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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 16 usable: 14 with permanent-surface runways: 13 with runways over 3,659 m: 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 0

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 7,500 km paved: asphalt 5,500 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone 2,000 km

Merchant marine [time series]

3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 71,566 GRT/129,351 DWT, bulk 1, cargo 1, oil tanker 1

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 209 km

Ports [time series]

Al 'Aqabah

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

789 km 1.050-meter gauge, single track

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

adequate telephone system of microwave, cable, and radio links; 81,500 telephones; broadcast stations - 5 AM, 7 FM, 8 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, 1 domestic TV receive-only; coaxial cable and microwave to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria; microwave link to Lebanon is inactive; participant in MEDARABTEL, a microwave radio relay network linking Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco

Defense Forces

Affiliation [time series]

(possession of France)

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) includes Royal Jordanian Land Force, Royal Jordanian Air Force, Royal Naval Force; Ministry of the Interior's Public Security Force (falls under JAF only in wartime or crisis situations)

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $435 million, 7.9% of GDP (1993)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 966,420; fit for military service 685,112; reach military age (18) annually 42,776 (1994 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for about 10% of GDP; principal products are wheat, barley, citrus fruit, tomatoes, melons, olives; livestock - sheep, goats, poultry; large net importer of food

Budget [time series]

revenues: $1.7 billion expenditures: $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $420 million (1993)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Jordanian dinar (JD) = 1,000 fils

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.7 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.5 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $44 million

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 1,030,000 kW production: 3.814 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,070 kWh (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1 - 0.7019 (February 1994), 0.6928 (1993), 0.6797 (1992), 0.6808 (1991), 0.6636 (1990), 0.5704 (1989)

Exports [time series]

$1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: phosphates, fertilizers, potash, agricultural products, manufactures partners: India, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, EC, Indonesia, UAE

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$6.8 billion (December 1993 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Imports [time series]

$3.2 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: crude oil, machinery, transport equipment, food, live animals, manufactured goods partners: EC, US, Iraq, Japan, Turkey

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 3% (1993 est.); accounts for 20% of GDP

Industries [time series]

phosphate mining, petroleum refining, cement, potash, light manufacturing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

5% (1993 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $11.5 billion (1993 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$3,000 (1993 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

5% (1993 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Jordan benefited from increased Arab aid during the oil boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when its annual real GNP growth averaged more than 10%. In the remainder of the 1980s, however, reductions in both Arab aid and worker remittances slowed real economic growth to an average of roughly 2% per year. Imports - mainly oil, capital goods, consumer durables, and food - outstripped exports, with the difference covered by aid, remittances, and borrowing. In mid-1989, the Jordanian Government began debt-rescheduling negotiations and agreed to implement an IMF-supported program designed to gradually reduce the budget deficit and implement badly needed structural reforms. The Persian Gulf crisis that began in August 1990, however, aggravated Jordan's already serious economic problems, forcing the government to shelve the IMF program, stop most debt payments, and suspend rescheduling negotiations. Aid from Gulf Arab states, worker remittances and trade contracted, and refugees flooded the country, producing serious balance-of-payments problems, stunting GDP growth, and straining government resources. The economy rebounded in 1992, largely due to the influx of capital repatriated by workers returning from the Gulf, but the recovery has been losing steam since mid-1993. The government is implementing the reform program adopted in 1992 and continues to secure rescheduling of its heavy foreign debt.

Unemployment rate [time series]

20% (1993 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 89,213 sq km land area: 88,884 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana

Climate [time series]

mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)

Coastline [time series]

26 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: lack of adequate natural water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

differences with Israel over the location of the 1949 Armistice Line that separates the two countries; water-sharing issues with Israel

Irrigated land [time series]

570 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total 1,619 km, Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 728 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 4% permanent crops: 0.5% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 0.5% other: 94%

Location [time series]

Middle East, between Israel and Saudi Arabia

Map references [time series]

Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 3 nm

Natural resources [time series]

phosphates, potash, shale oil

Terrain [time series]

mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

8 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Ma'an

Capital [time series]

Amman

Constitution [time series]

8 January 1952

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Fayiz A. TARAWNAH chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 966-2664

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: King HUSSEIN Bin Talal Al Hashimi (since 11 August 1952) head of government: Prime Minister Abd al-Salam al-MAJALI (since May 1993) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

(202) 966-3110

Flag [time series]

three equal horizontal bands of black (top), white, and green with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a small white seven-pointed star; the seven points on the star represent the seven fundamental laws of the Koran

Legislative branch (House of Notables (Majlis al-A'ayan)) [time series]

consists of a 40-member body appointed by the king from designated categories of public figures

Legislative branch (House of Representatives) [time series]

elections last held 8 November 1993 (next to be held NA November 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (80 total) Muslim Brotherhood (fundamentalist) 16, Independent Islamic bloc (generally traditionalist) 6, Radical leftist 3, pro-government 55 note: the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved by the King several times since 1974 and in November 1989 the first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held

Independence [time series]

25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)

Judicial branch [time series]

Court of Cassation

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral National Assembly (Majlis al-'Umma)

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, PCA, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNRWA, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Country name (Names) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 25 May (1946)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

NA; note - political parties were legalized in December 1992

Suffrage [time series]

20 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

constitutional monarchy

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Wesley EGAN, Jr. embassy: Jabel Amman, Amman mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman, or APO AE 09892-0200 telephone: [962] (6) 820-101

People

Birth rate [time series]

38.77 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate [time series]

4.22 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

32.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force [time series]

600,000 (1992) by occupation: industry 11.4%, commerce, restaurants, and hotels 10.5%, construction 10.0%, transport and communications 8.7%, agriculture 7.4%, other services 52.0% (1992)

Languages [time series]

Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 71.85 years male: 70.04 years female: 73.77 years (1994 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 80% male: 89% female: 70%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Jordanian(s) adjective: Jordanian

Net migration rate [time series]

0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population [time series]

3,961,194 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

3.5% (1994 est.)

Religions [time series]

Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 8%

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.64 children born/woman (1994 est.)