on: 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
Geography
---------
Location: Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates: 31 00 N, 36 00 E
Map references: Middle East
Area:
total area: 89,213 sq km
land area: 88,884 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries:
total: 1,619 km
border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 728 km,
Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km
Coastline: 26 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
International disputes: none
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
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Jabal Ram 1,754 m
Natural resources: phosphates, potash, shale oil
Land use:
arable land: 4%
permanent crops: 0.5%
meadows and pastures: 1%
forest and woodland: 0.5%
other: 94%
Irrigated land: 570 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: limited natural fresh 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; signed, but not ratified -
Desertification, Law of the Sea
People
------
Population: 4,212,152 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44% (male 949,822; female 903,043)
15-64 years: 53% (male 1,153,360; female 1,091,416)
65 years and over: 3% (male 57,783; female 56,728) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.65% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 36.67 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 3.95 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: -6.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.05 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 31.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.48 years
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