Terrain

Jordan has three distinct geographic zones. The first is a desert plateau which covers three quarters of Jordan, reaching altitudes of between 600 and 900 metres. In the second, deep basins run across the plateau in the west of the country, where the Great Rift Valley begins, and continue on into Africa. It is in this region that the fertile Jordan Valley is located; it reaches 395 metres below sea level. The third region is the Syrian desert in the east of the country. Its highest peak is the Jabal Ram at 1,754 m.

Climate

Jordan's climate is characterized by great regional differences. The temperature in the Jordan Valley can reach about 50°C in the summer, while in Amman and Petra it can snow in the winter. The eastern area of the Plateau is usually warm and dry, with temperatures ranging between about 20 to 40 degrees.

Fauna/Flora

The pine forests of the north turn into the cultivated slopes of the Jordan Valley, which is where cedar, olive and eucalyptus trees grow. Further south, towards the Dead Sea, the landscape is dominated by mud and salt flats. Camels, foxes, sand rats, hares and jerboas live in the desert regions. The hills to the north east of the Dead Sea are home to boars, badgers and goats.

Jordan is particularly noted for its aquatic life; the Gulf of Aqaba has a great variety of tropical fish and coral. The country's largest sanctuary is the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, which is in the east. Small numbers of gazelle and oryx, which were once common throughout Jordan, are found in the reserve.

History/Politics

The territory of present-day Jordan was conquered successively from the 4th century BC onwards by the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians and Romans. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the territory became part of the Byzantine Empire and remained so until AD 637, when it was conquered by Muslims. In 1517, the Ottoman Empire captured the region, which remained under its power until the end of the First World War.

After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the territory of Jordan was ruled by Faisal I. He was overthrown in 1920 by England and France, who then distributed the Ottoman territories. The British divided the territory into Palestine (with the intention of creating a homeland for the Jews) and Transjordan. In 1921, Abdullah ibn Husayn, a member of the Hashemite dynasty, was made head of state of Transjordan.

Both territories were included in the mandate that the League of Nations gave to Great Britain. In a treaty signed with Great Britain in 1928, Transjordan became a constitutional monarchy ruled by a king chosen by the British.

The country supported the Allies in World War II and in 1946 it signed a treaty with Great Britain, in which it was granted its independence as the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan. In 1945, it became part of the League of Arab States and in 1948, following the Arab-Israeli war, the king of Jordan annexed the Palestinian territories to the west of the River Jordan. It was then called Jordan.

In 1953, King Hussein came to the throne and ruled until his death in 1999. In 1967, during the Six Day War with Israel, Israel occupied the territory of the West Bank. Over the years that followed, relations with Israel and the other Arab countries in the region were very tense, but in 1988 King Hussein renounced claim to the territories on the western side of Jordan in favour of the Palestinian liberation. Following the death of King Hussein in February 1999, King Abdullah II came to the throne, who a year later made a historical trip to Israel. In 2004, both countries agreed to build a science centre in the desert at the border.

Economy

Jordan does not have many natural resources; its land is arid and its does not have sufficient agricultural produce, which is why the country depends on foreign aid. For a long time, Jordan lay on a transit route for products destined for Iraq, from which it received subsidised petroleum in exchange. The Gulf War in 1990-1991 had a serious effect on Jordan's economy, since Jordan was forced to import petroleum from Yemen and Syria at higher prices.

In recent years, the various governments have implemented a series of reforms with the aim of improving the investment climate and attracting more foreign investors, to no avail. The unemployment rate was 15% in 2003 and the inflation rate was 2.5%.

Culture

Architecture is the main form of art in the Arab world. Jordan has many distinctive mosques, ancient ruins from Roman and Pre-Roman times and elaborate mosaics. An example of classical Arabic writing is Al-Mu'allaqaat, which is a collection of Arab poetry. Bedouin artwork includes silver jewellery, colourful textiles and a wide range of knives.