Geography of Jordan
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Location: Southwest Asia, northwest of Saudi Arabia. Considered to be one of the fifteen states that comprise the so-called "Cradle of Humanity"
Jo-map.png
Map of Jordan
Geographic coordinates:
Template:Coor dm
Map references: Middle East
Area:
total: 89,213 kmē
land: 88,884 kmē
water: 329 kmē
Land boundaries:
total: 1,619 km
border countries:
Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 728 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km
Coastline: 26 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea:
3 nautical miles
Climate: mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)
Terrain: mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m
Natural resources: phosphates, potash, shale oil
Land use:
arable land:
4%
permanent crops:
1%
permanent pastures:
9%
forests and woodland:
1%
other:
85% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 630 kmē (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements