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Location:
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Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia
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Geographic coordinates:
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31 00 N, 36 00 E
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Map references:
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Middle East
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Area:
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total: 92,300 sq km
water: 329 sq km
land: 91,971 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Indiana
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,635 km
border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km
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Coastline:
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26 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 3 NM
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Climate:
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mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)
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Terrain:
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mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m
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Natural resources:
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phosphates, potash, shale oil
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Land use:
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arable land: 2.87%
permanent crops: 1.52%
other: 95.61% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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750 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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droughts; periodic earthquakes
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Environment - current issues:
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limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
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Environment - international agreements:
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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
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Geography - note:
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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
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