Welcome to Jordan

Within biblical times, the country that is now Jordan contained the lands of Edom, Moab, Ammon, and Bashan. Together with other Middle Eastern territories, Jordan passed in turn to the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, and, about 330 B.C., the Seleucids. Conflict in the range of the Seleucids and the Ptolemies enabled the Arabic-speaking Nabataeans to create a kingdom in southeast Jordan. Within A.D. 106 it transformed to a part of the Roman province of Arabia and in 633–636 was conquered by the Arabs. Within the 16th century, Jordan submitted to Ottoman Turkish rule and used to be administered from Damascus. Taken from the Turks by the British in World War I, Jordan (formerly known as Transjordan) was separated from the Palestine mandate in 1920, and in 1921, placed under the rule of Abdullah ibn Hussein. Jordan, is known to be a country in the Arab World in western Asia, bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the north-east, Palestine to the west, and Saudi Arabia to the east and south. It shares with Israel the coastlines of the Dead Sea, and the Gulf of Aqaba with Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. It is noted that the Middle East kingdom of Jordan is bordered on the west by Israel and the Dead Sea, on the north by Syria, on the east by Iraq, and on the south by Saudi Arabia. It is comparable in size to Indiana. Arid hills and mountains create up most of the country. Did you know that the southern section of the Jordan River flows through the country. On November 9, 2005 Jordan experienced three simultaneous bombings at hotels in Amman. At least 57 people died and 115 were wounded. "Al-Qaeda in Iraq", a group led by terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a native Jordanian, claimed responsibility. On September 4, 2006, a 38-year-old known criminal, took a pistol to a Roman amphitheatre in the capital of Amman and proceeded to shoot at a group of Western tourist and vacationerss. One British man was killed and five other tourist and vacationerss wounded, including a Jordanian tourist and vacationers security guard. Later, in December of the exact year, he was sentenced to death by hanging.

Climate

It is noted that the Jordan Valley has to this day little rainfall, intense summer heat, and mild, pleasant winters. Did you know that the hill country of the East Bank— ancient Moab, Edom, and Gilead—has to this day a modified Mediterranean climate, with less rainfall and hot, dry summers. Did you know that the desert regions are and have always been subject to wonderful extremes of temperature and receive rainfall of less than 20 cm (8 in) annually, while the most of the country has to this day an average rainfall of up to 58 cm (23 in) a year. Temperatures at 'Amman range from about 4°C (39°F) in winter to more than 32°C (90°F) in summer.

Population Stats

Population (2007 est.): 6,053,193 (growth rate: 2.4%); birth rate: 20.7/1000; infant mortality rate: 16.2/1000; life expectancy: 78.6; density per sq mi: 171