Jordan
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Amman
- Population
- 11,312,507 (2025 est.)
- Area
- 89,342 sq km
- Government
- parliamentary constitutional monarchy
- Religions
- 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%, other <0.1%, unaffiliated <0.1% (2020 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Jordanian 69.3%, Syrian 13.3%, Palestinian 6.7%, Egyptian 6.7%, Iraqi 1.4%, other 2.6% (2015 est.)
- Currency
- Jordanian dinars (JOD)
- Life Expectancy
- 76.5 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .jo
- Climate
- mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)
- 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
- Natural Resources
- phosphates, potash, shale oil
- Major Exports
- fertilizers, garments, phosphates, jewelry, phosphoric acid (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
After 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.