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Compare Jordan (2006) - Christmas Island (2005)

Compare Jordan (2006) z Christmas Island (2005)

 Jordan (2006)Christmas Island (2005)
 JordanChristmas Island
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 (territory of Australia)
Age structure 0-14 years: 33.8% (male 1,018,070/female 976,442)


15-64 years: 62.4% (male 1,966,794/female 1,716,255)


65 years and over: 3.9% (male 111,636/female 117,563) (2006 est.)
0-14 years: NA


15-64 years: NA


65 years and over: NA
Agriculture - products wheat, barley, citrus, tomatoes, melons, olives; sheep, goats, poultry NA
Airports 17 (2006) 1 (2004 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 (2006)
total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 2


under 914 m: 2 (2006)
-
Area total: 92,300 sq km


land: 91,971 sq km


water: 329 sq km
total: 135 sq km


land: 135 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Indiana about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
Background Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the UK received a mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain separated out a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in the early 1920s, and the area gained its independence in 1946; it adopted the name of Jordan in 1950. The country's long-time ruler was King HUSSEIN (1953-99). A pragmatic leader, 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 peace treaty with Israel. King ABDALLAH II, the son of King HUSSEIN, 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 appointed in November 2005 stated the government would focus on political reforms, improving conditions for the poor, and fighting corruption. Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.
Birth rate 21.25 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) NA
Budget revenues: $2.8 billion


expenditures: $4.688 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.092 billion (2005 est.)
revenues: NA


expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
Capital name: Amman


geographic coordinates: 31 57 N, 35 56 E


time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Thursday in March; ends last Friday in September
The Settlement
Climate mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April) tropical with a wet and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds; wet season December to April
Coastline 26 km 138.9 km
Constitution 1 January 1952; amended 1954, 1955, 1958, 1960, 1965, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1984 Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958)
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: Territory of Christmas Island


conventional short form: Christmas Island
Death rate 2.65 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) NA
Debt - external $8.528 billion (2005 est.) -
Dependency status - territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador 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) 590-6000


FAX: [962] (6) 592-0121
none (territory of Australia)
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 (territory of Australia)
Disputes - international 2004 Agreement settles border dispute with Syria pending demarcation none
Economic aid - recipient ODA, $500 million (2004 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 substantial headway with privatization. The government also has liberalized the trade regime sufficiently to secure Jordan's membership in the WTO (2000), a free trade accord with the US (2001), and an association agreement with the EU (2001). These measures have helped improve productivity and have put Jordan on the foreign investment map. Jordan imported most of its oil from Iraq, but the US-led war in Iraq in 2003 made Jordan more dependent on oil from other Gulf nations, forcing the Jordanian Government to raise retail petroleum product prices and the sales tax base. Jordan's export market, which is heavily dependent on exports to Iraq, was also affected by the war but recovered quickly while contributing to the Iraq recovery effort. The main challenges facing Jordan are reducing dependence on foreign grants, reducing the budget deficit, and creating investment incentives to promote job creation. Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993. The casino closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, projected to begin operations in the near future
Electricity - consumption 7.959 billion kWh (2003) -
Electricity - exports 4 million kWh (2003) -
Electricity - imports 972 million kWh (2003) -
Electricity - production 7.517 billion kWh (2003) -
Elevation extremes lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


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


highest point: Murray Hill 361 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% Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%


note: no indigenous population (2001)
Exchange rates Jordanian dinars per US dollar - 0.709 (2005), 0.709 (2004), 0.709 (2003), 0.709 (2002), 0.709 (2001) Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000)
Executive branch chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Prince HUSSEIN (born 1994), eldest son of King ABDALLAH, is first in line to inherit the throne


head of government: Prime Minister Marouf al-BAKHIT (since 24 November 2005); Deputy Prime Minister Ziad FARIZ (since 24 November 2005)


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 the Australian governor general


head of government: Administrator Evan WILLIAMS (since 1 November 2003)


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
Exports 0 bbl/day (2004 est.) NA
Exports - commodities clothing, phosphates, fertilizers, potash, vegetables, manufactures, pharmaceuticals phosphate
Exports - partners US 29.4%, Iraq 15.6%, India 8.8%, Saudi Arabia 5.9% (2005) Australia, NZ
Fiscal year calendar year 1 July - 30 June
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 the flag of Australia is used; note - in early 1986, the Christmas Island Assembly held a design competition for an island flag, however, the winning design has never been formally adopted as the official flag of the territory
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 3.3%


industry: 28.7%


services: 68% (2005 est.)
agriculture: NA


industry: NA


services: NA
GDP - real growth rate 5.8% (2005 est.) NA
Geographic coordinates 31 00 N, 36 00 E 10 30 S, 105 40 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 located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean
Heliports 1 (2006) -
Highways - total: 240 km


paved: 30 km


unpaved: 210 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 3.3%


highest 10%: 29.8% (1997)
-
Imports 100,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) NA
Imports - commodities crude oil, textile fabrics, machinery, transport equipment, manufactured goods consumer goods
Imports - partners Saudi Arabia 20.9%, China 8%, Germany 7.1%, US 6.2%, South Korea 4.1% (2005) principally Australia
Independence 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) none (territory of Australia)
Industrial production growth rate 7.5% (2005 est.) -
Industries textiles, phosphate mining, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, potash, inorganic chemicals, light manufacturing, tourism tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion)
Infant mortality rate total: 16.76 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 20.04 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 13.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
total: NA


male: NA


female: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 4.5% (2005 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, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO none
Irrigated land 750 sq km (2003) NA sq km
Judicial branch Court of Cassation; Supreme Court (court of final appeal) Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court
Labor force 1.46 million (2005 est.) NA
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 5%


industry: 12.5%


services: 82.5% (2001 est.)
NA
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: 3.32%


permanent crops: 1.18%


other: 95.5% (2005)
arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100%


note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park (2001)
Languages Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes English (official), Chinese, Malay
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 under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law
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 in 2007)


election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - independents and other 89.6%, IAF 10.4%; seats by party - independents and other 92, IAF 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
unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held 3 May 2003 (next to be held in 2005)


election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9
Life expectancy at birth total population: 78.4 years


male: 75.9 years


female: 81.05 years (2006 est.)
total population: NA


male: NA


female: NA
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 91.3%


male: 95.9%


female: 86.3% (2003 est.)
NA
Location Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia
Map references Middle East Southeast Asia
Maritime claims territorial sea: 3 nm territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 12 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine total: 25 ships (1000 GRT or over) 346,698 GRT/501,060 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 9, container 2, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 4


foreign-owned: 11 (UAE 11)


registered in other countries: 15 (Bahamas 2, Panama 13) (2006)
-
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of Australia
Military branches Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF): Royal Jordanian Land Force, Royal Jordanian Navy, Royal Jordanian Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Malakiya al-Urduniya), Special Operations Command (Socom); Public Security Directorate (normally falls under Ministry of Interior, but comes under JAF in wartime or crisis situations) (2006) -
Military expenditures - dollar figure $1.4 billion (2005 est.) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 11.4% (2005 est.) -
National holiday Independence Day, 25 May (1946) Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
Nationality noun: Jordanian(s)


adjective: Jordanian
noun: Christmas Islander(s)


adjective: Christmas Island
Natural hazards droughts; periodic earthquakes the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
Natural resources phosphates, potash, shale oil phosphate, beaches
Net migration rate 6.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) NA
People - note - the Australian Bureau of Statistics reports a population of 1,508 as of the 2001 Census
Pipelines gas 426 km; oil 49 km (2006) -
Political parties and leaders al-Ahd Party; Arab Islamic Democratic Movement [Yusuf ABU BAKR, president]; Arab Land Party [Dr. Ayishah Salih HIJAZAYN, secretary general]; Arab Socialist Ba'th Party [Taysir al-HIMSI, secretary general]; Ba'th Arab Progressive Party [Fu'ad DABBUR, secretary general]; Freedom Party; Future Party; Islamic Action Front or IAF [Zaki Sa'ed BANI IRSHEID, secretary general]; Islamic Center Party [Marwan al-FAURI, secretary general]; Jordanian Arab Ansar Party; Jordanian Arab New Dawn Party; Jordanian Arab Party; Jordanian Citizens' Rights Movement; Jordanian Communist Party [Munir HAMARINAH, secretary general]; Jordanian Communist Workers Party; Jordanian Democratic Left Party [Musa MA'AYTEH, secretary general]; Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'id Dhiyab Ali MUSTAFA, secretary general]; Jordanian Generations Party [Muhammad KHALAYLEH, secretary general]; Jordanian Green Party [Muhammad BATAYNEH, secretary general]; Jordanian Labor Party [Dr. Mazin Sulayman Jiryis HANNA, secretary general]; Jordanian Peace Party; Jordanian People's Committees Movement; Jordanian People's Democratic Party (Hashd) [Ahmad YUSUF, secretary general]; Jordanian Rafah Party; Jordanian Renaissance Party; Mission Party; Nation Party [Ahmad al-HANANDEH, secretary general]; National Action Party (Haqq) [Tariq al-KAYYALI, secretary general]; National Constitutional Party [Abdul Hadi MAJALI, secretary general]; National Popular Democratic Movement [Mahmud al-NUWAYHI, secretary general]; Progressive Party [Fawwaz al-ZUBI, secretary general] none
Political pressure groups and leaders Anti-Normalization Committee [Ali Abu SUKKAR, president vice chairman]; Jordan Bar Association [Hussein Mujalli, chairman]; Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]; Muslim Brotherhood [Salem AL-FALAHAT, secretary general] none
Population 5,906,760 (July 2006 est.) 361 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line 30% (2001 est.) -
Population growth rate 2.49% (2006 est.) 0% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors - Flying Fish Cove
Radio broadcast stations AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1999) AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004)
Railways total: 505 km


narrow gauge: 505 km 1.050-m gauge (2005)
-
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.) Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997)
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: 0.95 male(s)/female


total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
NA
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: service provided by the Australian network


domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system in February 2005


international: country code - 61-891; satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use 617,300 (2004) NA
Telephones - mobile cellular 1,594,500 (2004) NA
Television broadcast stations 20 (plus 96 repeaters) (1995) NA
Terrain mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau
Total fertility rate 2.63 children born/woman (2006 est.) NA
Unemployment rate 12.5% official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30% (2004 est.) -
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