s:
excellent system including 60-channel submarine cable, Autodin/SRT terminal,
digital telephone switch, Military Affiliated Radio System (MARS station),
commercial satellite television system, and UHF/VHF air-ground radio

*Johnston Atoll, Defense Forces

Note:
defense is the responsibility of the US

*Jordan, Header

Affiliation:
(also see separate West Bank entry)

*Jordan, Geography

Location:
Middle East, between Israel and Saudi Arabia
Map references:
Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
89,213 km2
land area:
88,884 km2
comparative area:
slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries:
total 1,619 km, 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:
differences with Israel over the location of the 1949 Armistice Line that
separates the two countries; water-sharing issues with Israel
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
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 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
lack of natural water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
desertification

*Jordan, People

Population:
3,823,636 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.57% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
39.48 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
4.32 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
33.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
71.61 years
male:
69.83 years
female:
73.51 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.79 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Jordanian(s)
adjective:
Jordanian
Ethnic divisions:
Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 8%
Languages:
Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population:
80%
male:
89%
female:
70%
Labor f