of Transjordan from Palestine
in the early 1920s, and the area gained its independence in 1946; it
adopted the name of Jordan in 1950. The country's long-time ruler
was King HUSSEIN (1953-99). A pragmatic leader, he successfully
navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and
UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian
population, despite several wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he
reinstituted parliamentary elections and gradual political
liberalization; in 1994 he signed a peace treaty with Israel. King
ABDALLAH II, the son of King HUSSEIN, 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 appointed in November 2005
stated the government would focus on political reforms, improving
conditions for the poor, and fighting corruption.

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
land: 91,971 sq km
water: 329 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: 3.32%
permanent crops: 1.18%
other: 95.5% (2005)

Irrigated land:
750 sq km (2003)

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