Capital | Amman |
Area | 92 300 km² |
Population | 5 759 732 people |
Official language | Arabic |
Currency | Jordanian Dinar |
Climate | summer +35°C winter +25°C |
Recommended type of holiday | sightseeing (Petra, Jerash, Ajloun, Madaba) beach vacation (Aqaba / Red Sea) therapeutic (Dead Sea) |
The Middle East kingdom of Jordan is bordered on the west by Israel and the Dead Sea, on the north by Syria, on the east by Iraq, and on the south by Saudi Arabia. It is comparable in size to Indiana. Arid hills and mountains make up most of the country. The southern section of the Jordan River flows through the country.
Jordanians are Arabs, except for a few small communities of Circassians, Armenians, and Chechens who have adapted to Arab culture. The official language is Arabic, but English is used widely in commerce and government. About 70% of Jordan's population is urban; less than 6% of the rural population is nomadic or semi-nomadic. Approximately 1.7 million registered Palestinian refugees and other displaced persons, including Iraqis, reside in Jordan.
Jordan Archaeological Museum was built in the year 1951. The museum is situated on the Citadel Hill in the city of Amman. It is a treasure trove of archaeological finds and artifacts covering the history and culture of the country. It has a good collection of ancient coins. The attractions of the museum are its exhibits which include the Dead Bronze scroll written in Aramaic language and the plaster statues which date back to 6000 BC.
The Roman Amphitheater is located towards the east of the downpart of the city of Amman. It is situated below the Citadel Hill. The Roman Amphitheater was built in the year 2 nd century AD. It can accommodate 6000 persons. The theater houses a Folklore museum and the Museum of Popular Tradition.
The cities of Amman, Peltra and Aquaba are great places to enjoy fine shopping in Jordan. You will find many souks in the city centers where you can shop sand bottles, Arab kefiyas, bead jewelery, silver jewelery and water pipes. The sand bottles have intricate designs done with sand with the aid of a funnel and a knitting needle. Local t shirts, earthen ware items like oil lamps and camel figurines will form great souvenirs to carry back home. Arab kefiyas are headscarves made of cotton. You can wear the scarves with a double black headband. These scarves will protect you against the scorching desert sun.