Jordan Geography Profile 2008

Location

Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates

31 00 N, 36 00 E

Map references

Middle East

Area

total: 92,300 sq km
land: 91,971 sq km
water: 329 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Indiana

Land boundaries

total: 1,635 km
border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km

Coastline

26 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 3 nm

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

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m

Natural resources

phosphates, potash, shale oil

Land use

arable land: 3.32%
permanent crops: 1.18%
other: 95.5% (2005)

Irrigated land

750 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources

0.9 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 1.01 cu km/yr (21%/4%/75%)
per capita: 177 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards

droughts; periodic earthquakes

Environment - current issues

limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

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