Jordan Culture, Map, Flag, Tourist Places

Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , is an Arab country in the Middle East. It is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the north-east, Saudi Arabia to the east and south, and Israel and Palestine to the west. It shares with Israel and Palestine the coastlines of the Dead Sea, and the Gulf of Aqaba with Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

Jordan is a Middle Eastern country, bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the northeast, Saudi Arabia to the east and south and Israel and West Bank to the west. All these border lines add up to 1,619 kilometres (1,006 mi). The Gulf of Aqaba and the Dead Sea also touch the country, and thus Jordan has a coastline of 26 kilometres (16 mi).

Jordan consists mostly of arid desert plateau in the east, with Highland area in the west. The Great Rift Valley of the Jordan River separates Jordan and Israel. The highest point in the country is Jabal Ram (1,734 m; 5,689 ft), while the lowest is the Dead Sea (-486 m; -1,594 ft). Jordan is part of a region considered to be "the cradle of civilization".

Major cities include the capital Amman in the northwest, Irbid and Az Zarqa, both in the north.

The climate in Jordan is dry and hot, since the country is mainly desert. However, the western part of the country receives greater precipitation during the rainy season from November to April.

The best time to visit Jordan is in spring or autumn, when you can dodge the baking sun of summer and the freezing winds of winter. Although winter can be bitterly cold in most of the country, the Red Sea area and Aqaba are still very pleasant. If you're planning to travel through the rest of the Middle East, try heading north into Turkey around spring, or south into Egypt by autumn.

There isn't much sign of traditional Arabic music in Jordan, but you will find an interesting hybrid of Arab-style singers backed up by orchestras of western and traditional instruments everywhere you go. The Bedouin are still hanging on to their musical traditions, with groups of men singing trance-like chants to accompany a lone belly-dancer.

Hospitality is a cornerstone of Arab life. It is commonplace for Jordanian families, particularly desert dwellers, to welcome strangers into their home. The tradition developed from the harshness of desert life - without food, water and shelter from strangers, most desert travellers would die. Wherever you go in Jordan, you are likely to hear the word, 'Welcome', and you will frequently be invited into people's homes for food or a cup of tea.

Islam is the predominant religion in Jordan. A monotheistic religion, Islam's holy book is the Qur'an, and Friday is its sabbath day. Every day, five times a day, Muslims are called to prayer from the minarets of mosques which dot the country. Islam derives from the same monotheistic roots as Judaism and Christianity, and Muslims generally regard Christians and Jews with respect - in Islam, Jesus is regarded as one of the Prophets of Allah, and Jews and Christians are considered fellow 'people of the Book'. Mohammed was the last Prophet, and it was to him that Allah dictated the Qur'an. Most Jordanian Muslims, including the non-Arab Circassians, belong to the Sunni sect of Islam. The Circassians - as well as the other Jordanian minority, the Chechens - were originally from the Caucasus area of Russia.

Islamic law forbids eating pig and drinking alcohol, and this law is followed to a greater or lesser (generally lesser) extent throughout Jordan. Islam also has a tendency to divide the sexes, and you might find that many eating establishments only welcome men. Most of these will, if asked, show you to the 'family room', an area set aside for women. When Jordanians eat out they will usually order group meals - a selection of mezzeh, or starters, followed by main meals to share. Arabic unleavened bread, or khobz, is eaten with almost everything. The other staples are felafel, deep-fried chickpea balls, shwarma, spit-cooked sliced lamb, and fuul, a paste of fava beans, garlic and lemon. Mensaf is a Bedouin speciality - a whole lamb, head included, on a bed of rice and pine nuts.

Not surprisingly, Jordanian holidays and festivals are mostly Islamic. The big one is Ramadan, a month (around December) where everyone fasts between sunup and sunset to conform to the fourth pillar of Islam. If you're in Jordan at this time, be sensitive to the fact that most of the people around you are very, very hungry. Ramadan ends with a huge feast, Eid al-Fitr, where everyone prays together, visits friends, gives presents and stuffs themselves. Eid al-Adah, held around February, is the other big feast of the year, and marks the time when Muslims should make the pilgrimage to Mecca. Non-religious holidays include Independence Day, on 25 May.

The main religion in Jordan is Islam. Islam is one of the most wonderful religions in the world. Few people in Jordan are Christians. It is a very small percentage of the population. Moslem and Christians do get along very well.

Situated between Israel, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Jordan is unexpectedly peaceful amid the turmoil of its neighbouring countries and is a wonderful place to visit, made more so by its hospitable people whose immediate reaction to travellers is 'Welcome to Jordan'. With a reputation for being one of the most friendly countries on earth, it is sad that so few people dare to explore its immense sense of history, as well as two of the most magnificent sights in the Middle East: the ancient rock-hewn city of Petra and Wadi Rum's spectacular desert scenery.

Jordan is a relatively small country of varied landscapes, where the fertile Jordan Valley, bordering the entire western side of the kingdom, is separated from the immense desert stretching to the east by the populated highlands. As part of the Great Rift Valley, the Jordan Valley incorporates the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the earth's surface and most famous for its heavy salt and mineral concentrations, while the main towns are strung out along the length of the highland plateau, including the friendly capital, Amman, as well as plenty of historical sites from ancient civilisations.


The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
National name: Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniya al-Hashimiyah
Area: 35,637 sq mi
Population (2006 est.): 5,906,760 (growth rate: 2.5%); birth rate: 21.2/1000; infant mortality rate: 16.8/1000; life expectancy: 78.4; density per sq mi: 166
Capital : Amman
Other Cities: Zarka, Irbid, As-Salt
Currency: Jordanian dinar
Languages: Arabic (official), English
Ethnicity: Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
Religions: Islam (Sunni) 92%, Christian 6% (mostly Greek Orthodox), other 2%
Literacy: 91% Approx.