Jordan Geography

What is the terrain and geography like in Jordan?

Overview

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is located in the heart of the Middle East and the Arab World. Most of Jordan's borders do not follow well-defined or natural features of the terrain. Rather, they were established by various international agreements. In the 1967 War, the West Bank of the Jordan River, which Jordan had annexed in 1949, came under Israeli occupation. In 1988, King Hussein relinquished Jordan's claim to administrative control of the West Bank.

The country's terrain varies. On the eastern desert plateau, average elevation is 3,000 feet; in the west, mountains rise to 5,700 feet; and at the Dead Sea, terrain drops to the Earth's lowest land point of some 1,300 feet below sea level. Although historically an earthquake-prone region, no severe shocks have been recorded for several centuries.

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

Jordan Use of Natural Resources

Geographic Location	Middle East
Total Area	34,495 Square Miles 89,342 Square Kilometers
Land Area	34,286 Square Miles 88,802 Square Kilometers
Water Area	208 Square Miles 540 Square Kilometers
Land Boundaries	1,016 Miles 1,635 Kilometers
Irrigated Land	304 Square Miles 789 Square Kilometers
Border Countries	Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km
Coastline	16 Miles 26 Kilometers
Geographic Coordinates	31 00 N, 36 00 E
Terrain	mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River
Highest Point	1,734 Meters
Highest Point Location	Jabal Ram 1,734 m
Lowest Point	-408 Meters
Lowest Point Location	Dead Sea -408 m
Natural Resources	phosphates, potash, shale oil
Time Zone	UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time	+1hr, begins last Friday in March; ends last Friday in October

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