History

Geography

The history of Jordan is presented in large periods.
Ancient Jordan does not exist. Until the beginning of the 20th century, it was part of Palestine including one large part that is currently Israel. This area is one of the oldest civilizations of the world. Archaeological excavations attest the origins of the settlement as of 9000 BC.
From 3000 to 1800 BC, the area was inhabited by Canaanites and Amorites, then by the armies of Sargon, king of Akkad.
From 1800, Abraham led groups of nomads coming from Mesopotamia, the city of Ur. They settled in the mountains of Canaan.
In 1023, the Jews founded a kingdom led by Saul then David. They seized Jerusalem and made their capital of it.
In 63 BC, Rome seized Israel and placed it under the control of Consuls, among whom Herod the Great and Pontius Pilate. It was at that time that Jesus lived and preached.
In 331 AD, emperor Constantine converted himself to the Christian religion. Since this time, Palestine has been covered by buildings to mark the holy places.
In 638 AD, Jerusalem fell into the hands of Caliph Omar and was declared Holy City of Islam due to the arrival of prophet Mohamed on the mountain of the Temple.
From 1099 to 1291, the Christians mobilized themselves against the profanation of the holy places. It was the time of the Crusades. They occupied Jerusalem and established fortified towns on the coastal strip from Antiochus. The Mameluks evicted the Crusaders from Palestine.
From 1291 to 1520, Palestine had the calmest period of its history.
From 1520 to the end of the First World War, the Ottoman empire ruled the area. The desert became the field of the Bedouins.
Since 1918, Transjordan is under military control of the United Kingdom which entrusted the administration to prince Abdullah. In 1928, Transjordan was given a constitution by the British. Since 1946, Transjordan has been an independent monarchy. Then it became the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan in 1949 at the time of the proclamation of king Abdallah.

Jordan has the shape of a butterfly. The surface is equal to 17% that of France and half of Syria.
It has borders with Syria in the north, with Iraq in the North-East, with Saudi Arabia in the east and with Israel in the west.

It can be presented in four long strips of area, from west to east:

The Ghor has a temperature exceeding 38°C from spring until late October. In winter, it does not go down below 8°C. The cultures are tropical.
Jebel have a climate of the Mediterranean type, summers are hot and winters can bring snow.
The high plateau has very little rain. It looks like a steppe with hot summers and mild winters.
The desert is characterized by precipitations lower than 100 mm a year and temperatures +46°C.

Jordan, the land of the Jordan river, is structured in three North-South bands along the Ghor rift where the Jordan river flows. The east border, beyond the railroad of Hedjaz, is purely artificial.
The first band confining to the Jordan river is cultivated and the flora is Mediterranean. The second band is cut by gorges and covered by forests in the north. The third band is the part where cities were established. Without Palestinian refugees, Jordan is little populated.

Economic facts

Civilisation

Jordan's economy is little developed. Jordan has an ambiguous economy, due to the presence on its ground of a majority of Palestinian refugees. It remains a transportation route of goods starting from the Aqaba harbour, either by road or by railway.

The Jordanian currency is the Jordanian dinar.

The official name is Hashemite kingdom of Jordan whose capital is Amman. The population is +5 million inhabitants. The official language of Jordan is Arabic as well as English. The population is +90% Arab (+60% Palestinian refugees), the remainder is Armenian and Circassians.

The GNP is U$3,500 per capita.

Jordan is a Muslim land with all that comprises the cultural plan, traditional music, arts and letters. It is necessary however to mention the strong presence of the Bedouins who have preserved their traditions of the desert.
Hospitality is the corner stone of "Arab Way of Life", the Jordanian do not fail in this ancestral tradition. On the contrary, they develop it in trouble time.

Traveller's information

Sights

All tourists need visas, available at the consulates or at the border. Valid two weeks, it can be extended for a further three months.

The traveller's budget depends on his choices, Jordan offers opportunities for small budgets.

The geographical situation of Jordan, its climatic variety offer travellers multiple possibilities of activity particularly in the Petra and Wadi Rum archaeological sites.

In spring 1989, a package tour was made in Jordan in connection with Syria.