ns and gradual political liberalization; in 1994 he signed a
formal peace treaty with Israel. King ABDALLAH II - the eldest son
of King HUSSEIN and Princess MUNA - assumed the throne following his
father's death in February 1999. Since then, he has consolidated his
power and undertaken an aggressive economic reform program. Jordan
acceded to the World Trade Organization in 2000, and began to
participate in the European Free Trade Association in 2001. After a
two-year delay, parliamentary and municipal elections took place in
the summer of 2003. The Prime Minister and government appointed in
October 2004 declared their commitment to accelerated economic and
political reforms and the new cabinet includes an unprecedented four
women as ministers.

Geography Jordan

Location:
Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates:
31 00 N, 36 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 92,300 sq km
water: 329 sq km
land: 91,971 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Indiana

Land boundaries:
total: 1,635 km
border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km,
Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km

Coastline:
26 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm

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

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

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m

Natural resources:
phosphates, potash, shale oil

Land use:
arable land: 2.67%
permanent crops: 1.83%
other: 95.5% (2001)

Irrigated land:
750 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
droughts; periodic earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing;
soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
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

Geography - note:
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 Jordan

Population:
5,611,202 (July 2