Location Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates 31 00 N, 36 00 E

Map references Middle East

Area
total: 89,213 sq km
land: 88,884 sq km
water: 329 sq km

Area - comparative slightly smaller than Indiana

Land boundaries
total: 1,619 km
border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 728 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 1,754 m

Natural resources phosphates, potash, shale oil

Land use
arable land: 4%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 9%
forests and woodland: 1%
other: 85% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land 630 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards NA

Environment - current issues limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

NOTE: The information regarding Jordan on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Jordan Geography 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Jordan Geography 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.