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READ MORE ABOUT JORDAN
Jordan lies to the east of the Mediterranean sea and just northwest of the Arabian
Peninsula. It is bordered in the north by Syria, in the east by Iraq, in the east and south by
Saudi Arabia and in the west by Israel and the West Bank. Except for a small stretch on the
Red Sea in the very south, Jordan is landlocked. The fertile Jordan valley runs along the
western border in the north. The land from the Dead Sea along the central western border
and south is quite dry and barren. The central uplands, with their temperate climate
and rich soils have steadily attracted settlements for thousands of years. The eastern desert
forms over 75 percent of the land of Jordan and is sparsely populated.
The government of Jordan is a constitutional monarchy. The current ruler is King Abdullah. The legislative body is the
National Assembly which consists of 2 chambers; the 40 member senate, appointed by the
king; and the popularly elected 80 member Chamber of Deputies.
Jordan is a developing country with increasing industry and foreign investment. Jordan's major export products are phosphates
and fruits. Tourism is
increasingly significant to the economy with 2.5 million visitors a year.
Jordan is mostly Sunni Muslim (96%) with minority Christian and Shi'ite Muslim communities.
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