West Bank vs. Jordan
Introduction
| West Bank | Jordan | |
|---|---|---|
| Background | Inhabited since at least the 15th century B.C., the West Bank has been dominated by many different peoples throughout its history; it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in the early 16th century. The West Bank fell to British forces during World War I, becoming part of the British Mandate of Palestine. Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the West Bank was captured by Transjordan (later renamed Jordan), which annexed the West Bank in 1950; it was captured by Israel in the Six-Day War in 1967. Under a series of agreements known as the Oslo accords signed between 1993 and 1999, Israel transferred to the newly created Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for many Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank as well as the Gaza Strip. In 2000, a violent intifada or uprising began, and in 2001 negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip stalled. Subsequent attempts to re-start direct negotiations have not resulted in progress toward determining final status of the area. | Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations awarded Britain the mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain demarcated a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in the early 1920s. The area gained its independence in 1946 and thereafter became The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The country's long-time ruler, King HUSSEIN (1953-99), successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population. Jordan lost the West Bank to Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. King HUSSEIN in 1988 permanently relinquished Jordanian claims to the West Bank; in 1994 he signed a peace treaty with Israel. King ABDALLAH II, King HUSSEIN's eldest son, assumed the throne following his father's death in 1999. He has implemented modest political reforms, including the passage of a new electoral law in early 2016 and an effort to devolve some authority to governorate- and municipal-level councils following subnational elections in 2017. In 2016, the Islamic Action Front, which is the political arm of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood, returned to the National Assembly with 15 seats after boycotting the previous two elections in 2010 and 2013. |
Geography
| West Bank | Jordan | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Middle East, west of Jordan, east of Israel | Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia, between Israel (to the west) and Iraq |
| Geographic coordinates | 32 00 N, 35 15 E | 31 00 N, 36 00 E |
| Map references | Middle East | Middle East |
| Area | total: 5,860 sq km land: 5,640 sq km water: 220 sq km note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967 | total: 89,342 sq km land: 88,802 sq km water: 540 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Delaware | about three-quarters the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Indiana |
| Land boundaries | total: 478 km border countries (2): Israel 330 km, Jordan 148 km | total: 1,744 km border countries (5): Iraq 179 km, Israel 307 km, Saudi Arabia 731 km, Syria 379 km, West Bank 148 km |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 26 km |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 3 nm |
| Climate | temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters | mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April) |
| Terrain | mostly rugged, dissected upland in west, flat plains descending to Jordan River Valley to the east | 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 |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Khallat al Batrakh 1,020 m lowest point: Dead Sea -431 m | highest point: Jabal Umm ad Dami 1,854 m lowest point: Dead Sea -431 m mean elevation: 812 m |
| Natural resources | arable land | phosphates, potash, shale oil |
| Land use | agricultural land: 43.3% (2018 est.) arable land: 7.4% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 11% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 24.9% (2018 est.) forest: 1.5% (2018 est.) other: 55.2% (2018 est.) note: includes Gaza Strip | 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.) |
| Irrigated land | 240 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2012) | 964 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | droughts | droughts; periodic earthquakes; flash floods |
| Environment - current issues | adequacy of freshwater supply; sewage treatment | limited natural freshwater resources; declining water table; salinity; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; biodiversity and ecosystem damage/loss |
| Geography - note | landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are about 380 Israeli civilian sites, including about 213 settlements and 132 small outpost communities in the West Bank and 35 sites in East Jerusalem (2017) | 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) |
| Total renewable water resources | 837 million cubic meters (2017 est.) note: data represent combined total from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. | 937 million cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | Palestinian settlements are primarily located in the central to western half of the territory; Jewish settlements are found in pockets throughout, particularly in the northeast, north-central, and around Jerusalem | 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 |
Demographics
| West Bank | Jordan | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,949,246 (July 2021 est.) note: approximately 432,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank (2019); approximately 227,100 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem (2019) | 10,909,567 (July 2021 est.) note: increased estimate reflects revised assumptions about the net migration rate due to the increased flow of Syrian refugees |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 35.31% (male 525,645/female 498,458) 15-24 years: 20.75% (male 307,420/female 294,469) 25-54 years: 35.19% (male 516,758/female 503,626) 55-64 years: 5.12% (male 76,615/female 72,006) 65 years and over: 3.62% (male 48,387/female 56,650) (2020 est.) | 0-14 years: 33.05% (male 1,837,696/female 1,738,935) 15-24 years: 19.77% (male 1,126,567/female 1,012,812) 25-54 years: 38.39% (male 2,250,328/female 1,903,996) 55-64 years: 5.11% (male 290,633/female 262,827) 65 years and over: 3.67% (male 194,464/female 202,386) (2020 est.) |
| Median age | total: 21.9 years male: 21.7 years female: 22.2 years (2020 est.) | total: 23.5 years male: 23.9 years female: 22.9 years (2020 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 1.72% (2021 est.) | 0.82% (2021 est.) |
| Birth rate | 24.8 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 22.79 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
| Death rate | 3.43 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 3.44 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
| Net migration rate | -4.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.) | -11.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2020 est.) | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.18 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 1.11 male(s)/female (2020 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 15.68 deaths/1,000 live births male: 18.14 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.) | total: 14.25 deaths/1,000 live births male: 15.43 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 76.12 years male: 74.02 years female: 78.36 years (2021 est.) | total population: 75.75 years male: 74.25 years female: 77.35 years (2021 est.) |
| Total fertility rate | 3.02 children born/woman (2021 est.) | 3 children born/woman (2021 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | NA | <.1% (2020 est.) |
| Nationality | noun: NA adjective: NA | noun: Jordanian(s) adjective: Jordanian |
| Ethnic groups | Palestinian Arab, Jewish, other | Jordanian 69.3%, Syrian 13.3%, Palestinian 6.7%, Egyptian 6.7%, Iraqi 1.4%, other 2.6% (includes Armenian, Circassian) (2015 est.) note: data represent population by self-identified nationality |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | NA | <1,000 (2020 est.) |
| Religions | Muslim 80-85% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 12-14%, Christian 1-2.5% (mainly Greek Orthodox), other, unaffiliated, unspecified <1% (2012 est.) | Muslim 97.1% (official; predominantly Sunni), Christian 2.1% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), Buddhist 0.4%, Hindu 0.1%, Jewish <0.1, folk <0.1, unaffiliated <0.1, other <0.1 (2020 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | NA | <100 (2020 est.) |
| Languages | Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood) major-language sample(s): ???? ????? ??????? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ????????? ??? ????????? ???????? (Arabic) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. | Arabic (official), English (widely understood among upper and middle classes) major-language sample(s): ???? ????? ??????? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ????????? ??? ????????? ???????? (Arabic) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.2% male: 98.7% female: 95.7% (2018) note: estimates are for Gaza and the West Bank | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.2% male: 98.6% female: 97.8% (2018) |
| School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) | total: 13 years male: 13 years female: 14 years (2019) note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank | total: 11 years male: 11 years female: 11 years (2012) |
| Education expenditures | 5.3% of GDP (2017) note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank | 3.1% of GDP (2019) |
| Urbanization | urban population: 77% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 2.85% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank | urban population: 91.6% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 0.98% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) |
| Drinking water source | improved: urban: 97.1% of population rural: 97.1% of population total: 96.8% of population unimproved: urban: 2.9% of population rural: 2.9% of population total: 3.2% of population (2017 est.) note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank | improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 97.7% of population total: 98.9% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 2.2% of population total: 1.1% of population (2017 est.) |
| Sanitation facility access | improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 99.3% of population total: 99.8% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 0.7% of population total: 0.2% of population (2017 est.) note: note includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank | improved: urban: 98.6% of population rural: 96.6% of population total: 98.5% of population unimproved: urban: 1.4% of population rural: 3.7% of population total: 1.5% of population (2017 est.) |
| Maternal mortality rate | 27 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.) note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank | 46 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.) |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 2.1% (2019/20) note: estimate is for Gaza Strip and the West Bank | 3% (2012) |
| Physicians density | 1.45 physicians/1,000 population (2017) | 2.32 physicians/1,000 population (2017) |
| Hospital bed density | 1.3 beds/1,000 population (2018) | 1.5 beds/1,000 population (2017) |
| Contraceptive prevalence rate | 57.3% (2019/20) note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank | 51.8% (2017/18) |
| Dependency ratios | total dependency ratio: 71.2 youth dependency ratio: 65.7 elderly dependency ratio: 5.5 potential support ratio: 18.2 (2020 est.) note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank | total dependency ratio: 58.2 youth dependency ratio: 52 elderly dependency ratio: 6.3 potential support ratio: 16 (2020 est.) |
Government
| West Bank | Jordan | |
|---|---|---|
| Country name | conventional long form: none conventional short form: West Bank etymology: name refers to the location of the region - occupied and administered by Jordan after 1948 - that fell on the far side (west bank) of the Jordan River in relation to Jordan proper; the designation was retained following the 1967 Six-Day War and the subsequent changes in government | conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan conventional short form: Jordan local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah local short form: Al Urdun former: Transjordan etymology: named for the Jordan River, which makes up part of Jordan's northwest border |
Economy
| West Bank | Jordan | |
|---|---|---|
| Economy - overview | In 2017, the economic outlook in the West Bank - the larger of the two areas comprising the Palestinian Territories - remained fragile, as security concerns and political friction slowed economic growth. Unemployment in the West Bank remained high at 19.0% in the third quarter of 2017, only slightly better than 19.6% at the same point the previous year, while the labor force participation rate remained flat, year-on-year. Longstanding Israeli restrictions on imports, exports, and movement of goods and people continue to disrupt labor and trade flows and the territory's industrial capacity, and constrain private sector development. The PA's budget benefited from an effort to improve tax collection, coupled with lower spending in 2017, but the PA for the foreseeable future will continue to rely heavily on donor aid for its budgetary needs and infrastructure development. | Jordan's economy is among the smallest in the Middle East, with insufficient supplies of water, oil, and other natural resources, underlying the government's heavy reliance on foreign assistance. Other economic challenges for the government include chronic high rates of unemployment and underemployment, budget and current account deficits, and government debt. King ABDALLAH, during the first decade of the 2000s, implemented significant economic reforms, such as expanding foreign trade and privatizing state-owned companies that attracted foreign investment and contributed to average annual economic growth of 8% for 2004 through 2008. The global economic slowdown and regional turmoil contributed to slower growth from 2010 to 2017 - with growth averaging about 2.5% per year - and hurt export-oriented sectors, construction/real estate, and tourism. Since the onset of the civil war in Syria and resulting refugee crisis, one of Jordan's most pressing socioeconomic challenges has been managing the influx of approximately 660,000 UN-registered refugees, more than 80% of whom live in Jordan's urban areas. Jordan's own official census estimated the refugee number at 1.3 million Syrians as of early 2016. Jordan is nearly completely dependent on imported energy-mostly natural gas-and energy consistently makes up 25-30% of Jordan's imports. To diversify its energy mix, Jordan has secured several contracts for liquefied and pipeline natural gas, developed several major renewables projects, and is currently exploring nuclear power generation and exploitation of abundant oil shale reserves. In August 2016, Jordan and the IMF agreed to a $723 million Extended Fund Facility that aims to build on the three-year, $2.1 billion IMF program that ended in August 2015 with the goal of helping Jordan correct budgetary and balance of payments imbalances. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | $21.22 billion (2014 est.) $20.15 billion (2013 est.) $19.95 billion (2012 est.) note: data are in 2014 US dollars; includes Gaza Strip | $101.738 billion (2019 est.) $99.786 billion (2018 est.) $97.893 billion (2017 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars |
| GDP - real growth rate | 5.3% (2014 est.) 1% (2013 est.) 6% (2012 est.) note: excludes Gaza Strip | 2% (2019 est.) 1.94% (2018 est.) 2.12% (2017 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | $6,220 (2019 est.) $6,318 (2018 est.) $6,402 (2017 est.) note: includes Gaza Strip | $10,071 (2019 est.) $10,023 (2018 est.) $10,010 (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 2.9% (2017 est.) industry: 19.5% (2017 est.) services: 77.6% (2017 est.) note: excludes Gaza Strip | agriculture: 4.5% (2017 est.) industry: 28.8% (2017 est.) services: 66.6% (2017 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 18% (2011 est.) | 15.7% (2018 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 28.2% (2009 est.) note: includes Gaza Strip | lowest 10%: 3.4% highest 10%: 28.7% (2010 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 0.2% (2017 est.) -0.2% (2016 est.) note: excludes Gaza Strip | 0.3% (2019 est.) 4.4% (2018 est.) 3.3% (2017 est.) |
| Labor force | 1.24 million (2017 est.) note: excludes Gaza Strip | 731,000 (2020 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 11.5% industry: 34.4% services: 54.1% (2013 est.) note: excludes Gaza Strip | agriculture: 2% industry: 20% services: 78% (2013 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 27.9% (2017 est.) 27% (2016 est.) note: excludes Gaza Strip | 19.1% (2019 est.) 18.61% (2018 est.) note: official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30% |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 33.7 (2016 est.) 38.7 (2007 est.) note: includes Gaza Strip | 33.7 (2010 est.) 36.4 (1997) |
| Budget | revenues: 1.314 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: 1.278 billion (2017 est.) note: includes Palestinian Authority expenditures in the Gaza Strip | revenues: 9.462 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: 11.51 billion (2017 est.) |
| Industries | small-scale manufacturing, quarrying, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs | tourism, information technology, clothing, fertilizer, potash, phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, inorganic chemicals, light manufacturing |
| Industrial production growth rate | 2.2% (2017 est.) note: includes Gaza Strip | 1.4% (2017 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, poultry, milk, potatoes, sheep milk, eggplants, gourds | tomatoes, poultry, olives, milk, potatoes, cucumbers, vegetables, watermelons, green chillies/peppers, peaches/nectarines |
| Exports | $2.126 billion (2017 est.) $1.827 billion (2016 est.) note: excludes Gaza Strip | $13.109 billion (2018 est.) $12.718 billion (2017 est.) |
| Exports - commodities | stone, olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone | fertilizers, calcium phosphates, packaged medicines, clothing and apparel, phosphoric acid (2019) |
| Imports | $6.565 billion (2017 est.) $6.207 billion (2016 est.) note: data include the Gaza Strip | $19.669 billion (2018 est.) $19.353 billion (2017 est.) |
| Imports - commodities | food, consumer goods, construction materials, petroleum, chemicals | cars, refined petroleum, natural gas, crude petroleum, clothing and apparel (2019) |
| Debt - external | $1.662 billion (31 March 2016 est.) $1.467 billion (31 March 2015 est.) note: data include the Gaza Strip | $32.088 billion (2019 est.) $29.916 billion (2018 est.) |
| Exchange rates | new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - 3.606 (2017 est.) 3.841 (2016 est.) 3.841 (2015 est.) 3.8869 (2014 est.) 3.5779 (2013 est.) | Jordanian dinars (JOD) per US dollar - 0.709 (2020 est.) 0.709 (2019 est.) 0.70925 (2018 est.) 0.71 (2014 est.) 0.71 (2013 est.) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Public debt | 24.4% of GDP (2014 est.) 23.8% of GDP (2013 est.) | 95.9% of GDP (2017 est.) 95.1% of GDP (2016 est.) note: data cover central government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | $0 (31 December 2017 est.) $583 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $15.56 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $15.54 billion (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Current Account Balance | -$1.444 billion (2017 est.) -$1.348 billion (2016 est.) | -$1.222 billion (2019 est.) -$2.964 billion (2018 est.) |
| GDP (official exchange rate) | $9.828 billion (2014 est.) note: excludes Gaza Strip | $44.568 billion (2019 est.) |
| Taxes and other revenues | 13.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.) | 23.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | 0.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.) | -5.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | total: 40.2% male: 34.8% female: 67.2% (2019 est.) note: includes Gaza Strip | total: 37.3% male: 34.8% female: 49.4% (2019 est.) |
| GDP - composition, by end use | household consumption: 91.3% (2017 est.) government consumption: 26.7% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 23% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 20% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -61% (2017 est.) note: excludes Gaza Strip | household consumption: 80.5% (2017 est.) government consumption: 19.8% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 22.8% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0.7% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 34.2% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -58% (2017 est.) |
| Gross national saving | 15.5% of GDP (2018 est.) 14.4% of GDP (2017 est.) 5% of GDP (2012 est.) note: includes Gaza Strip | 15.8% of GDP (2019 est.) 12% of GDP (2018 est.) 8.9% of GDP (2017 est.) |
Energy
| West Bank | Jordan | |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 1.093 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 18.6 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption | 6.489 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 16.82 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2016) | 50 million kWh (2015 est.) |
| Electricity - imports | 5.473 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 334 million kWh (2016 est.) |
| Oil - production | 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) | 22 bbl/day (2018 est.) |
| Oil - imports | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) | 67,980 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Oil - exports | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves | 0 bbl (1 January 2018) | 1 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.) | 6.031 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.) |
| Natural gas - production | 0 cu m (2017 est.) | 121.8 million cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption | 0 cu m (2017 est.) | 5.238 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports | 0 cu m (2017 est.) | 1.359 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports | 0 cu m (2017 est.) | 6.456 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 170,000 kW (2016 est.) note: includes Gaza Strip | 4.764 million kW (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 78% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) | 87% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - from nuclear fuels | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 22% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 12% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) | 67,240 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 24,000 bbl/day (2016 est.) | 139,000 bbl/day (2016 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 19 bbl/day (2015 est.) | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 22,740 bbl/day (2015 est.) | 68,460 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Electricity access | electrification - total population: 100% (2020) note: data for West Bank and Gaza Strip combined | electrification - total population: 100% (2020) |
Telecommunications
| West Bank | Jordan | |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | total subscriptions: 472,293 (includes Gaza Strip) (2017 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (includes Gaza Strip) (2016 est.) | total subscriptions: 355,537 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3.33 (2019 est.) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | total subscriptions: 4,135,363 (includes Gaza Strip) (2017 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 76 (includes Gaza Strip) (2017 est.) | total subscriptions: 7,778,770 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 72.91 (2019 est.) |
| Internet country code | .psnote - same as Gaza Strip | .jo |
| Internet users | total: 2.673 million (includes Gaza Strip) percent of population: 57.4% (July 2016 est.) | total: 6,985,174 percent of population: 66.79% (July 2018 est.) |
| Telecommunication systems | general assessment: continuing political and economic instability has impeded liberalization of the telecommunications industry (2018) domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed-line services; two Palestinian cellular providers, JAWWAL and WATANIYA MOBILE, launched 3G mobile networks in the West Bank in January 2018 after Israel lifted its ban; fixed-line 9 per 100 and mobile-cellular 76 per 100 (includes Gaza Strip) (2019) international: country code 970 or 972; 1 international switch in Ramallah note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments | general assessment: Jordan is host to a growing number of ICT companies and has emerged as a technology start-up hub for the Middle East; recently focused on telecom solutions to pandemic issues such as e-health and education; progress in the digital financial services; economic goals rely on digital economy, developed mobile sector, and extensive LTE infrastructure; preparation for 5G and e-commerce; importer of broadcasting equipment from Vietnam and China (2021) (2020)domestic: 1995 a telecommunications law opened all non-fixed-line services to private competition; in 2005, the monopoly over fixed-line services terminated and the entire telecommunications sector was opened to competition; currently fixed-line 4 per 100 persons and multiple mobile-cellular providers with subscribership up to 77 per 100 persons (2019) international: country code - 962; landing point for the FEA and Taba-Aqaba submarine cable networks providing connectivity to Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Asia; satellite earth stations - 33 (3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments |
| Broadband - fixed subscriptions | total: 371,299 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2017 est.) note: includes Gaza Strip | total: 457,496 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4.29 (2019 est.) |
| Broadcast media | the Palestinian Authority operates 1 TV and 1 radio station; about 20 private TV and 40 radio stations; both Jordanian TV and satellite TV are accessible | radio and TV dominated by the government-owned Jordan Radio and Television Corporation (JRTV) that operates a main network, a sports network, a film network, and a satellite channel; first independent TV broadcaster aired in 2007; international satellite TV and Israeli and Syrian TV broadcasts are available; roughly 30 radio stations with JRTV operating the main government-owned station; transmissions of multiple international radio broadcasters are available |
Transportation
| West Bank | Jordan | |
|---|---|---|
| Roadways | total: 4,686 km (2010) paved: 4,686 km (2010) note: includes Gaza Strip | total: 7,203 km (2011) paved: 7,203 km (2011) |
| Airports | total: 2 (2013) | total: 18 (2013) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 2 (2013) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013) under 914 m: 1 (2013) | total: 16 (2017) over 3,047 m: 8 (2017) 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 (2017) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2017) 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2017) |
| Heliports | 1 (2013) | 1 (2012) |
Military
| West Bank | Jordan | |
|---|---|---|
| Military branches | per the Oslo Accords, the PA is not permitted a conventional military but maintains security and police forces; PA security personnel have operated almost exclusively in the West Bank since HAMAS seized power in the Gaza Strip in 2007; PA forces include National Security Forces, Presidential Guard, Civil Police, Civil Defense, Preventative Security Service, the General Intelligence Organization, and the Military Intelligence Organization (2020) | Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF): Royal Jordanian Army (includes Special Operations Forces, Border Guards, Royal Guard), Royal Jordanian Air Force, Royal Jordanian Coast Guard; Ministry of Interior: General Directorate of Gendarmerie Forces, Public Security Directorate (2020) |
| Military and security service personnel strengths | the Palestinian Authority Security Forces have approximately 30,000 active personnel (2020) | the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) have approximately 90,000 active personnel (77,000 Army; 500 Navy; 12,500 Air Force); est. 15,000 Gendarmerie Forces (2021) |
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the Palestinian Authority Security Forces are armed mostly with small arms and light weapons, although since 2007, they have received limited amounts of heavier equipment from Jordan (armored personnel carriers) and Russia (armored personnel carriers and transport helicopters) (2020) | the JAF inventory is comprised of a wide mix of imported weapons, mostly second-hand equipment from Europe, the Gulf States, and the US; since 2010, the Netherlands and the US are the leading suppliers of military hardware to Jordan (2020) |
Transnational Issues
| West Bank | Jordan | |
|---|---|---|
| Disputes - international | the current status of the West Bank is subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from Gaza and four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region | 2004 Agreement settles border dispute with Syria pending demarcation |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons | refugees (country of origin): 858,758 (Palestinian refugees) (2020) IDPs: 131,000 (includes persons displaced within the Gaza strip due to the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since June 2014 and other Palestinian IDPs in the Gaza Strip and West Bank who fled as long ago as 1967, although confirmed cumulative data do not go back beyond 2006) (2020) data represent Gaza Strip and West Bank | refugees (country of origin): 2,272,411 (Palestinian refugees) (2020); 669,497 (Syria), 66,760 (Iraq), 13,902 (Yemen), 6,024 Sudan (2021) stateless persons: 17 (2020) |
Terrorism
| West Bank | Jordan | |
|---|---|---|
| Terrorist Group(s) | Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade; HAMAS; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Kahane Chai; Palestine Islamic Jihad; Palestine Liberation Front; Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T | Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) |
Environment
| West Bank | Jordan | |
|---|---|---|
| Air pollutants | carbon dioxide emissions: 3.23 megatons (2016 est.) note: data represent combined total from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. | particulate matter emissions: 32.09 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 25.11 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 6.04 megatons (2020 est.) |
| Total water withdrawal | municipal: 181.2 million cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 32 million cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 162 million cubic meters (2017 est.) note: data represent combined total from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. | municipal: 456.9 million cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 32.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 554.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Revenue from forest resources | forest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.) | forest revenues: 0.02% of GDP (2018 est.) |
| Waste and recycling | municipal solid waste generated annually: 1.387 million tons (2016 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 6,935 tons (2013 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 0.5% (2013 est.) note: data represent combined total from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. | municipal solid waste generated annually: 2,529,997 tons (2013 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 177,100 tons (2014 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 7% (2014 est.) |
Source: CIA Factbook
