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The Government:
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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Basic Facts:
Population
5.16 million
Location
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.
Geographic co-ordinates: 29 - 34 00 N, 35 - 39 E
Area:
total: 89,213 sq. km (34, 445 sq. miles)
land: 88,884 sq. km (34, 318 sq. miles)
water: 329 sq. km (127 sq. miles)
Language:
Arabic is the official language, but English is spoken widely,
especially in business.
Climate and Geography
Jordan has a combination of Mediterranean and arid desert climates,
with Mediterranean prevailing in the north and west of the country,
while the majority of the country is desert. Generally, the country
has warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters, with annual average
temperatures ranging from 12 to 25 C (54 to 77 F) and summertime
highs reaching the 40s (105-115 F) in the desert regions. Rainfall
averages vary from 50mm (1.97 inches) annually in the desert to as
much as 800 mm (31.5 inches) in the northern hills, some of which
falls as snow in some years.
Currency and Exchange Rates:
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, 1, and 0.5 JD denominations. Coins come in
denominations of 1 JD, 0.5 JD, 0.25 JD, and 100, 50, 25, 10 and 5
fils.
The rate of exchange is 1 JD = 1.42 US $.
Business Hours:
Fridays and Saturdays are the weekly holiday as government offices,
banks and most offices are closed. Government departments are open
from 08:00 to 15:00 daily, Sunday to Thursday.
Public Holidays:
January 1 New Year
January 30 King Abdullah’s Birthday
Shawal 1st for 3 Days Eid Al Fitr
Shawal 1st for 3 Days Eid Al Adha
Muharram 1st Hijra New Year
May 1 Labor Day
May 25 Independence Day
12 Rabi' 1 Prophet’s Birthday
November 14 King Hussein Remembrance Day
November 16 El Issra’ Wall-Mi’raj
December 25 Christmas
Time:
Time is GMT + 2 (in winter, +3 in summer), or 7 hours ahead of US
Eastern Standard Time. Summer time is observed from April through
September.
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