Country's Full Name: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan or Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah

Brief History: Jordan is well remembered as an important component to many ancient civilizations. Romans annexed the country in 106 AD as a part of Arabia province, the remnants of Roman ruins can be found near Amman the capital city. The break of Ottoman Empire led League of Nations to divide the country in French and British controlled territories. British controlled territories were called as Transjordan, while French controlled Syria. Jordan lost a part of Jerusalem and West Bank in its war against Israel in 1967. King Abdullah I established the Hashemite kingdom in 1921 after British gave semi-autonomous control of their territory. The country gained total independence from British occupation on 25 May 1946.

What is the country known for:
Petra the lost city which now holds its name in new 7 wonders of the world was at its glory during silk route or ancient trade route. It formed a resting place for traders from India and China bringing spices to the West through Mediterranean sea.
Can deserts be romantic? Witness the silent, romantic and beautiful desert in Jordan beter known as Wadi Rum.
At the end of your tour to Jordan you may relax at Aqaba a modern Red sea port.
It is believed that Jesus Christ was baptized in the River Jordan.

Main Industries:
Agriculture: 5%
Industry: 12.5%
Services: 82.5%
The main industries are clothing, phosphate mining, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, potash, inorganic chemicals, light manufacturing, and tourism.

Main Trading Partners: Saudi Arabia, Germany, China, US

Major Cities: Amman (1.4 million), Az Zarqa (450,000), Irbid (250,000), Aqaba (90,000)

Location: The country is in the Middle East, in the North of Syria, North east to Iraq, West of Israel and East of Saudi Arabia.
31 00 N, 36 00 E

Size: Total area - 92,300 sq km; Land - 91,971 sq km; Water - 329 sq km

Time Zone:
Standard Time - GMT 2 hours
Daylight Saving Time - GMT 3 hours
Jordan advances to Daylight saving time by 1 hour (GMT 3 Hour) by local decree. The Daylight Saving Time remains in effect from 00:00 on the last Thursday of March to 01:00 on last Thursday of October.

Type of Government: Constitutional monarchy with King, Prime Minister, Cabinet, and parliament (elected lower house and appointed upper house). 12 administrative districts called Governorates, which are headed by governors appointed by the monarch. His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein ascended the throne on February 7, 1999, after death of His Majesty King Hussein who ruled for 47 years.

National Holidays:

2010
1 Jan New Year's Day.
26 Feb Mawlid al-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet).
2 Apr Good Friday.
5 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May Labour Day.
25 May Independence Day.
10 Jun Army Day.
9 Jul Prophet's Ascension.
11 Aug Ramadan begins.
10 Sep Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
16 Nov Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).
7 Dec Islamic New Year.
25 Dec Christmas.

2011
1 Jan New Year's Day.
15 Feb Mawlid al-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet).
22 Apr Good Friday.
25 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May Labour Day.
25 May Independence Day.
10 Jun Army Day.
28 Jun Prophet's Ascension.
1 Aug Ramadan begins.
31 Aug Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
7 Nov Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).
26 Nov Islamic New Year.
25 Dec Christmas.

Note
(a) Easter holidays are only observed by Christian business establishments. (b) Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Many restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the region.

Population and Breakdown:
Total population - 6,053,193 (July 2007 estimated)
0 - 14 years 33% (male 1,018,934/female 977,645);
15 - 64 years (male 2,037,550/female 1,777,361);
65 years and over - 4% (male 117,279/female 124,424)
Average life expectancy 76.04 for men, 81.22 for women.
Urban population - 82%.

Religion: Muslim (Sunni) 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 Shia Muslim and Druze populations)

Language: Arabic, English widely understood.

Local Customs:
Jordan is a Muslim country. Ladies should dress conservatively.
Jordanians are Arabs by ethnicity. Never say no when any Arab offer you coffee, it is a part of their culture. The coffee cup will be refilled unless you tilt the cup sideways. Never get offended by overfeeding while sharing with your host, be generous.
During their holy month of Ramadan, you should not drink, smoke or eat in public places.
Respect their Islamic religion, never talk or come in front of them when they pray.

Best Time to go: Tourists should visit during spring or autumn to avoid broiling Sun and chilly winds in the winter. Red sea area and Aqaba can be visited throughout the year due to its moderate temperature.


Currency:
1 US Dollar = 0.71340 Jordanian Dinar
1 Jordanian Dinar (JOD) = 1.40174 US Dollar (USD)
1 Euro = 0.97594 Jordanian Dinar
1 Jordanian Dinar (JOD) = 1.02465 Euro (EUR)
1 British Pound = 1.43734 Jordanian Dinar
1 Jordanian Dinar (JOD) = 0.69573 British Pound (GBP)

Customs Regulations:
Tobacco - 200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 200 grams of tobacco
Liquor - 1 bottle of wine or 1 bottle of spirits
Perfume - reasonable for personal use
Cameras - no restrictions
Film - reasonable for personal use
Gifts - up to a value of jd50 or the equivalent to us$150
Currency - import up to 100 jordanian dinars
Prohibited items - narcotics

Tipping: Tip the waiters 10% of the bill value unless the service charge includes in the bill. Tipping to taxi driver is not necessary but is appreciated.