GEOGRAPHY
Cities:
Capital--Amman (pop. 1 million).
Other cities--Irbid (281,000), Az-Zarqa (421,000).
Location:
Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia
Map
references: Middle East
Area:
total area: 89,213 sq km
land area: 88,884 sq km
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: none
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 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: limited natural fresh water resources;
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
