|
THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN
|
The Place
Jordan is a small country, but it consists of different geographic areas with special features. The Country's terrain provides a
range of landscapes and climate. Its diversity of habitats of desert, oasis, steppe and forest provide for the existance of a variety
of flora and fauna. There is the desert in the east, the fertile areas near Irbid and in the Jordan Valley, the steep valleys near
Wadi al- Mujib, the high mountains like al-Sharah mountains in the south and in the west flows the Jordan River to the lowest
point on earth, the Dead Sea which is 400 meters below sea level. The natural resources include pasture areas; the Badia or the
vast golden desert areas inhabited by highly adapted creatures and a variety of mammals like birds and reptiles; valleys with
multi- coloured spring flowers including the black iris; stunning coral reefs and magnificant marine life; lush oasis where migratory
birds rest, and wild animals like the wolf and the hayena. The archaeological sites, such as Jerash and Petra are a great
attraction for tourism. Last but not least are the raw material of phosphate and potash in al- Hasa and the Dead Sea areas which
are the main exports of Jordan. Jordan is around 89000 sq.km. and is situated in the Levant between Europe, Asia and Africa.
It is surrounded by Syria in the north, Iraq on the north east, Saudi Arabia on the east and south and Israel on the west. The
climate of Jordan is sunny and cloudless from May to early November, with warm days and cool nights. In winter the weather
could be very cold and wet , and snowy winters are quite frequent. The population of Jordan is around 4 million according to
the 1994 census, and the population growth is at 3.4% per annum.
|
|
|
|
