Introduction :: Jordan

Background

Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations awarded Britain the mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain demarcated a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in the early 1920s. The area gained its independence in 1946 and thereafter became The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The country’s long-time ruler, King HUSSEIN (1953-99), successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population. Jordan lost the West Bank to Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. King HUSSEIN in 1988 permanently relinquished Jordanian claims to the West Bank; in 1994 he signed a peace treaty with Israel. King ABDALLAH II, King HUSSEIN’s eldest son, assumed the throne following his father’s death in 1999. He has implemented modest political reforms, including the passage of a new electoral law in early 2016 and an effort to devolve some authority to governorate- and municipal-level councils following subnational elections in 2017. In 2016, the Islamic Action Front, which is the political arm of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood, returned to the National Assembly with 15 seats after boycotting the previous two elections in 2010 and 2013.

Geography :: Jordan

Location

Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia, between Israel (to the west) and Iraq

Geographic coordinates

31 00 N, 36 00 E

Map references

Middle East

Area

total: 89,342 sq km

land: 88,802 sq km

water: 540 sq km

Area – comparative

Land boundaries

total: 1,744 km

border countries (5): Iraq 179 km, Israel 307 km, Saudi Arabia 731 km, Syria 379 km, West Bank 148 km

Coastline

26 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate

mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)

Terrain

mostly arid desert plateau; a great north-south geological rift along the west of the country is the dominant topographical feature and includes the Jordan River Valley, the Dead Sea, and the Jordanian Highlands

Elevation

mean elevation: 812 m

lowest point: Dead Sea -431 m

highest point: Jabal Umm ad Dami 1,854 m

Natural resources

phosphates, potash, shale oil

Land use

agricultural land: 11.4% (2011 est.)

arable land: 2% (2011 est.) /** permanent crops:** 1% (2011 est.) /** permanent pasture:** 8.4% (2011 est.)

forest: 1.1% (2011 est.)

other: 87.5% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land

964 sq km (2012)

Population distribution

population heavily concentrated in the west, and particularly the northwest, in and around the capital of Amman; a sizeable, but smaller population is located in the southwest along the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba

Natural hazards

droughts; periodic earthquakes; flash floods

Environment – current issues

limited natural freshwater resources; declining water table; salinity; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; biodiversity and ecosystem damage/loss

Environment – international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography – note

strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank; the Dead Sea, the lowest point in Asia and the second saltiest body of water in the world (after Lac Assal in Djibouti), lies on Jordan’s western border with Israel and the West Bank; Jordan is almost landlocked but does have a 26 km southwestern coastline with a single port, Al ‘Aqabah (Aqaba)

People and Society :: Jordan

Population

10,820,644 (July 2020 est.)

note: increased estimate reflects revised assumptions about the net migration rate due to the increased flow of Syrian refugees

Nationality

noun: Jordanian(s)

adjective: Jordanian

Ethnic groups

Jordanian 69.3%, Syrian 13.3%, Palestinian 6.7%, Egyptian 6.7%, Iraqi 1.4%, other 2.6% (includes Armenian, Circassian) (2015 est.)

note: data represent population by self-identified nationality

Languages

Arabic (official), English (widely understood among upper and middle classes)

Religions

None

Age structure

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 58.2

youth dependency ratio: 52

elderly dependency ratio: 6.3

potential support ratio: 16 (2020 est.)

Median age

total: 23.5 years

male: 23.9 years

female: 22.9 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate

1.4% (2020 est.)

Birth rate

23 births/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Death rate

3.4 deaths/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Net migration rate

-11.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Population distribution

population heavily concentrated in the west, and particularly the northwest, in and around the capital of Amman; a sizeable, but smaller population is located in the southwest along the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba

Urbanization

urban population: 91.4% of total population (2020)

rate of urbanization: 2.43% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Major urban areas – population

2.148 million AMMAN (capital) (2020)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.18 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female

total population: 1.11 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mother’s mean age at first birth

24.8 years (2017/18 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 30-34

Maternal mortality rate

46 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 12.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 13.6 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 12 deaths/1,000 live births (2020 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.5 years

male: 74 years

female: 77.1 years (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.04 children born/woman (2020 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

51.8% (2017/18)

Drinking water source

improved:** urban:** 100% of population

rural: 97.7% of population

total: 98.9% of population

unimproved:** urban:** 0% of population

rural: 2.2% of population

total: 1.1% of population (2017 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

8.1% (2017)

Physicians density

2.32 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density

1.5 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access

improved:** urban:** 98.6% of population

rural: 96.6% of population

total: 98.5% of population

unimproved:** urban:** 1.4% of population

rural: 3.7% of population

total: 1.5% of population (2017 est.)

HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate

<.1% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS

<500 (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS – deaths

<100 (2018 est.)

Obesity – adult prevalence rate

35.5% (2016)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3% (2012)

Education expenditures

3.6% of GDP (2017)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 98.2%

male: 98.6%

female: 97.8% (2018)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 13 years

male: 12 years

female: 13 years (2012)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 35.6%

male: 31.5%

female: 57% (2016 est.)

Government :: Jordan

Country name

conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

conventional short form: Jordan

local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah

local short form: Al Urdun

former: Transjordan

etymology: named for the Jordan River, which makes up part of Jordan’s northwest border

Government type

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Capital

name: Amman

geographic coordinates: 31 57 N, 35 56 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in March; ends last Friday in October

etymology: in the 13th century B.C., the Ammonites named their main city “Rabbath Ammon”; “rabbath” designated “capital,” so the name meant “The Capital of [the] Ammon[ites]”; over time, the “Rabbath” came to be dropped and the city became known simply as “Ammon” and then “Amman”

Administrative divisions

12 governorates (muhafazat, singular – muhafazah); ‘Ajlun, Al ‘Aqabah, Al Balqa’, Al Karak, Al Mafraq, Al Asimah (Amman), At Tafilah, Az Zarqa’, Irbid, Jarash, Ma’an, Madaba

Independence

25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 May (1946)

Constitution

history: previous 1928 (preindependence); latest initially adopted 28 November 1947, revised and ratified 1 January 1952

amendments: constitutional amendments require at least a two-thirds majority vote of both the Senate and the House and ratification by the king; no amendment of the constitution affecting the rights of the king and the succession to the throne is permitted during the regency period; amended several times, last in 2016

Legal system

mixed system developed from codes instituted by the Ottoman Empire (based on French law), British common law, and Islamic law

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICC jurisdiction

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Jordan

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 15 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Crown Prince HUSSEIN (born 28 June 1994), eldest son of King ABDALLAH II

head of government: Prime Minister Bisher AL-KHASAWNEH (since 7 October 2020)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the monarch

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch

description: bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-‘Umma consists of:

Senate or the House of Notables or Majlis al-Ayan (65 seats; members appointed by the monarch to serve 4-year terms)
Chamber of Deputies or House of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwaab (130 seats; 115 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by open-list proportional representation vote and 15 seats for women; 12 of the 115 seats reserved for Christian, Chechen, and Circassian candidates; members serve 4-year terms)
elections:
Chamber of Deputies – last held on 20 September 2016 (next to be held in 2020)
election results:
Chamber of Deputies – percent of vote by party – NA; seats by party – NA

Judicial branch

highest courts: Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (consists of 15 members, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members)

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the king; other judges nominated by the Judicial Council, an 11-member judicial policymaking body consisting of high-level judicial officials and judges, and approved by the king; judge tenure generally not limited; Constitutional Court members appointed by the king for 6-year non-renewable terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years

subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Great Felonies Court; religious courts; military courts; juvenile courts; Land Settlement Courts; Income Tax Court; Higher Administrative Court; Customs Court; special courts including the State Security Court

Political parties and leaders

Ahrar al-Urdun (Free People of Jordan) Party [Samir al-ZU’BI]
Al-Awn al-Watani (National Aid) Party [Faysal al-AWAR]
Al-Balad al-Amin Party [Khalil al-SAYED]
Al-Itijah al-Watani (National Trend Party) [Ahmad al-KAYED]
Al-Mustaqbal (Future) Party [Salah al-QUDAH]
Al-Nida Party [Abd-al-Majid ABU-KHALID]
Al-Rayah Party (Flag Party) [Bilal DHEISAT]
Al-Shahama Party [Mashhour ZREIQAT]
Al-Shura Party [Firas al-ABBADI]
Arab Socialist Bath Party [Zyad AL-HOMSI]
Conservatives Party [Hasan RASHID]
Democratic Popular Unity Party [Saeed DHIYAB]
Democratic Shab Party (HASHD) [Abla ABU-OLBEH]
Freedom and Equality Party [Hamad Abu ZEID]
Islamic Action Front [Murad AL-ADAYLAH]
Islamic Centrist Party [Madallah AL-TARAWNEH]
Jordanian Al-Ansar Party [Awni al-RJOUB]
Jordanian Al-Hayah Party [Abd-al-Fattah al-KILANI]
Jordanian Communist Party [Faraj ITMIZYEH]
Jordanian Democratic Socialist Party [Jamil al-NIMRI]
Jordanian Democratic Tabiyah (Nature) Party [Ali ASFOUR]
Jordanian Equality Party [Zuhair al-SHURAFA]
Jordanian Fursan (Cavaliers Party) [Ali al-DHWEIB]
Jordanian Justice and Development Party [Ali al-SHURAFA]
Jordanian National Action Party [Abd-al-Hadi al-MAHARMAH]
Jordanian National Constitutional Party [Ahmad al-SHUNNAQ]
Jordanian National Democratic Grouping Party [Shakir al-ABBADI]
Jordanian National Party [Muna ABU-BAKR]
Jordanian National Union Party [Zeid ABU-ZEID]
Jordanian Progressive Bath Party [Fuad DABBOUR]
Jordanian Promise Party [Mahmoud al-KHALILI]
Jordanian Reform Party [Eid DHAYYAT]
Jordanian Social Justice Party [Abd-al-Fattah al-NSOUR]
Jordanian Wafa (Loyalty) Party [Mazin al-QADI]
Justice and Reform Party [Saeed Nathir ARABIYAT]
Modernity and Change Party [Nayef al-HAMAYDEH]
National Congress Party [Irhayil GHARAYBEH] (formerly the Zamzam party)
National Renaissance Front Party [Ismail KHATATBEH]
National Unity Party [Muhammad al-ZBOUN]
Pan Arab Movement Party [Dayfallah FARRAJ]
Partnership and Salvation Party [Muhammad al-HAMMOURI]
Reform and Renewal Party [Mazin RYAL]
Risalah Party [Hazim QASHOU]
Stronger Jordan Party [Rula al-HROUB]
Unified Jordanian Front Party [Farouq AL-ABBADI]

International organization participation

ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, CICA, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

Ambassador Dina Khalil Tawiq KAWAR (since 27 June 2016)
chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: 1 966-2664

FAX: 1 966-3110

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d’Affaires Mike HANKEY (since 4 August 2019)

telephone: 962 590-6000

embassy: Abdoun, Al-Umawyeen St., Amman

mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; Unit 70200, Box 5, DPO AE 09892-0200

FAX: 962 592-0163

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of black (top), representing the Abbassid Caliphate, white, representing the Ummayyad Caliphate, and green, representing the Fatimid Caliphate; a red isosceles triangle on the hoist side, representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, and bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations; design is based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I

National symbol(s)

eagle; national colors: black, white, green, red

National anthem

None

Economy :: Jordan

Economy – overview

Jordan’s economy is among the smallest in the Middle East, with insufficient supplies of water, oil, and other natural resources, underlying the government’s heavy reliance on foreign assistance. Other economic challenges for the government include chronic high rates of unemployment and underemployment, budget and current account deficits, and government debt.

King ABDALLAH, during the first decade of the 2000s, implemented significant economic reforms, such as expanding foreign trade and privatizing state-owned companies that attracted foreign investment and contributed to average annual economic growth of 8% for 2004 through 2008. The global economic slowdown and regional turmoil contributed to slower growth from 2010 to 2017 – with growth averaging about 2.5% per year – and hurt export-oriented sectors, construction/real estate, and tourism. Since the onset of the civil war in Syria and resulting refugee crisis, one of Jordans most pressing socioeconomic challenges has been managing the influx of approximately 660,000 UN-registered refugees, more than 80% of whom live in Jordans urban areas. Jordans own official census estimated the refugee number at 1.3 million Syrians as of early 2016.

Jordan is nearly completely dependent on imported energymostly natural gasand energy consistently makes up 25-30% of Jordans imports. To diversify its energy mix, Jordan has secured several contracts for liquefied and pipeline natural gas, developed several major renewables projects, and is currently exploring nuclear power generation and exploitation of abundant oil shale reserves. In August 2016, Jordan and the IMF agreed to a $723 million Extended Fund Facility that aims to build on the three-year, $2.1 billion IMF program that ended in August 2015 with the goal of helping Jordan correct budgetary and balance of payments imbalances.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$89 billion (2017 est.)
$87.28 billion (2016 est.)
$85.56 billion (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP (official exchange rate)

$40.13 billion (2017 est.)

GDP – real growth rate

2% (2017 est.)
2% (2016 est.)
2.4% (2015 est.)

GDP – per capita (PPP)

$9,200 (2017 est.)
$9,200 (2016 est.)
$9,300 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

9.1% of GDP (2017 est.)
9.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
10.2% of GDP (2015 est.)

GDP – composition, by end use

household consumption: 80.5% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 19.8% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 22.8% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 0.7% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 34.2% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -58% (2017 est.)

GDP – composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 4.5% (2017 est.)

industry: 28.8% (2017 est.)

services: 66.6% (2017 est.)

Agriculture – products

citrus, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, strawberries, stone fruits; sheep, poultry, dairy

Industries

tourism, information technology, clothing, fertilizer, potash, phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, inorganic chemicals, light manufacturing

Industrial production growth rate

1.4% (2017 est.)

Labor force

2.295 million (2017 est.)

Labor force – by occupation

agriculture: 2%

industry: 20%

services: 78% (2013 est.)

Unemployment rate

18.3% (2017 est.)
15.3% (2016 est.)

note: official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30%

Population below poverty line

14.2% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.4%
highest 10%: 28.7% (2010 est.)

Budget

revenues: 9.462 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 11.51 billion (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

23.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-5.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt

95.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
95.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: data cover central government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions

Fiscal year

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.3% (2017 est.)
-0.8% (2016 est.)

Current account balance

-$4.257 billion (2017 est.)
-$3.693 billion (2016 est.)

Exports

$7.511 billion (2017 est.)
$7.509 billion (2016 est.)

Exports – partners

US 24.9%, Saudi Arabia 12.8%, India 8.2%, Iraq 8.2%, Kuwait 5.4%, UAE 4.6% (2017)

Exports – commodities

textiles, fertilizers, potash, phosphates, vegetables, pharmaceuticals

Imports

$18.21 billion (2017 est.)
$17.14 billion (2016 est.)

Imports – commodities

crude oil, refined petroleum products, machinery, transport equipment, iron, cereals

Imports – partners

China 13.6%, Saudi Arabia 13.6%, US 9.9%, UAE 4.9%, Germany 4.4% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$15.56 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$15.54 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt – external

$29.34 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$26.38 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Exchange rates

Jordanian dinars (JOD) per US dollar –
0.71 (2017 est.)
0.71 (2016 est.)
0.71 (2015 est.)
0.71 (2014 est.)
0.71 (2013 est.)

Energy :: Jordan

Electricity access

electrification – total population: 100% (2016)

Electricity – production

18.6 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity – consumption

16.82 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity – exports

50 million kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity – imports

334 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity – installed generating capacity

4.764 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity – from fossil fuels

87% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity – from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity – from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity – from other renewable sources

12% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Crude oil – production

22 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil – exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil – imports

67,980 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil – proved reserves

1 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum products – production

67,240 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products – consumption

139,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products – exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products – imports

68,460 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas – production

121.8 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas – consumption

5.238 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas – exports

1.359 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas – imports

6.456 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas – proved reserves

6.031 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

27.39 million Mt (2017 est.)

Communications :: Jordan

Telephones – fixed lines

total subscriptions: 369,145

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2018 est.)

Telephones – mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 8,731,760

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 83 (2018 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: microwave radio relay transmission and coaxial and fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk lines; growing mobile-cellular usage in both urban and rural areas is reducing use of fixed-line services; recent influx of refugees putting burden on country’s economy, infrastructure and society; mobile broadband is area of growth with 4G services; govt. recently launched Ministry of Digital Economy & Entrepreneurship; preparing for next wave of development with 5G and IoT/MsM services (2020)

domestic: 1995 telecommunications law opened all non-fixed-line services to private competition; in 2005, monopoly over fixed-line services terminated and the entire telecommunications sector was opened to competition; currently multiple mobile-cellular providers with subscribership up to 83 per 100 persons; fixed-line 4 per 100 persons (2018)

international: country code – 962; landing point for the FEA and Taba-Aqaba submarine cable networks providing connectivity to Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Asia; satellite earth stations – 33 (3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals (2019)

note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic’s effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry – mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite – has moderated

Broadcast media

radio and TV dominated by the government-owned Jordan Radio and Television Corporation (JRTV) that operates a main network, a sports network, a film network, and a satellite channel; first independent TV broadcaster aired in 2007; international satellite TV and Israeli and Syrian TV broadcasts are available; roughly 30 radio stations with JRTV operating the main government-owned station; transmissions of multiple international radio broadcasters are available

Internet country code

.jo

Internet users

total: 6,985,174

percent of population: 66.79% (July 2018 est.)

Broadband – fixed subscriptions

total: 399,596

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2018 est.)

Military and Security :: Jordan

Military and security forces

Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF): Royal Jordanian Army (includes Special Operations Forces, Border Guards, Royal Guard), Royal Jordanian Navy, Royal Jordanian Air Force; Ministry of Interior: General Directorate of Gendarmerie Forces, Public Security Directorate (2020)

Military expenditures

4.7% of GDP (2019)
4.7% of GDP (2018)
4.8% of GDP (2017)
4.6% of GDP (2016)
4.3% of GDP (2015)

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) have approximately 101,000 active personnel (87,000 Army; 500 Navy; 14,000 Air Force); est. 15,000 Gendarmerie Forces
(2019 est.)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the JAF inventory is comprised of a wide mix of imported weapons, mostly second-hand equipment from Europe and the US; since 2010, the Netherlands and the US are the leading suppliers of military hardware to Jordan (2019 est.)

Military service age and obligation

17 years of age for voluntary male military service; initial service term 2 years, with option to reenlist for 18 years; conscription at age 18 suspended in 1999; women are not conscripted, but can volunteer to serve in noncombat military positions in the Royal Jordanian Arab Army Women’s Corps and RJAF (2013)

Transportation :: Jordan

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 4 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 54

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 3,383,805 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 175.84 million mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

JY (2016)

Airports

18 (2013)

Airports – with paved runways

total: 16 (2017)

over 3,047 m: 8 (2017)

2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 (2017)

1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2017)

914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2017)

Airports – with unpaved runways

total: 2 (2013)

under 914 m: 2 (2013)

Heliports

1 (2012)

Pipelines

473 km gas, 49 km oil (2013)

Railways

total: 509 km (2014)

narrow gauge: 509 km 1.050-m gauge (2014)

Roadways

total: 7,203 km (2011)

paved: 7,203 km (2011)

Merchant marine

total: 32

by type: general cargo 7, oil tanker 1, other 24 (2019)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Al ‘Aqabah

Transnational Issues :: Jordan

Disputes – international

2004 Agreement settles border dispute with Syria pending demarcation

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 67,266 (Iraq), 14,730 (Yemen), 6,116 Sudan (2019); 2,272,411 (Palestinian refugees), 659,673 (Syria) (2020)

Source: https://www.cia.gov