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
water: 329 sq km
land: 91,971 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%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 96% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 750 sq km (1998 est.)

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, Nuclear Test Ban, 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

NOTE: The information regarding Jordan on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Jordan Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Jordan Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.