Jordan (2002) | Gibraltar (2001) | |
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Administrative divisions | 12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ajlun, Al 'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 36.6% (male 991,370; female 949,247)
15-64 years: 60% (male 1,698,568; female 1,485,261) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 90,186; female 92,838) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years:
18.73% (male 2,652; female 2,528) 15-64 years: 66.33% (male 9,473; female 8,866) 65 years and over: 14.94% (male 1,733; female 2,397) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | wheat, barley, citrus, tomatoes, melons, olives; sheep, goats, poultry | none |
Airports | 18 (2001) | 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 15
over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
- |
Area | total: 92,300 sq km
land: 91,971 sq km water: 329 sq km |
total:
6.5 sq km land: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Indiana | about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
Background | For most of its history since independence from British administration in 1946, Jordan was ruled by King HUSSEIN (1953-99). A pragmatic ruler, he successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population, through several wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he resumed parliamentary elections and gradually permitted political liberalization; in 1994 a formal peace treaty was signed with Israel. King ABDALLAH II - the eldest son of King HUSSEIN and Princess MUNA - assumed the throne following his father's death in February 1999. Since then, he has consolidated his power and established his domestic priorities, including an aggressive economic reform program. Jordan acceded to the World Trade Organization in January 2000, and signed free trade agreements with the United States in 2000, and with the European Free Trade Association in 2001. | Strategically important, Gibraltar was ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a 1967 referendum, Gibraltarians ignored Spanish pressure and voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. |
Birth rate | 24.58 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 11.25 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $2.9 billion
expenditures: $3.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
revenues:
$307 million expenditures: $284 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) |
Capital | Amman | Gibraltar |
Climate | mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April) | Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers |
Coastline | 26 km | 12 km |
Constitution | 8 January 1952 | 30 May 1969 |
Country name | conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
conventional short form: Jordan local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah local short form: Al Urdun former: Transjordan |
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Gibraltar |
Currency | Jordanian dinar (JOD) | Gibraltar pound (GIP) |
Death rate | 2.62 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 8.82 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $8.2 billion (2002 est.) | $NA |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Edward William GNEHM, Jr.
embassy: Abdoun, Amman mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; Unit 70200, Box 5, APO AE 09892-0200 telephone: [962] (6) 5920101 FAX: [962] (6) 5920121 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Karim Tawfiq KAWAR
chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664 FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | none | source of friction between Spain and the UK |
Economic aid - recipient | ODA, $600 million (2000 est.) | $NA |
Economy - overview | Jordan is a small Arab country with inadequate supplies of water and other natural resources such as oil. Debt, poverty, and unemployment are fundamental problems, but King ABDALLAH since assuming the throne in 1999 has undertaken some broad economic reforms in a long-term effort to improve living standards. Amman in the past three years has worked closely with the IMF, practiced careful monetary policy, and made significant headway with privatization. The government also has liberalized the trade regime sufficiently to secure Jordan's membership in the WTrO (2000), an association agreement with the EU (2000), and a free trade accord with US (2000). These measures have helped improve productivity and have put Jordan on the foreign investment map. The substantial trade deficit is covered by tourism receipts, worker remittances, and foreign assistance. Ongoing challenges include fiscal adjustment to reduce the budget deficit and broader investment incentives to promote job-creating ventures. | Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping trade, offshore banking, and its position as an international conference center. The British military presence has been sharply reduced and now contributes about 11% to the local economy. The financial sector accounts for 20% of GDP; tourism (almost 6 million visitors in 1998), shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. In recent years, Gibraltar has seen major structural change from a public to a private sector economy, but changes in government spending still have a major impact on the level of employment. |
Electricity - consumption | 7.092 billion kWh (2000) | 88.4 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 5 million kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 650 million kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 6.932 billion kWh (2000) | 95 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 99%
hydro: 1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m |
lowest point:
Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m |
Environment - current issues | limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification | limited natural freshwater resources; large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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 |
- |
Ethnic groups | Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1% | Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese |
Exchange rates | Jordanian dinars per US dollar - 0.7090 (1996-present )
note: since May 1989, the Jordanian dinar has been pegged to a group of currencies |
Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996); note - the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound |
Executive branch | chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Crown Prince HAMZAH (half brother of the monarch, born 29 March 1980)
head of government: Prime Minister Ali Abul RAGHEB (since 19 June 2000) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch |
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor and Commander-in-Chief David DURIE (since 5 April 2000); note - DURIE was appointed in February 2000 but took office in April 2000 head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 15 elected members of the House of Assembly by the governor in consultation with the chief minister; note - there is also a Gibraltar Council that advises the governor elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister appointed by the governor |
Exports | $2.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) | $81.1 million (f.o.b., 1997) |
Exports - commodities | phosphates, fertilizers, potash, agricultural products, manufactures, pharmaceuticals | (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8% |
Exports - partners | India 11.4%, US 9.6%, Saudi Arabia 5.6%, Israel 3.7% (2001) | UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, Germany |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of black (top, the Abbassid Caliphate of Islam), white (the Ummayyad Caliphate of Islam), and green (the Fatimid Caliphate of Islam) with a red isosceles triangle (representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916) based on the hoist side bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations | two horizontal bands of white (top, double width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $22.8 billion (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $500 million (1997 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 4%
industry: 26% services: 70% (2001 est.) |
agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $4,300 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $17,500 (1997 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 3.5% (2002 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 31 00 N, 36 00 E | 36 11 N, 5 22 W |
Geography - note | strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank | strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea |
Heliports | 2 (2002) | - |
Highways | total: 8,000 km
paved: 8,000 km unpaved: 0 km (2000 est.) |
total:
46.25 km paved: 46.25 km unpaved: 0 km (2001) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 30% (1997) (1997) |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | $4.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) | $492 million (c.i.f., 1997) |
Imports - commodities | crude oil, machinery, transport equipment, food, live animals, manufactured goods | fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | Germany 8.8%, US 7.8%, Italy 5.6%, France 5.5% (2001) | UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands |
Independence | 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | -1.1% (2002 est.) | NA% |
Industries | phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, potash, light manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, tourism | tourism, banking and finance, ship-building and repairing; support to large UK naval and air bases; tobacco, mineral water, beer, canned fish |
Infant mortality rate | 19.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | 5.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.3% (2002 est.) | 1.5% (1998) |
International organization participation | ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTAET, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO | Interpol (subbureau) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 5 (2000) | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 750 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Court of Cassation; Supreme Court (court of final appeal) | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal |
Labor force | 1.26 million
note: in addition, at least 300,000 workers are employed abroad (2001) |
14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) |
Labor force - by occupation | services 83%, industry 13%, agriculture 5% (2001 est.) | services 60%, industry 40%, agriculture NEGL% |
Land boundaries | total: 1,635 km
border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km |
total:
1.2 km border countries: Spain 1.2 km |
Land use | arable land: 2.87%
permanent crops: 1.52% other: 95.61% (1998 est.) |
arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes | English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian |
Legal system | based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | English law |
Legislative branch | bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the Senate, also called the House of Notables (Majlis al-Aayan), a 40-member body appointed by the monarch from designated categories of public figures; members serve four-year terms and the House of Representatives, also called the House of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab), an 80-member body elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms
elections: House of Representatives - last held 4 November 1997 (November 2001 election postponed, next scheduled to be held in June 2003) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - National Constitutional Party 2, Arab Land Party 1, independents 75, other 2 note: the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved by the monarch several times since 1974; in November 1989, the first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held |
unicameral House of Assembly (18 seats - 15 elected by popular vote, one appointed for the Speaker, and two ex officio members; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 10 February 2000 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 58%, GSLP 41%; seats by party - GSD 8, GSLP 7 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 77.71 years
male: 75.26 years female: 80.3 years (2002 est.) |
total population:
79.09 years male: 76.23 years female: 82.1 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.6% male: 93.4% female: 79.4% (1995 est.) |
definition:
NA total population: above 80% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia | Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain |
Map references | Middle East | Europe |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 NM | territorial sea:
3 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 41,206 GRT/53,401 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 3, container 1, roll on/roll off 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Greece 6 (2002 est.) |
total:
49 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 669,056 GRT/1,003,809 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 15, chemical tanker 6, container 7, multi-functional large-load carrier 3, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 14, roll on/roll off 1 (2000 est.) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) Royal Jordanian Land Force, Royal Naval Force, Royal Jordanian Air Force, and Special Operations Command or Socom); note - Public Security Directorate normally falls under Ministry of Interior but comes under JAF in wartime or crisis situations | British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $757.5 million (FY01) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 8.6% (FY01) | - |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 1,517,751 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,073,991 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 57,131 (2002 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 25 May (1946) | Commonwealth Day, second Monday of March |
Nationality | noun: Jordanian(s)
adjective: Jordanian |
noun:
Gibraltarian(s) adjective: Gibraltar |
Natural hazards | droughts; periodic earthquakes | NA |
Natural resources | phosphates, potash, shale oil | NEGL |
Net migration rate | 6.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | crude oil 209 km; note - may not be in use | 0 km |
Political parties and leaders | Al-Umma (Nation) Party [Ahmad al-HANANDEH, secretary general]; Arab Land Party [Dr. Muhammad al-'ORAN, secretary general]; Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'id DHIYAB, secretary general]; National Constitutional Party [Abdul Hadi MAJALI, secretary general]; Islamic Action Front [Abd al latif al-ARABIYAT, secretary general]; National Action (Haqq) Party [Muhammad al-ZUBI, secretary general]; (Arab) Socialist Ba'th Party [Taysif al-HIMSI, secretary general]; Jordanian People's Democratic (Hashd) Party [Salim al-NAHHAS, secretary general]; Pan-Arab (Democratic) Movement [Mahmud al-NUWAYHI, secretary general]; Constitutional Front [Mahdi al-TALL, secretary general]; Jordanian Progressive Party [Fawwaz al-ZUBI, secretary general]; Communist Party [Munir HAMARINAH, secretary general] | Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]; Muslim Brotherhood [Abd-al-Majid DHUNAYBAT, secretary general]; Anti-Normalization Committee [Ali Abu SUKKAR, president vice chairman]; Jordanian Bar Association [Saleh ARMOUTI, president] | Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Housewives Association |
Population | 5,307,470 (July 2002 est.) | 27,649 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 30% (2001 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.89% (2002 est.) | 0.24% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Al 'Aqabah | Gibraltar |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1999) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 1.66 million (1997) | 37,000 (1997) |
Railways | total: 677 km
narrow gauge: 677 km 1.050-m gauge (2001) |
total:
NA km; 1.000-m gauge system in dockyard area only |
Religions | Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several small Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.) | Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%, Jewish 2.3%, none or other 7% (1991) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 20 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects who have been residents six months or more |
Telephone system | general assessment: service has improved recently with the increased use of digital switching equipment, but better access to the telephone system is needed in the rural areas and easier access to pay telephones is needed by the urban public
domestic: microwave radio relay transmission and coaxial and fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk lines; considerable use of mobile cellular systems; Internet service is available international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals; fiber-optic cable to Saudi Arabia and microwave radio relay link with Egypt and Syria; connection to international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); participant in MEDARABTEL; international links total about 4,000 |
general assessment:
adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international facilities domestic: automatic exchange facilities international: radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 403,000 (1997) | 19,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 11,500 (1995) | 1,620 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 20 (plus 96 repeaters) (1995) | 1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River | a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar |
Total fertility rate | 3.15 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 1.64 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 16% official rate; actual rate is 25%-30% (2001 est.) | 13.5% (1996) |
Waterways | none | none |