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Jordan
is graet country situated at the junction of the Levantine and
Arabian areas of the Middle East. The country is bordered on the
north by Syria, to the east by Iraq, and by Saudi Arabia on the east
and south. To the west is Israel and the occupied West Bank, while
Jordan’s only outlet to the sea, the Gulf of Aqaba, is to the south.
Jordan occupies an area of approximately 96,188 square kilometers
including the Dead Sea, making it similar in size to Austria or
Portugal. However, Jordan’s diverse terrain and landscape belie its
actual size, demonstrating a variety usually found only in large
countries.
Western Jordan has essentially a Mediterranean climate with a hot,
dry summer, a cool, wet winter and two short transitional seasons.
However, about 75% of the country can be described as having a
desert climate with less than 200 mm. of rain annually. Jordan can
be divided into three main geographic and climatic areas: the Jordan
Valley, the Mountain Heights Plateau, and the eastern desert, or
Badia region
The Jordan Valley
The Jordan
Valley, which extends down the entire western flank of Jordan, is
the country’s most distinctive natural feature. The Jordan Valley
forms part of the Great Rift Valley of Africa, which extends down
from southern Turkey through Lebanon and Syria to the salty
depression of the Dead Sea, where it continues south through Aqaba
and the Red Sea to eastern Africa. This fissure was created 20
million years ago by shifting tectonic plates.
The northern segment of the Jordan Valley, known in Arabic as the
Ghor, is the nation’s most fertile region. It contains the Jordan
River and extends from the northern border down to the Dead Sea. The
Jordan River rises from several sources, mainly the Anti-Lebanon
Mountains in Syria, and flows down into Lake Tiberias (the Sea of
Galilee), 212 meters below sea level. It then drains into the Dead
Sea which, at 407 meters below sea level, is the lowest point on
earth. The river is between 20 and 30 meters wide near its endpoint.
Its flow has been much reduced and its salinity increased because
significant amounts have been diverted for irrigational uses.
Several degrees warmer than the rest of the country, its year-round
agricultural climate, fertile soils, higher winter rainfall and
extensive summer irrigation have made the Ghor the food bowl of
Jordan
The Jordan River ends at the Dead Sea, which, at a level of over 407
meters below sea level, is the lowest place on the earth’s surface.
It is landlocked and fed by the Jordan River and run-off from side
wadis. With no outlet to the sea, intense evaporation concentrates
its mineral salts and produces a hypersaline solution. The sea is
saturated with salt and minerals–its salt content is about eight
times higher than that of the world’s ocean–and earns its name by
virtue of the fact that it supports no indigenous plant or animal
life. The Dead Sea and the neighboring Zarqa Ma’een hot springs are
famous for their therapeutic mineral waters, drawing visitors from
all over the world
.South of the Dead Sea, the Jordan Valley runs on through hot, dry
Wadi ‘Araba. This spectacular valley is 155 kilometers long and is
known for the sheer, barren sides of its mountains. Its primary
economic contribution is through potash mining. Wadi ‘Araba rises
from 300 meters below sea level at its northern end to 355 meters
above sea level at Jabal Risha, and then drops down again to sea
level at Aqaba.
The seaside city of Aqaba is Jordan’s only outlet to the sea. Its 40
kilometer-long coastline houses not only a tourist resort and
Jordan’s only port, but also some of the finest coral reefs in the
world. The rich marine life of these reefs provides excellent
opportunities for snorkeling and diving.
The
Mountain Heights Plateau
The
highlands of Jordan separate the Jordan Valley and its margins from
the plains of the eastern desert. This region extends the entire
length of the western part of the country, and hosts most of
Jordan’s main population centers, including Amman, Zarqa, Irbid and
Karak. We know that ancient peoples found the area inviting as well,
since one can visit the ruins of Jerash, Karak, Madaba, Petra and
other historical sites which are found in the Mountain Heights
Plateau. These areas receive Jordan’s highest rainfall, and are the
most richly vegetated in the country
The region, which extends from Umm Qais in the north to Ras an-Naqab
in the south, is intersected by a number of valleys and riverbeds
known as wadis. The Arabic word wadi means a watercourse valley
which may or may not flow with water after substantial rainfall. All
of the wadis which intersect this plateau, including Wadi Mujib,
Wadi Mousa, Wadi Hassa and Wadi Zarqa, eventually flow into the
Jordan River, the Dead Sea or the usually-dry Jordan Rift. Elevation
in the highlands varies considerably, from 600 meters to about 1,500
meters above sea level, with temperature and rainfall patterns
varying accordingly.
The northern part of the Mountain Heights Plateau, known as the
northern highlands, extends southwards from Umm Qais to just north
of Amman, and displays a typical Mediterranean climate and
vegetation. This region was known historically as the Land of
Gilead, and is characterized by higher elevations and cooler
temperatures.
South and east of the northern highlands are the northern steppes,
which serve as a buffer between the highlands and the eastern
desert. The area, which extends from Irbid through Mafraq and Madaba
all the way south to Karak, was formerly covered in steppe
vegetation. Much of this has been lost to desertification, however.
In the south, the Sharra highlands extend from Shobak south to Ras
an-Naqab. This high altitude plain receives little annual rainfall
and is consequently lightly vegetated.
Flora
Spring is
the high season for Jordanian flora, and from February to May many
regions are carpeted with a dazzling array of flowering plants. More
than 2000 species of plants grow in Jordan, and the variety of the
country’s topography and climate is reflected in the diversity of
its flora. Most of these species,
Jordan's national flower, the Black Iris.
Jordan boasts a wide variety of flowering wild flowers, but the most
famous is the national flower -the black iris. Fields of this
flower, which is not found in Europe, can be seen in masses near the
town of Madaba.
The highlands of Jordan host forests of oak and pine, as well as
pistachio and cinnabar trees. Olive, eucalyptus and cedar trees
thrive throughout the highlands and the Jordan Valley. Jordan’s dry
climate is especially conducive to shrub trees, which require less
water. Species of shrubs can be found throughout all the
geographical regions of Jordan.
Ancient olive trees at the village of Tibneh near Irbid, some of
which could be from Roman times.
Contrary to popular conceptions, deserts are often teaming with
life. Many small shrub plants thrive in the Badia, where they are
often grazed by the goats of local Bedouin tribes. Several species
of acacia trees can be found in the deserts, as well as a variety of
sturdy wild flowers and grasses which grow among the rocks in this
demanding habitat
Petra....It's a
wonderful world
one of the world wonder
The giant red mountains and vast mausoleums of a departed race have
nothing in common with modern civilization, and ask nothing of it
except to be appreciated at their true value - as one of the
greatest wonders ever wrought by Nature and Man.
Although much has been written about Petra, nothing really prepares
you for this amazing place. It has to be seen to be believed.
Often described as the eighth wonder of the ancient world, it is
without doubt Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist
attraction. It is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock
face by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here
more than 2000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for
the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India and
southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome
Entrance to the city is through the Siq, a narrow gorge, over 1
kilometre in length, which is flanked on either side by soaring, 80
metres high cliffs. Just walking through the Siq is an experience in
itself. The colours and formations of the rocks are dazzling. As you
reach the end of the Siq you will catch your first glimpse of Al-Khazneh
(Treasury).
This is an awe-inspiring experience. A massive façade, 30m wide and
43m high, carved out of the sheer, dusky pink, rock-face and
dwarfing everything around it. It was carved in the early 1st
century as the tomb of an important Nabataean king and represents
the engineering genius of these ancient people
The Treasury is just the first of the many wonders that make up
Petra. You will need at least four or five days to really explore
everything here. As you enter the Petra valley you will be
overwhelmed by the natural beauty of this place and its outstanding
architectural achievements. There are hundreds of elaborate rock-cut
tombs with intricate carvings - unlike the houses, which were
destroyed mostly by earthquakes, the tombs were carved to last
throughout the afterlife and 500 have survived, empty but bewitching
as you file past their dark openings. Here also is a massive
Nabataean-builtRoman-style theatre, which could seat 3,000 people.
There are obelisks, temples, sacrificial altars and colonnaded
streets, and high above, overlooking the valley, is the impressive
Ad-Deir Monastery – a flight of 800 rock cut steps takes you there.
Within the site there are also two excellent museums; the Petra
Archaeological Museum and the Petra Nabataean Museum both of which
represent finds from excavations in the Petra region and an insight
into Petra's colourful past.
A 13th century shrine, built by the Mameluk Sultan Al Nasir Mohammad
to commemorate the death of Aaron, the brother of Moses, can be seen
on top of Mount Aaron in the Sharah range.
Inside the site, several artisans from the town of Wadi Musa and a
nearby Bedouin settlement have set up small stalls selling local
handicrafts, such as pottery and Bedouin jewellery and bottles of
striated multi-coloured sands from the area.
Petra was first established sometime around the 6th century BC, by
the Nabataean Arabs, a nomadic tribe who settled in the area and
laid the foundations of a commercial empire that extended into
Syria.
Rock striations inside some tombs.
Despite successive attempts by the Seleucid king Antigonus, the
Roman emperor Pompey and Herod the Great to bring Petra under the
control of their respective empires, Petra remained largely in
Nabataean hands until around 100AD, when the Romans took over. It
was still inhabited during the Byzantine period, when the former
Roman empire moved its focus east to Constantinople, but declined in
importance thereafter.
The Crusaders constructed a fort there in the 12th century, but soon
withdrew, leaving Petra to the local people until the early 19th
century, when it was rediscovered by the Swiss explorer Johann
Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812.
,
Business and Economy
Since coming to power in 1999 King Abdullah has undertaken a bold
program of economic reform. Jordan joined the World Trade
Organisation in 2000 after implementing extensive legislative and
regulatory reforms and improving of the security of foreign-owned
intellectual property.
Jordan continued to achieve remarkable economic growth last year.
Real GDP growth remained at 7% for the second year in a row and
while the real growth rate the year before was partially explained
by a rebound effect following the Iraq war induced recession; the
2005 performance illustrates the vitality of the economy. This was
further strengthened by the exceptional performance of the country’s
vibrant private sector.
The economy has taken advantage of the evolving positive external
circumstances and macroeconomic performanceswithin the region
additional to absorbing negative shocks such as those affecting the
energy and tourism sectors.
The Jordanian government strongly advocate Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI) and continue to pursue a regulatory framework that is
considered to be extremely investor friendly. The issues of red tape
and corruption are not considered to be significant, and the
government is currently working toward the streamlining of the
bureaucracy and the further acceleration of the current economic
reforms.
In 1997 all restrictions pertaining inflow or outflow of foreign
exchange were rescinded. Foreign investors are now entitled to remit
all profits, dividends, and other returns on investment in a fully
convertible currency without delay. Additionally, an extremely
useful tool should one require it in Jordan, is the utilisation of
the International Arbitration Court as opposed to local courts. This
can avoid the risk of long judicial stand-offs often encountered by
foreign investors in the Middle East.
FDI reached all time records last year with noted investments in
many sectors. Unfavourable environments in neighbouring countries
complimented by the excellent investment landscape the country
provides mean that business is on the increase.
One of the main economic engines with regard to FDI is the property
market, notably in Amman. Jordan is going through a periodic boom
period, which are always reflected by an upsurge in construction.
Senior officials of the Jordan Investment Board reported record
investment applications in the past two years. Statistics illustrate
that direct investments rose a astonishing 125% year on year in the
first half of last year, such was this upturn, that investments in
the first half of last year had increased by 9% higher than the
entirety of 2004. This is a figure forecasted to increase further as
over $1 bn of committed real estate projects are in the pipeline
representing a myriad of mega projects, residential and other
ventures.
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