Area

Jordan has an area of 35,637 square miles. The country borders Syria to the north, Iraq to the Northeast, Saudi Arabia to the east and the west, Israel, and the West Bank to the west. Almost completely landlocked, Jordan has only 16 miles of coastline on the Gulf of Aqaba, which is located in the southwestern part of the country.

The Jordan Valley

The Jordan Valley forms part of the Great Rift Valley, Which extends southward into the heart of Africa. Located along the western part of the country, the valley is flanked by steep slopes. Much of the valley falls below sea level, reaching its lowest point at Dead Sea in the central area of the valley. North of the Dead Sea the valley contains Jordan’s most fertile land. In contrast the south is the driest and the hottest from the Dead Sea. Wadi al’ Arabah, south of the Dead Sea, Gradually rises to reach sea level and is believed to contain mineral resources.

Weather

In the summer the weather is 79 Fahrenheit, while in winter temperatures fall down 46 Fahrenheit. Jordan is extremely dry. It rains only 4 inches of rain of rain a year and it snows and Hails there also occurs there in Jordan.

Plants and animals

The trees in Jordan are oaks, pines, pistachios, olive, eucalyptus, and cedar trees. Shrubs also live in Jordan’s arid climate. The country’s national flower is the Black Iris. Jordan is the home to many animals, counting hyenas, gazelles, wildcats, foxes, and mongooses and many more. Since some animals are endangered in Jordan, nature reserves have been established throughout the country to protect the countries valuable wildlife.

The flag of Jordan

Jordan’s Flag has horizontal bands of Black, White, and Green that respectively represent Abbasid, Umayyad, and Fatimid dynasties. On the left side of the flag there is a red triangle that stands for Arab Revolt of 1916. The white star in the center represents the seven verses in the Holy Quran.

                                                     History

King Abdullah 1(1850-1900)

Son of the king of Hejaz, Abdullah supported the nationalist Arab movement that wanted independence for Arab lands in the Ottoman Empire. During World War 1, Abdullah along his father and brother, sided with the British and revolted against the ottomans. Under the British mandate that followed the war, Abdullah became emir of Transjordan in 1921.

Queen Zein (1916­-1994)

Born in Egypt, Zein was the wife of King Talal and the mother of Hussein. She played a major in the political development of Jordan during the 1950s, between the time of the assassination of King Abdullah 1 and the accession of her son to the throne in 1953.

King Hussein (1935-1999)

King Hussein ruled Jordan for 45 years. He used his diplomacy to steer Jordan through crises and worked to improve relationships with all neighboring countries. His moderate, pro-western policies however were criticized by other Arab states by domestic opposition.