Some interesting facts about Jordan

While planning for my flights to Jordan, I did some quick research about the country. The bits and pieces help me put things into perspective, and this photo is also an interesting metaphor as well.

Geography

Jordan borders Saudi Arabia to the south and east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north, Palestine and Israel to the west, sharing control of the Dead Sea with the latter.

History

Jordan is part of a region considered to be "the cradle of civilization", the Levant region of the Fertile Crescent. 

Throughout different eras of history, parts of the country were controlled by regional powers including Pharaonic Egypt during their wars with the Babylonians and the Hittites; and for discrete periods of times by Israelites. 

In 1946, the UN recognized Transjordan as an independent sovereign kingdom. The Parliament of Transjordan proclaimed King Abdullah as the first King. The country's name was changed to Jordan.

Demographics

In 2011, the population was about 6,249,000. In 2007, there were 700,000–1,000,000 Iraqis in Jordan. Over 500,000 Syrian refugees have fled to Jordan since 2012.

Economy


The Jordanian economy is beset by insufficient supplies of water, oil, and other natural resources. Other challenges include high budget deficit, high outstanding public debt, high levels of poverty and unemployment, which is nominally around 13%.

Due to slow domestic growth, high energy and food subsidies and a bloated public sector workforce, Jordan usually runs annual budget deficits, which are partially offsets by international aid.

Tourism accounted for 10%–12% of the country's GDP in 2006. In 2010, there were 8 million visitors to Jordan. The result was $3.4 billion in tourism revenues, $4.4 billion if medical tourists are included.

Jordan's economy has improved greatly since King Abdullah II ascended to the throne in 1999, reforms included foreign investment, public-private partnerships, setting up free trade, special economic zones and the ICT sector. As a result, Jordan's economic growth has doubled to 6% annually.

Others


The Jordanian legal system is derived from the Napoleonic Code (inherited from the Ottoman and Egyptian legal systems) and Sharia. It has also been influenced by tribal traditions

Jordan is a key ally of the US and together with Egypt, are one of only two Arab nations to have made peace with Israel.

Total health spending in 2002 was about 7.5% of GDP. Life expectancy in Jordan is 80.18 years, the second highest in the region (after Israel).

20.5% of Jordan's total government expenditures goes to education compared to 2.5% in Turkey and 3.86% in Syria.

According to the Global Innovation Index 2011, Jordan is the 3rd most innovative economy in the Middle East, behind Qatar and United Arab Emirates.