Jordan

Table of Contents

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
- Drainage
- Soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Ethnic groups
- Languages
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
  - Bedouin
  - Rural settlement
  - Urban settlement
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
- Finance
- Trade
- Services
- Labour and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
- Security
- Health and welfare
- Housing
- Education
Cultural life
- Daily life and social customs
- The arts
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
History
- Biblical associations
- The Latin kingdom and Muslim domination
- Transjordan, the Hashemite Kingdom, and the Palestine war
- Jordan under King Hussein
  - Securing the throne, 1953 to c. 1960
  - The PLO and the June 1967 war
  - From 1967 to civil war
  - From 1973 to the intifada
  - Renouncing claims to the West Bank
  - From the Persian Gulf War to peace with Israel
  - Hussein’s last years and the ascent of Abdullah II
- Reign of Abdullah II
  - Early policies
  - Arab Spring and reform
  - Continued reform and austerity

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images

Petra, Jordan: Al-Dayr

Qasr ʿAmrah, Jordan: desert palace

Jordan: Wadi Ramm

Jordan: Ethnic composition

Jordan: Religious affiliation

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Jordan: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan • Al-Urdun • Al-Mamlakah al-Urduniyyah al-Hāshimiyyah
Head Of State And Government	King: ʿAbdullah II, assisted by Prime Minister: Bisher al-Khasawneh
Capital	Amman
Population	(2024 est.) 11,680,000
Form Of Government	constitutional monarchy with two legislative houses (Senate [75¹]; House of Representatives [130²])
Official Language	Arabic
Official Religion	Islam
Official Name	Al-Mamlakah al-Urduniyyah al-Hāshimiyyah (Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan)
Total Area (Sq Km)	89,318
Total Area (Sq Mi)	34,486
Monetary Unit	Jordanian dinar (JD)
Population Rank	(2023) 84
Population Projection 2030	11,936,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2023) 331.9
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2023) 128.1
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2023) 90.3% • Rural: (2023) 9.7%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2019) 72.3 years • Female: (2019) 75.1 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: (2021) 99% • Female: (2021) 98%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2022) 48,051
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2022) 4,260
¹In October 2013 two royal decrees to dissolve the 60-member Senate and to appoint a new 75-member Senate were issued; 9 seats are reserved for women.²Decreased by 20 members after elections on September 20, 2016; 15 seats are reserved for women.

Photos

Petra, Jordan: Al-Dayr

Qasr ʿAmrah, Jordan: desert palace

Jordan: Wadi Ramm

Amman, Jordan: Roman theatre

Population density of Jordan

Petra, Jordan: Khasneh (“Treasury”)

National anthem of Jordan

See All Images, Audio and Interactives →

Topics

Hussein Abdullah II Queen Noor Rania al-Abdullah Sir John Bagot Glubb Saʿid al-Mufti Asia Arab-Israeli wars Six-Day War Amman United States India United Kingdom China Canada Russia Germany Australia Japan France

King Hussein of Jordan

Hussein

king of Jordan

Abdullah II of Jordan

Abdullah II

king of Jordan

Queen Noor

Queen Noor

queen of Jordan

Rania al-Abdullah

Rania al-Abdullah

queen of Jordan

Glubb, Sir John Bagot

Sir John Bagot Glubb

British army officer

Saʿid al-Mufti

prime minister of Jordan

Asia

Asia

continent

Amman, Jordan: Roman amphitheatre

Amman

national capital, Jordan

Al-ʿAqabah

Jordan

Al-Karak

Al-Karak

Jordan

Madabā mosaic map

Mādabā

Jordan

Middle East

Middle East

region, Asia, Africa, and Europe

Al-Khaznah (the Treasury) at Petra, located 19 miles (30 km) northwest of Maʿān, Jordan.

Maʿān

Jordan

Al-Salṭ

Al-Salṭ

Jordan

Irbid

Jordan

Al-Zarqāʾ

Jordan

ʿAin Ghazal: human figurine

ʿAin Ghazal

archaeological site, Jordan

Al-Dayr

Petra

ancient city, Jordan

Gilead

Gilead

ancient region, Palestine

Moabite Stone cast

Dibon

ancient city, Jordan

Edom

Edom

ancient country, Middle East

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