Jordan (country)

I

Introduction

Jordan (country) or Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, kingdom in the Middle East. Its full official name is Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Arabic Al Mamlakah al Urdunniyah al Hashimiyah). The term Hashemite refers to the Jordanian monarchy’s claim of descent from Hashim, the grandfather of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam.

Jordan’s arid desert landscape and few natural resources belie its importance in the history of the modern Middle East. The territory was part of the Ottoman Empire, which was dismantled after World War I (1914-1918) and replaced, in this part of the Middle East, by British and French control. Transjordan—the territory east of the Jordan River—came under British control, as did Palestine to the west of the Jordan River. Transjordan’s status as an independent kingdom was recognized in 1946 (the kingdom’s name was changed to Jordan in 1949).

In 1947 the United Nations (UN) voted to partition Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state and to internationalize the city of Jerusalem, but that plan was rejected by the region’s Arabs. The Jewish state of Israel was nonetheless established in 1948 in Palestine. Transjordan, along with four other Arab nations, attacked Israel the same year. Following the war, Israel held western Jerusalem, while Jordanian troops held eastern Jerusalem and the West Bank. In the Six-Day War in June 1967, Israel conquered East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Jordan continued to claim the West Bank until 1988 when, in response to mass Palestinian uprisings and Palestinian claims to self-determination, Jordanian king Hussein relinquished sovereignty over the West Bank.

Today, Jordan is bounded on the north by Syria, on the east by Iraq and Saudi Arabia, on the south by Saudi Arabia and the Gulf of Aqaba, and on the west by Israel and the West Bank. The area of Jordan is 89,556 sq km (34,578 sq mi). Amman is the capital and largest city of Jordan.

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II

Land and Resources

The principal geographical feature of Jordan is an arid desert plateau that covers four-fifths of the country. The plateau rises to about 610 to 915 m (about 2,000 to 3,000 ft) in the west and slopes gently downward toward the Syrian Desert in the extreme east of the country. Deep canyons and mountainous outcroppings with elevations of up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) characterize the plateau in the southern portion of the country. This arid region is at the intersection of the Syrian Desert and the northern Saudi Arabian desert of An Nafūd.

The Jordan Valley occupies the western edge of the country. A deep depression of the Great Rift Valley, it reaches 209 m (686 ft) below sea level in the area of the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberias) and 408 m (1,340 ft) below sea level at the Dead Sea, the world’s lowest point. The soil of the Jordan Valley is very fertile when irrigated, and the region experiences a mild year-round growing season.

Highlands occupy northwestern Jordan, rising to an average elevation of 3,500 feet (1,067 meters) above sea level. Jordanian farmers grow fruits and vegetables in the rich soils of the north and grains in the less fertile soils to the south.

A

Rivers and Lakes

The Jordan River, forming the country’s border with Israel and the West Bank, is the heart of the country’s drainage system. Rains in the highlands are channeled down temporary streambeds called wadis to the Jordan River. In addition, the Yarmūk and Zarqā’ rivers flow into the Jordan River. The Yarmūk, which separates Syria, Jordan, and Israel and is exploited by all three, is the larger. The Zarqā’ is entirely in Jordan. Its flow is regulated by the King Talal Dam. The Dead Sea is about 80 km (50mi) long and 18 km (11 mi) wide at its broadest. It is called the Dead Sea because it is much too salty to support aquatic life.

B

Climate

Jordan has a Mediterranean climate with cool winters and hot dry summers and a variable rainfall. The rainy season runs from November to April. Temperatures below freezing are not unknown in January, the coldest month, but the average winter temperature is above 7°C (45°F). In the Jordan Valley summer temperatures may reach 49°C (120°F) in August, the hottest month, but the average summer temperature in Amman is 26°C (78°F). Hot desert winds, called khamsins, blow when the barometric pressure is low just before and after the hot summer months. Precipitation is confined largely to the winter season and ranges from about 660 mm (about 26 in) in the northwestern corner to less than 127 mm (less than 5 in) in the extreme east.

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