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About Jordan |
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The Government: |
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The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a
constitutional monarchy with representative government. The reigning
monarch, His Majesty King Abdullah II, is the head of state, the chief
executive and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The king
exercises his executive authority through the prime minister and the
Council of Ministers, or cabinet. The cabinet is responsible before the
elected House of Deputies which, along with the House of Notables
(Senate), constitutes the legislative branch of the government. The
judicial branch is an independent branch of the government. Since 1989,
all elements of the Jordanian political spectrum have embarked together
on a road to greater democracy, liberalization and consensus building.
These reforms, which were guided by the late King Hussein, have placed
Jordan on an irreversible road to democratization. The result has been
greater empowerment and involvement of everyday citizens in Jordan's
civic life, contributing to increased stability and institutionalization
which will benefit the country far into the future. |
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Location |
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Jordan is located in the heart of the
Middle East, Northwest of Saudi Arabia, south of Syria, Southwest of
Iraq, and east of Israel and the Occupied West Bank. Jordan has access
to the Red Sea via the port city of Aqaba, located at the northern end
of the Gulf of Aqaba. |
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Population |
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5.329 million |
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Geographic co-ordinates |
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29 - 34 00 N,
35 - 39 E |
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Area |
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total: 89,342
sq. km |
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Language |
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Arabic is the
official language, but English is spoken widely, especially in business. |
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Currency and Exchange Rates |
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Jordan's currency is the Jordanian Dinar,
or JD. It is subdivided into 1000 fils, or 100 qirsh or piasters. It
appears in paper notes of 50, 20, 10, 5, and 1 JD denominations. Coins
come in denominations of 0.5 JD, 0.25 JD, and 100, 50, 25, and 10 fils. The
rate of exchange is 1 JD = 1.42 US $. |
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Current Population Growth Rate |
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2.8% (2000 figure provided by United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Amman) |
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Poverty |
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14.2% of families live on an monthly
income of less than $170 (1996 figure provided by the FAFO study "Living
Conditions in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan) |
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Unemployment(2000) |
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12.5% |
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Literacy |
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90.3% |
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Child Mortality |
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27 per 1000 births |
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Life Expectancy |
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69.6 years for men, 72.4 years for women |
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