Jordan or The Middle East Kingdom of Jordan is located in the plateaus of the desert in South-western Asia, it is bordered to the west by Israel and the Dead Sea, to the north by Syria, eastwards by Iraq and on the south by Saudi Arabia.
Jordan is a relatively small country of varied landscapes, where the fertile Jordan Valley, bordering the entire western side of The Kingdom, is separated from the immense desert stretching to the east by the populated highlands.
As part of the Great Rift Valley, the Jordan Valley incorporates the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the earth's surface and most famous for its heavy salt and mineral concentrations, while the main towns are strung out along the length of the highland plateau, including the friendly capital, Amman, as well as plenty of historical sites from ancient civilisations.
Incorporated at various points in history into the empires of Babylonia, Mesopotamia, Pharoanic Egypt, Greece, Rome, and Persia, Jordan is now predominantly Muslim with a large Palestinian population.
The people of Jordan are hospitable and friendly, and women are highly active in the nation's education and economic systems. The inhabitants of Jordan are mostly of Arab descent (over half are of Palestinian descent), and Arabic is the official language, although English is also spoken among the higher socio economic groups. About 95% of the people are Sunni Muslims.
Jordan's economy has traditionally been based on agriculture, although less than 5% of the land is arable. The principal crops are vegetables, wheat, and citrus fruits; olives are grown for oil. Manufactures are limited to such items as foodstuffs, clothing, and cement, and there is some oil refining. Local dishes include mensaf (stewed lamb in a yogurt sauce served on a bed of rice). There are nightclubs, theatres and cinemas in Amman, while some other major towns have cinemas and bars.
The main attraction is the Roman amphitheatre in the centre which dates from the second century AD. Jerash is less than one hour's drive from Amman through the picturesque hills of ancient Gilead.
A magnificent Graeco-Roman city on an ancient site, Jerash is justly famous for the Triumphal Arch and the Hippodrome. Petra is a gigantic amphitheatre hidden in the rocks out of which a city with immense facades that have been carved and is one of the wonders of the Middle-Eastern world.
The Northern Red Sea is considered one of the most beautiful submarine paradises of the world. It is called sometimes an underwater “Garden of Eden” and is considered by CEDAM one of the seven Underwater Wonders of the World. The Red Sea is a salt water inlet of the Indian Ocean which is between Asia […]
Petra is approximately at 3-5 hours to the south of modern Amman, approximately 2 hours to the north of Aqaba, on the edges of the mountain desert of the Wadi Araba. The city is surrounded by the highest hills of rust by colored sandstone that gives a natural protection to the city against the invaders. […]