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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 has implemented modest political and economic reforms, including the passage of a new electoral law in early 2016 ahead of legislative elections held in September. The Islamic Action Front, which is the political arm of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood, returned to parliament with 15 seats after boycotting the previous two elections in 2010 and 2013.
  • 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: 113
    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 -431 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; flash floods
    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

  • 10,248,069
    note: increased estimate reflects revised assumptions about the net migration rate due to the increased flow of Syrian refugees (July 2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 89
    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: 34.68% (male 1,827,554/female 1,726,691)
    15-24 years: 20.07% (male 1,103,042/female 953,704)
    25-54 years: 37.36% (male 2,073,211/female 1,755,290)
    55-64 years: 4.44% (male 236,435/female 218,469)
    65 years and over: 3.45% (male 174,470/female 179,203) (2017 est.)
    population pyramid:
    total dependency ratio: 66.1
    youth dependency ratio: 59.8
    elderly dependency ratio: 6.2
    potential support ratio: 16 (2015 est.)
    total: 22.5 years
    male: 22.9 years
    female: 22 years (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 178
    2.05% (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 43
    23.9 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 58
    3.4 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 218
    0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 87
    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: 84.1% of total population (2017)
    rate of urbanization: 1.26% annual rate of change (2015-20 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 (2017 est.)
    24.7 years
    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: 90
    total: 14.2 deaths/1,000 live births
    male: 15 deaths/1,000 live births
    female: 13.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 104
    total population: 74.8 years
    male: 73.4 years
    female: 76.3 years (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 119
    3.19 children born/woman (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 49
    61.2% (2012)
    7.5% of GDP (2014)
    country comparison to the world: 66
    2.65 physicians/1,000 population (2014)
    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.)
    <.1% (2016 est.)
    <500 (2016 est.)
    <100 (2016 est.)
    35.5% (2016)
    country comparison to the world: 13
    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: 36
  • 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 (Amman), At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba
    25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
    Independence Day, 25 May (1946)
    history: previous 1928 (preindependence); latest initially adopted 28 November 1947, revised and ratified 1 January 1952
    amendments: proposed by 10 or more members of the Senate or by the House of Representatives followed by referral to the relevant House committee for its review and opinion; if accepted, the proposal is referred to the government for restatement as a draft; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of both the Senate and the House and ratification by the king; 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
    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 (65 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
    Al-Hayah Jordanian Party [Zahier AMR]
    Arab Ba'ath Socialist Party [Akram al-HIMSI]
    Ba'ath Arab Progressive Party [Fuad DABBOUR]
    Democratic People's Party [Ablah ABU ULBAH]
    Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'id DIAB]
    Du'a Party [Muhammed ABU BAKR]
    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]
    Muslim Center Party [Haitham ALAMAERAH]
    National Congress Party [Raheeh GHARAYBEH]
    National Constitution Party [Ahmad al-SHUNAQ]
    National Current Party [Abd al-Hadi al-MAJALI]
    National Movement for Direct Democracy [Muhammad al-QAQ]
    Risalah Party [Hazem QASHOU]
    The Direct Democratic Nationalists Movement Party [Nash'at KHALIFAH]
    15 April Movement [Mohammad SUNEID]
    24 March Movement [Mu'az al-KHAWALIDAH, Abdel Rahman HASANEIN]
    1952 Constitution Movement
    Anti-Normalization Committee [Saleh al-ARMOUTI]
    Economic and Social Association of Retired Servicemen and Veterans or ESARSV [Abdulsalam al-HASSANAT]
    Group of 36
    Higher Coordination Committee of Opposition Parties [Said DIAB]
    Higher National Committee for Military Retirees or HNCMR [Ali al-HABASHNEH]
    Hirak
    Jordan Bar Association [Samir KHIRFAN]
    Jordanian Campaign for Change or Jayin
    Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood [Dr. Hamam SAID]
    Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF]
    National Front for Reform or NFR [Ahmad OBEIDAT]
    Popular Gathering for Reform
    Professional Associations Council [Abd al-Hadi al-FALAHAT]
    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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Henry T. WOOSTER (since 24 March 2017)
    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 2017 - with growth averaging 2.6% per year - and hurt export-oriented sectors, construction, and tourism. Since the onset of the civil war in Syria and resulting refugee crisis, one of Jordan’s most pressing socioeconomic challenges has been managing the influx of 650,000 UN-registered refugees, more than 80% of whom live in Jordan’s urban areas. Jordan’s own official census estimated the refugee number at 1.3 million as of early 2016.
    Jordan is nearly completely dependent on imported energy—mostly natural gas—and energy consistently makes up 25-30 percent of Jordan’s imports. 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 2016, Jordan and the IMF agreed to a $723 million Extended Fund Facility that aims to build on the three-year, $2.1 billion IMF program that ended in August 2015 with the goal of helping Jordan correct budgetary and balance of payments imbalances.
    $89.05 billion (2017 est.)
    $87.04 billion (2016 est.)
    $85.33 billion (2015 est.)
    note: data are in 2017 dollars
    country comparison to the world: 89
    $40.49 billion (2017 est.)
    2.3% (2017 est.)
    2% (2016 est.)
    2.4% (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 143
    $12,500 (2017 est.)
    $12,500 (2016 est.)
    $12,500 (2015 est.)
    note: data are in 2017 dollars
    country comparison to the world: 123
    11.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
    9.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
    10.2% of GDP (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 147
    household consumption: 79.1%
    government consumption: 19.3%
    investment in fixed capital: 22.4%
    investment in inventories: 1.9%
    exports of goods and services: 32.7%
    imports of goods and services: -55.4% (2017 est.)
    agriculture: 4.3%
    industry: 28.9%
    services: 66.8% (2017 est.)
    citrus, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, strawberries, stone fruits; sheep, poultry, dairy
    tourism, information technology, clothing, fertilizer, potash, phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, inorganic chemicals, light manufacturing
    2.2% (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 122
    2.295 million (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 118
    agriculture: 2%
    industry: 20%
    services: 78% (2013 est.)
    16.5% (2017 est.)
    15.3% (2016 est.)
    note: official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30%
    country comparison to the world: 177
    14.2% (2002 est.)
    lowest 10%: 3.4%
    highest 10%: 28.7% (2010 est.)
    39.7 (2007 est.)
    36.4 (1997 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 69
    revenues: $9.157 billion
    expenditures: $11.81 billion (2017 est.)
    22.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 133
    -6.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 182
    86% of GDP (2017 est.)
    87.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
    note: data cover central government debt, and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include 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: 31
    calendar year
    3.3% (2017 est.)
    -0.8% (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 137
    3.75% (31 December 2015 est.)
    0.3% (31 December 2010 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 100
    8.5% (31 December 2017 est.)
    7.83% (31 December 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 100
    $14.98 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
    $14.63 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 72
    $47.29 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
    $46.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 70
    $44.59 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
    $41.87 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 70
    $24.25 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
    $25.45 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
    $25.55 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 63
    -$3.412 billion (2017 est.)
    -$3.613 billion (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 170
    $7.734 billion (2017 est.)
    $7.509 billion (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 98
    textiles, fertilizers, potash, phosphates, vegetables, pharmaceuticals
    US 25.2%, Saudi Arabia 14.2%, India 8.4%, Iraq 6.8%, UAE 5.6%, Kuwait 5.1% (2016)
    $17.61 billion (2017 est.)
    $17.03 billion (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 79
    crude oil, refined petroleum products, machinery, transport equipment, iron, cereals
    China 14%, Saudi Arabia 11.8%, US 7.4%, Germany 4.8%, Italy 4.7%, UAE 4.4% (2016)
    $15.98 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
    $15.54 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 67
    $27.72 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
    $26.38 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 84
    $33.96 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
    $32.15 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 69
    $646.5 million (31 December 2017 est.)
    $612.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 90
    Jordanian dinars (JOD) per US dollar -
    0.71 (2017 est.)
    0.71 (2016 est.)
    0.71 (2015 est.)
    0.71 (2014 est.)
    0.71 (2013 est.)
  • Energy :: JORDAN

  • population without electricity: 40,926
    electrification - total population: 99.5%
    electrification - urban areas: 99%
    electrification - rural areas: 99.4% (2012)
    17.76 billion kWh (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 80
    16.13 billion kWh (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 74
    50 million kWh (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 87
    604 million kWh (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 78
    4.382 million kW (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 83
    96.3% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 47
    0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 117
    0.3% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 152
    9.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 72
    22 bbl/day (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 100
    0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 144
    63,220 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 50
    1 million bbl (1 January 2017 es)
    country comparison to the world: 99
    65,150 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 76
    160,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 64
    0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 166
    93,860 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 60
    151 million cu m (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 79
    3.509 billion cu m (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 73
    0 cu m (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 127
    2.746 billion cu m (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 47
    6.031 billion cu m (1 January 2017 es)
    country comparison to the world: 92
    19 million Mt (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 84
  • Communications :: JORDAN

  • total subscriptions: 355,821
    subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (July 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 111
    total: 15.352 million
    subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 188 (July 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 66
    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 185 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 (2016)
    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: 5,099,674
    percent of population: 62.3% (July 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 77
  • 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 (2017)
    total: 2
    under 914 m: 2 (2013)
    1 (2012)
    gas 473 km; oil 49 km (2013)
    total: 509 km
    narrow gauge: 509 km 1.050-m gauge (2014)
    country comparison to the world: 114
    total: 7,203 km
    paved: 7,203 km (2011)
    country comparison to the world: 144
    total: 31
    by type: general cargo 9, oil tanker 1, other 21 (2017)
    country comparison to the world: 128
    major seaport(s): Al 'Aqabah
  • Military and Security :: JORDAN

  • 4.58% of GDP (2016)
    4.31% of GDP (2015)
    4.32% of GDP (2014)
    4.3% of GDP (2013)
    4.76% of GDP (2012)
    country comparison to the world: 12
    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 are not conscripted, but can volunteer to serve in noncombat military positions in the Royal Jordanian Arab Army Women's Corps and RJAF (2013)
  • Transnational Issues :: JORDAN

  • 2004 Agreement settles border dispute with Syria pending demarcation
    refugees (country of origin): 2,175,491 (Palestinian refugees) (2017); 659,063 (Syria); 66,262 (Iraq) (2018)