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Compare Jordan (2004) - British Indian Ocean Territory (2004)

Compare Jordan (2004) z British Indian Ocean Territory (2004)

 Jordan (2004)British Indian Ocean Territory (2004)
 JordanBritish Indian Ocean Territory
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 -
Age structure 0-14 years: 35.2% (male 1,009,604; female 967,645)


15-64 years: 61.1% (male 1,829,984; female 1,598,141)


65 years and over: 3.7% (male 100,896; female 104,932) (2004 est.)
-
Agriculture - products wheat, barley, citrus, tomatoes, melons, olives; sheep, goats, poultry -
Airports 17 (2003 est.) 1 (2003 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 (2004 est.)
total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 2


under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
-
Area total: 92,300 sq km


land: 91,971 sq km


water: 329 sq km
total: 60 sq km


land: 60 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Indiana about 0.3 times the size of 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, despite several wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he reinstituted parliamentary elections and gradual political liberalization; in 1994 he signed a formal peace treaty 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 undertaken an aggressive economic reform program. Jordan acceded to the World Trade Organization in 2000, and began to participate in the European Free Trade Association in 2001. After a two-year delay, parliamentary and municipal elections took place in the summer of 2003. The Prime Minister and government appointed in October 2004 declared their commitment to accelerated economic and political reforms and the new cabinet includes an unprecedented four women as ministers. Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.
Birth rate 22.73 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) -
Budget revenues: $2.397 billion


expenditures: $3.587 billion, including capital expenditures of $582 million (2003 est.)
-
Capital 'Amman -
Climate mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April) tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Coastline 26 km 698 km
Constitution 8 January 1952 -
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: British Indian Ocean Territory


conventional short form: none


abbreviation: BIOT
Currency Jordanian dinar (JOD) -
Death rate 2.62 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) -
Debt - external $7.683 billion (2003 est.) -
Dependency status - overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David M. HALE


embassy: Abdoun, Amman


mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; Unit 70200, Box 5, APO AE 09892-0200


telephone: [962] (6) 592-0101


FAX: [962] (6) 592-4102
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 border dispute settled with Syria in 2004 Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricted access to the largest island in the chain
Economic aid - recipient ODA, $553 million (2000 est.) -
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 substantial headway with privatization. The government also has liberalized the trade regime sufficiently to secure Jordan's membership in the WTrO (2000), a free trade accord with the US (2000), and an association agreement with the EU (2001). These measures have helped improve productivity and have put Jordan on the foreign investment map. The US-led war in Iraq in 2003 dealt an economic blow to Jordan, which was dependent on Iraq for discounted oil (worth $300-$600 million a year). Several Gulf nations have provided temporary aid to compensate for the loss of this oil; when this foreign aid expires, the Jordanian government has pledged to raise retail petroleum product prices and the sales tax base. Other ongoing challenges include fiscal adjustment to reduce the budget deficit, broader investment incentives to promote job-creating ventures, and the encouragement of tourism. All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing.
Electricity - consumption 6.86 billion kWh (2001) NA kWh
Electricity - exports 2 million kWh (2001) -
Electricity - imports 267 million kWh (2001) -
Electricity - production 7.091 billion kWh (2001) NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military
Elevation extremes lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
Environment - current issues limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification NA
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
-
Ethnic groups Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1% -
Exchange rates Jordanian dinars per US dollar - 0.709 (2003), 0.709 (2002), 0.709 (2001), 0.709 (2000), 0.709 (1999) -
Executive branch chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Prince HUSSEIN (born 1994), son of King ABDALLAH, is first in line to inherit the throne


head of government: Prime Minister Faisal al-FAYEZ (since 25 October 2003)


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)


head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Charles A. HAMILTON (since 2002); note - both reside in the UK


cabinet: NA


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
Exports NA (2001) -
Exports - commodities clothing, phosphates, fertilizers, potash, vegetables, manufactures, pharmaceuticals -
Exports - partners US 21.5%, Iraq 17.6%, Switzerland 6.5%, India 6.5%, Saudi Arabia 5.3% (2003) -
Fiscal year calendar year -
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of black (top), representing the Abbassid Caliphate, white, representing the Ummayyad Caliphate, and green, representing the Fatimid Caliphate; a red isosceles triangle on the hoist side, representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, and 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; design is based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
GDP purchasing power parity - $23.64 billion (2003 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 3.6%


industry: 29%


services: 67.4% (2003 est.)
-
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $4,300 (2003 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 3.1% (2003 est.) -
Geographic coordinates 31 00 N, 36 00 E 6 00 S, 71 30 E
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 archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility
Heliports 1 (2003 est.) -
Highways total: 7,245 km


paved: 7,245 km


unpaved: 0 km (2000)
total: NA km


paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia


unpaved: NA km
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 3.3%


highest 10%: 29.8% (1997)
-
Imports NA (2001) -
Imports - commodities crude oil, textile fabrics, machinery, transport equipment, manufactured goods -
Imports - partners Saudi Arabia 11.3%, China 7.9%, Germany 7.9%, US 6.8%, Iraq 6.5% (2003) -
Independence 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) -
Industrial production growth rate 3.5% (2003 est.) -
Industries phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, potash, light manufacturing, tourism -
Infant mortality rate total: 18.11 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 21.63 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 14.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
-
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.4% (2003 est.) -
International organization participation ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO -
Irrigated land 750 sq km (1998 est.) 0 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Court of Cassation; Supreme Court (court of final appeal) -
Labor force 1.36 million (2003) -
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 5%, industry 12.5%, services 82.5% (2001 est.) -
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
0 km
Land use arable land: 2.67%


permanent crops: 1.83%


other: 95.5% (2001)
arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (2001)
Languages Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes -
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 the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
Legislative branch bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the Senate, also called the House of Notables (Majlis al-Ayan) (55 seats; members 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) (110 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms; note - six seats are reserved for women and are allocated by a special electoral panel if no women are elected)


elections: House of Representatives - last held 17 June 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)


election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - independents and others 89.6%, Islamic Action Front 10.4%; seats by party - independents and others 92, Islamic Action Front 18; note - one of the six quota seats was given to a female IAF candidate


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; political parties were not legalized until 1992; King ABDALLAH delayed the 2001 elections until 2003
-
Life expectancy at birth total population: 78.06 years


male: 75.59 years


female: 80.69 years (2004 est.)
-
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 91.3%


male: 95.9%


female: 86.3% (2003 est.)
-
Location Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
Map references Middle East Political Map of the World
Maritime claims territorial sea: 3 nm territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine total: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 78,814 GRT/92,695 DWT


by type: cargo 2, container 1, roll on/roll off 5, short-sea/passenger 1


foreign-owned: Greece 6


registered in other countries: 11 (2004 est.)
-
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
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 -
Military expenditures - dollar figure $2,043.2 million (2003) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 20.2% (2003) -
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 1,636,537 (2004 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 1,153,385 (2004 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 59,471 (2004 est.) -
National holiday Independence Day, 25 May (1946) -
Nationality noun: Jordanian(s)


adjective: Jordanian
-
Natural hazards droughts; periodic earthquakes NA
Natural resources phosphates, potash, shale oil coconuts, fish, sugarcane
Net migration rate 6.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) -
Pipelines gas 10 km; oil 743 km (2004) -
Political parties and leaders Al-Ahed Party [Khaldoun al-NASSER, secretary general]; Al-Ajyal [Muhammad KHALAYLEH, secretary general]; Ba'th Arab Progressive Party [Mahmood MA'AYTEH, secretary general]; Al-Umma (Nation) Party [Ahmad al-HANANDEH, secretary general]; Arab Land Party [Dr. Muhammad al-'ORAN, secretary general]; Communist Party [Munir HAMARINAH, secretary general]; Constitutional Front [Mahdi al-TALL, secretary general]; Democratic Arab Islamic Movement [Yusuf ABU BAKR, president]; Green Party [Muhammad BATAYNEH, secretary general]; Jordanian Democratic Left Party [Musa MA'AYTEH, secretary] general; Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'id Dhiyab Ali MUSTAFA, secretary general]; Jordanian Progressive Party [Fawwaz al-ZUBI, secretary general]; Jordanian People's Democratic (Hashd) Party [Salim al-NAHHAS, secretary general]; Islamic Action Front [Hazma MANSOUR, secretary general]; Muslim Centrist Party [NA leader]; National Action (Haqq) Party [Muhammad al-ZUBI, secretary general]; National Constitutional Party [Abdul Hadi MAJALI, secretary general]; (Arab) Socialist Ba'th Party [Taysir al-HIMSI, secretary general]; Pan-Arab (Democratic) Movement [Mahmud al-NUWAYHI, secretary general] -
Political pressure groups and leaders Anti-Normalization Committee [Ali Abu SUKKAR, president vice chairman]; Jordanian Bar Association [Saleh ARMOUTI, president]; Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]; Muslim Brotherhood [Abd-al-Majid DHUNAYBAT, secretary general] -
Population 5,611,202 (July 2004 est.) no indigenous inhabitants


note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s, in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line 30% (2001 est.) -
Population growth rate 2.67% (2004 est.) -
Ports and harbors Al 'Aqabah Diego Garcia
Radio broadcast stations AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1999) AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways total: 505 km


narrow gauge: 505 km 1.050-m gauge (2003)
-
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.) -
Sex ratio at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.15 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female


total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
-
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal -
Telephone system general assessment: service has improved recently with 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: country code - 962; 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: separate facilities for military and public needs are available


domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet


international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use 622,600 (2003) NA
Telephones - mobile cellular 1,325,300 (2003) -
Television broadcast stations 20 (plus 96 repeaters) (1995) 1 (1997)
Terrain mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation)
Total fertility rate 2.86 children born/woman (2004 est.) -
Unemployment rate 16% official rate; actual rate is 25%-30% (2001 est.) -
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