
    2.055 million (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 122
    agriculture: 2%
    industry: 20%
    services: 78% (2013 est.)
    13.1% (2015 est.)
    11.9% (2014 est.)
    note: official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30%
    country comparison to the world: 144
    14.2% (2002 est.)
    lowest 10%: 3.4%
    highest 10%: 28.7% (2010 est.)
    39.7 (2007)
    36.4 (1997)
    country comparison to the world: 64
    revenues: $8.324 billion
    expenditures: $10.88 billion (2015 est.)
    22.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 143
    -6.8% of GDP (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 189
    85.5% of GDP (2015 est.)
    80.8% of GDP (2014 est.)
    note: data cover central government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury, and treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
    country comparison to the world: 26
    calendar year
    -0.9% (2015 est.)
    2.9% (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 22
    0.3% (31 December 2010)
    4.75% (31 December 2009)
    country comparison to the world: 131
    8.24% (31 December 2015 est.)
    8.84% (31 December 2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 102
    $13.92 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
    $13 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 71
    $43.64 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
    $41.18 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 71
    $39.57 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
    $38.04 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 69
    $27 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
    $27.18 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
    $30.86 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 63
    -$3.299 billion (2015 est.)
    -$2.362 billion (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 162
    $7.829 billion (2015 est.)
    $8.385 billion (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 99
    textiles, fertilizers, potash, phosphates, vegetables, pharmaceuticals
    US 21%, Saudi Arabia 16.5%, Iraq 10.3%, India 8.7%, UAE 4.8%, Kuwait 4.4% (2015)
    $18.04 billion (2015 est.)
    $20.35 billion (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 77
    crude oil, refined petroleum products, machinery, transport equipment, iron, cereals
    Saudi Arabia 15.4%, China 12.8%, US 6.2%, Germany 4.7%, UAE 4.2% (2015)
    $16.57 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
    $16.04 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 62
    $25.16 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
    $24.26 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 82
    $29.96 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
    $28.71 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 68
    $609.3 million (31 December 2015 est.)
    $608.3 million (31 December 2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 85
    Jordanian dinars (JOD) per US dollar -
    0.71 (2015 est.)
    0.71 (2014 est.)
    0.71 (2013 est.)
    0.709 (2012 est.)
    0.709 (2011 est.)

  • Energy :: JORDAN

  • population without electricity: 40,926
    electrification - total population: 99.5%
    electrification - urban areas: 99%
    electrification - rural areas: 99.4% (2012)
    17 billion kWh (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 83
    16 billion kWh (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 79
    64 million kWh (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 83
    400 million kWh (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 81
    4.2 million kW (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 92
    99.6% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 44
    0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 117
    0.3% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 148
    0.1% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 123
    22 bbl/day (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 100
    0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 143
    62,220 bbl/day (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 53
    1 million bbl (1 January 2016 es)
    country comparison to the world: 98
    67,760 bbl/day (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 79
    146,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 70
    0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 191
    70,890 bbl/day (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 64
    199 million cu m (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 81
    499 million cu m (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 90
    0 cu m (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 124
    300 million cu m (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 60
    6.031 billion cu m (1 January 2016 es)
    country comparison to the world: 88
    19 million Mt (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 86

  • Communications :: JORDAN

  • total subscriptions: 368,938
    subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (July 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 107
    total: 13.798 million
    subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 170 (July 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 81
    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
    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; currently multiple mobile-cellular providers with subscribership up to 170 per 100 persons
    international: country code - 962; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) FEA and FLAG Falcon submarine cable networks; 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 (2015)
    radio and TV dominated by the government-owned Jordan Radio and Television Corporation (JRTV) that operates a main network, a sports network, a film network, and a satellite channel; first independent TV broadcaster aired in 2007; international satellite TV and Israeli and Syrian TV broadcasts are available; roughly 30 radio stations with JRTV operating the main government-owned station; transmissions of multiple international radio broadcasters are available (2007)
    .jo
    total: 4.335 million
    percent of population: 53.4% (July 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 82

  • Transportation :: JORDAN

  • number of registered air carriers: 7
    inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 40
    annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 3,065,145
    annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 169.105 million mt-km (2015)
    JY (2016)
    18 (2013)
    country comparison to the world: 140
    total: 16
    over 3,047 m: 8
    2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
    1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
    914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013)
    total: 2
    under 914 m: 2 (2013)
    1 (2012)
    gas 473 km; oil 49 km (2013)
    total: 507 km
    narrow gauge: 507 km 1.050-m gauge (2008)
    country comparison to the world: 114
    total: 7,203 km
    paved: 7,203 km (2011)
    country comparison to the world: 144
    total: 12
    by type: cargo 4, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1
    foreign-owned: 2 (UAE 2)
    registered in other countries: 16 (Bahamas 2, Egypt 2, Indonesia 1, Panama 11) (2010)
    country comparison to the world: 106
    major seaport(s): Al 'Aqabah

  • Military and Security :: JORDAN

  • 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) (2013)
    17 years of age for voluntary male military service; initial service term 2 years, with option to reenlist for 18 years; conscription at age 18 suspended in 1999; women not subject to conscription, but can volunteer to serve in noncombat military positions in the Royal Jordanian Arab Army Women's Corps and RJAF (2013)
    4.65% of GDP (2012)
    4.64% of GDP (2011)
    4.65% of GDP (2010)
    country comparison to the world: 7

  • Transnational Issues :: JORDAN

  • 2004 Agreement settles border dispute with Syria pending demarcation
    refugees (country of origin): 2,117,361 (Palestinian refugees) (2015); 655,833 (Syria); 59,196 (Iraq) (2016)