Jordan vs. Israel
Geography
| Jordan | Israel | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia, between Israel (to the west) and Iraq | Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon |
| Geographic coordinates | 31 00 N, 36 00 E | 31 30 N, 34 45 E |
| Map references | Middle East | Middle East |
| Area | total: 89,342 sq km land: 88,802 sq km water: 540 sq km | total: 21,937 sq km land: 21,497 sq km water: 440 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about three-quarters the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Indiana | slightly larger than New Jersey |
| Land boundaries | total: 1,744 km border countries (5): Iraq 179 km, Israel 307 km, Saudi Arabia 731 km, Syria 379 km, West Bank 148 km | total: 1,068 km border countries (6): Egypt 208 km, Gaza Strip 59 km, Jordan 327 km (20 km are within the Dead Sea), Lebanon 81 km, Syria 83 km, West Bank 330 km |
| Coastline | 26 km | 273 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm | territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: to depth of exploitation |
| Climate | mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April) | temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas |
| Terrain | mostly arid desert plateau; a great north-south geological rift along the west of the country is the dominant topographical feature and includes the Jordan River Valley, the Dead Sea, and the Jordanian Highlands | Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Jabal Umm ad Dami 1,854 m lowest point: Dead Sea -431 m mean elevation: 812 m | highest point: Mitspe Shlagim 2,224 m; note - this is the highest named point, the actual highest point is an unnamed dome slightly to the west of Mitspe Shlagim at 2,236 m; both points are on the northeastern border of Israel, along the southern end of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range lowest point: Dead Sea -431 m mean elevation: 508 m note - does not include elevation data from the Golan Heights |
| Natural resources | phosphates, potash, shale oil | timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand |
| Land use | agricultural land: 11.4% (2018 est.) arable land: 2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 8.4% (2018 est.) forest: 1.1% (2018 est.) other: 87.5% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 23.8% (2018 est.) arable land: 13.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 3.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 6.3% (2018 est.) forest: 7.1% (2018 est.) other: 69.1% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 964 sq km (2012) | 2,250 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | droughts; periodic earthquakes; flash floods | sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes |
| Environment - current issues | limited natural freshwater resources; declining water table; salinity; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; biodiversity and ecosystem damage/loss | limited arable land and restricted natural freshwater resources; desertification; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Marine Life Conservation |
| 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; the Dead Sea, the lowest point in Asia and the second saltiest body of water in the world (after Lac Assal in Djibouti), lies on Jordan's western border with Israel and the West Bank; Jordan is almost landlocked but does have a 26 km southwestern coastline with a single port, Al 'Aqabah (Aqaba) | note 1: Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) is an important freshwater source; the Dead Sea is the second saltiest body of water in the world (after Lake Assal in Djibouti) note 2: the Malham Cave in Mount Sodom is the world's longest salt cave at 10 km (6 mi); its survey is not complete and its length will undoubtedly increase; Mount Sodom is actually a hill some 220 m (722 ft) high that is 80% salt (multiple salt layers covered by a veneer of rock) note 3: in March 2019, there were 380 Israeli settlements,to include 213 settlements and 132 outposts in the West Bank, and 35 settlements in East Jerusalem; there are no Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, as all were evacuated in 2005 (2019) |
| Total renewable water resources | 937 million cubic meters (2017 est.) | 1.78 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | population heavily concentrated in the west, and particularly the northwest, in and around the capital of Amman; a sizeable, but smaller population is located in the southwest along the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba | population concentrated in and around Tel-Aviv, as well as around the Sea of Galilee; the south remains sparsely populated with the exception of the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba |
Source: CIA Factbook
