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more about jordan
jordan |
6 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Jordan \Jor"dan\, Jorden \Jor"den\, n. [Prob. fr the river Jordan, and shortened fr Jordan bottle a bottle of water from the Jordan, brought back by pilgrims.] 1. A pot or vessel with a large neck, formerly used by physicians and alchemists. [Obs.] --Halliwell. 2. A chamber pot. [Obs.] --Chaucer. Shak. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: Jordan n 1: a river in Palestine that empties into the Dead Sea; John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan [syn: {Jordan}, {Jordan River}] 2: an Arab kingdom in southwestern Asia on the Red Sea [syn: {Jordan}, {Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan}] From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]: Jordan, AR Zip code(s): 72519 Jordan, MN (city, FIPS 32174) Location: 44.66850 N, 93.63225 W Population (1990): 2909 (1091 housing units) Area: 5.7 sq km (land), 0.1 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 55352 Jordan, MT (town, FIPS 39925) Location: 47.32115 N, 106.91002 W Population (1990): 494 (258 housing units) Area: 0.9 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 59337 Jordan, NY (village, FIPS 38825) Location: 43.06571 N, 76.47326 W Population (1990): 1325 (510 housing units) Area: 2.7 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 13080 From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]: Jordan Heb. Yarden, "the descender;" Arab. Nahr-esh-Sheriah, "the watering-place" the chief river of Palestine. It flows from north to south down a deep valley in the centre of the country. The name descender is significant of the fact that there is along its whole course a descent to its banks; or it may simply denote the rapidity with which it descends" to the Dead Sea. It originates in the snows of Hermon, which feed its perennial fountains. Two sources are generally spoken of (1.) From the western base of a hill on which once stood the city of Dan, the northern border-city of Palestine, there gushes forth a considerable fountain called the Leddan, which is the largest fountain in Syria and the principal source of the Jordan. (2.) Beside the ruins of Banias, the ancient Caesarea Philippi and the yet more ancient Panium, is a lofty cliff of limestone, at the base of which is a fountain. This is the other source of the Jordan, and has always been regarded by the Jews as its true source. It rushes down to the plain in a foaming torrent, and joins the Leddan about 5 miles south of Dan (Tell-el-Kady). (3.) But besides these two historical fountains there is a third called the Hasbany which rises in the bottom of a valley at the western base of Hermon, 12 miles north of Tell-el-Kady. It joins the main stream about a mile below the junction of the Leddan and the Banias. The river thus formed is at this point about 45 feet wide, and flows in a channel from 12 to 20 feet below the plain. After this it flows, "with a swift current and a much-twisted course," through a marshy plain for some 6 miles, when it falls into the Lake Huleh, "the waters of Merom" (q.v.). During this part of its course the Jordan has descended about 1,100 feet. At Banias it is 1,080 feet above sea-level. Flowing from the southern extremity of Lake Huleh, here almost on a level with the sea, it flows for 2 miles "through a waste of islets and papyrus," and then for 9 miles through a narrow gorge in a foaming torrent onward to the Sea of Galilee (q.v.). "In the whole valley of the Jordan from the Lake Huleh to the Sea of Galilee there is not a single settled inhabitant. Along the whole eastern bank of the river and the lakes, from the base of Hermon to the ravine of Hieromax a region of great fertility, 30 miles long by 7 or 8 wide, there are only some three inhabited villages. The western bank is almost as desolate. Ruins are numerous enough. Every mile or two is an old site of town or village, now well nigh hid beneath a dense jungle of thorns and thistles. The words of Scripture here recur to us with peculiar force: 'I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation...And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it...And your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate' (Lev. 26:31-34).", Dr Porter's Handbook. From the Sea of Galilee, at the level of 682 feet below the Mediterranean, the river flows through a long, low plain called "the region of Jordan" (Matt. 3:5), and by the modern Arabs the Ghor, or "sunken plain." This section is properly the Jordan of Scripture. Down through the midst of the "plain of Jordan" there winds a ravine varying in breadth from 200 yards to half a mile, and in depth from 40 to 150 feet. Through it the Jordan flows in a rapid, rugged, tortuous course down to the Dead Sea. The whole distance from the southern extremity of the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea is in a straight line about 65 miles, but following the windings of the river about 200 miles, during which it falls 618 feet. The total length of the Jordan from Banias is about 104 miles in a straight line during which it falls 2,380 feet. There are two considerable affluents which enter the river between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, both from the east. (1.) The Wady Mandhur called the Yarmuk by the Rabbins and the Hieromax by the Greeks. It formed the boundary between Bashan and Gilead. It drains the plateau of the Hauran. (2.) The Jabbok or Wady Zerka, formerly the northern boundary of Ammon. It enters the Jordan about 20 miles north of Jericho. The first historical notice of the Jordan is in the account of the separation of Abraham and Lot (Gen. 13:10). "Lot beheld the plain of Jordan as the garden of the Lord." Jacob crossed and recrossed "this Jordan" (32:10). The Israelites passed over it as "on dry ground" (Josh. 3:17; Ps 114:3). Twice afterwards its waters were miraculously divided at the same spot by Elijah and Elisha (2 Kings 2:8, 14). The Jordan is mentioned in the Old Testament about one hundred and eighty times, and in the New Testament fifteen times. The chief events in gospel history connected with it are (1) John the Baptist's ministry, when "there went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and were baptized of him in Jordan" (Matt. 3:6). (2.) Jesus also "was baptized of John in Jordan" (Mark 1:9). From Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (late 1800's) [hitchcock]: Jordan, the river of judgment From The CIA World Factbook (1995) [world95]: Jordan (also see separate West Bank entry) Jordan:Geography Location: Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia Map references: Middle East Area: total area: 89,213 sq km land area: 88,884 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana Land boundaries: total 1,619 km Iraq 181 km Israel 238 km Saudi Arabia 728 km Syria 375 km West Bank 97 km Coastline: 26 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 nm International disputes: none Climate: mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April) Terrain: mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River Natural resources: phosphates, potash, shale oil Land use: arable land: 4% permanent crops: 0.5% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 0.5% other: 94% Irrigated land: 570 sq km (1989 est.) Environment: current issues: limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing soil erosion; desertification natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands Jordan:People Population: 4,100,709 (July 1995 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 44% (female 884,462; male 930,266) 15-64 years: 53% (female 1,058,060; male 1,119,347) 65 years and over: 3% (female 53,709; male 54,865) (July 1995 est.) Population growth rate: 2.69% (1995 est.) Birth rate: 37.32 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) Death rate: 4.02 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) Net migration rate: -6.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) Infant mortality rate: 32.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.27 years male: 70.43 years female: 74.21 years (1995 est.) Total fertility rate: 5.25 children born/woman (1995 est.) Nationality: noun: Jordanian(s) adjective: Jordanian Ethnic divisions: Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1% Religions: Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 8% Languages: Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1991) total population: 83% male: 91% female: 75% Labor force: 600,000 (1992) by occupation: industry 11.4%, commerce, restaurants, and hotels 10.5%, construction 10.0%, transport and communications 8.7%, agriculture 7.4%, other services 52.0% (1992) Jordan:Government Names: 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 Digraph: JO Type: constitutional monarchy Capital: Amman Administrative divisions: 8 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Ma'an Independence: 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) National holiday: Independence Day 25 May (1946) Constitution: 8 January 1952 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 Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: King HUSSEIN Bin Talal Al Hashimi (since 11 August 1952) head of government: Prime Minister Zayd BIN SHAKIR (since 8 January 1995) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Majlis al-'Umma) House of Notables (Majlis al-A'ayan): consists of a 40-member body appointed by the king from designated categories of public figures House of Representatives: elections last held 8 November 1993 (next to be held NA November 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA seats - (80 total) Muslim Brotherhood (fundamentalist) 16, Independent Islamic bloc (generally traditionalist) 6, Radical leftist 3, pro-government 55 note: the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved by the King several times since 1974 and in November 1989 the first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held Judicial branch: Court of Cassation Political parties and leaders: Al-'Ahd (Pledge) Party, Sec. Gen. 'Abd al-Hadi al-MAJALI; Al-Ahrar (Liberals) Party, Sec. Gen. Ahmad al-ZU'BI; Al-Hurriyah (Freedom) Party, Sec. Gen. Fawwaz al-ZUBI; Al-Watan (Homeland) Party, leader 'Akif al-FAYIZ; Al-Yaqazah (Awakening) Party, Sec. Gen. 'Abd al-Ra'uf al-RAWABIDAH; Constitutional Jordanian Arab Front Party, leader Milhim al-TALL; Democratic Arab Islamic Movement Party-Du'a', Sec. Gen. Yusuf Abu BAKR; Democratic Arab Unionist Party-Wad, Sec. Gen. Anis al-MU'ASHIR; Islamic Action Front (IAF), Sec. Gen. Ishaq al-FARHAN; Jordanian Arab Democratic Party, Sec. Gen. Mu'nis al-RAZZAZ; Jordanian Arab Masses Party, Sec. Gen. 'Abd al-Khaliq SHATAT Jordanian Arab Socialist Ba'th Party, Command First Secretary Taysir al-HIMSI; Jordanian Communist Party (JCP), Sec. Gen. Ya'qub ZAYADIN Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party, Sec. Gen. 'Azmi al-KHAWAJA; Jordanian Democratic Progressive Party, Sec. Gen. 'Ali 'AMIR; Jordanian National Alliance Party, Sec. Gen. Mijhim al-KHURAYSHAH; Jordanian People's Democratic Party-Hashd, Sec. Gen. Taysir al-ZIBRI; Jordanian Socialist Democratic Party, Sec. Gen. 'Isa MADANAT Pan-Arab Action Front Party, Sec. Gen. Muhammad al-ZU'BI; Popular Unity Party-the Unionists, Sec. Gen. Talal al-RAMAHI; Progress and Justice Party, Sec. Gen. 'Ali al-SA'D; Progressive Arab Ba'th Party, Command Secretary Mahmud al-MA'AYITAH; Al-Mustaqbal (Future) Party, Sec. Gen. Sulayman 'ARAR Member of: ABEDA, ACC, AFESD AL AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, PCA, UN UNAVEM II UNCTAD UNESCO, UNIDO UNOMIL UNOMOZ UNPROFOR UNRWA UPU, WFTU WHO WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Fayiz A. TARAWNEH chancery: 3504 International Drive NW Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664 FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110 US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Wesley E. EGAN, Jr embassy: Jabel Amman, Amman mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; APO AE 09892-0200 telephone: [962] (6) 820101 FAX: [962] (6) 820159 Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), white, and green with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a small white seven-pointed star; the seven points on the star represent the seven fundamental laws of the Koran Economy Overview: Jordan benefited from increased Arab aid during the oil boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when its annual real GNP growth averaged more than 10%. In the remainder of the 1980s, however, reductions in both Arab aid and worker remittances slowed real economic growth to an average of roughly 2% per year. Imports - mainly oil, capital goods, consumer durables, and food - outstripped exports, with the difference covered by aid, remittances, and borrowing. In mid-1989, the Jordanian Government began debt-rescheduling negotiations and agreed to implement an IMF-supported program designed to gradually reduce the budget deficit and implement badly needed structural reforms. The Persian Gulf crisis that began in August 1990, however, aggravated Jordan's already serious economic problems, forcing the government to shelve the IMF program, stop most debt payments, and suspend rescheduling negotiations. Aid from Gulf Arab states, worker remittances, and trade contracted; and refugees flooded the country, producing serious balance-of-payments problems, stunting GDP growth, and straining government resources. The economy rebounded in 1992, largely due to the influx of capital repatriated by workers returning from the Gulf, but the recovery was uneven throughout 1994. The government is implementing the reform program adopted in 1992 and continues to secure rescheduling and write-offs of its heavy foreign debt. Debt, poverty, and unemployment remain Jordan's biggest on-going problems. National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $17 billion (1994 est.) National product real growth rate: 5.5% (1994 est.) National product per capita: $4,280 (1994 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (1994 est.) Unemployment rate: 16% (1994 est.) Budget: revenues: $2 billion expenditures: $2.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $630 million (1995 est.) Exports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: phosphates, fertilizers, potash, agricultural products, manufactures partners: India, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, EU Indonesia, UAE Imports: $3.5 billion (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: crude oil, machinery, transport equipment, food, live animals, manufactured goods partners: EU US Iraq, Japan, Turkey External debt: $6 billion (March 1995 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 3% (1993 est.); accounts for 20% of GDP Electricity: capacity: 1,050,000 kW production: 4.2 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,072 kWh (1993) Industries: phosphate mining, petroleum refining, cement, potash, light manufacturing Agriculture: accounts for about 8% of GDP; wheat, barley, citrus fruit, tomatoes, melons, olives; sheep, goats, poultry; large net importer of food Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.7 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.5 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $44 million Currency: 1 Jordanian dinar JD = 1,000 fils Exchange rates: Jordanian dinars JD per US$1 - 0.6994 (January 1995), 0.5987 (1994), 0.6928 (1993), 0.6797 (1992), 0.6808 (1991), 0.6636 (1990) Fiscal year: calendar year Jordan:Transportation Railroads: total: 789 km narrow gauge: 789 km 1.050-m gauge Highways: total: 7,500 km paved: asphalt 5,500 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone 2,000 km Pipelines: crude oil 209 km Ports: Al'Aqabah Merchant marine: total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 61,678 GRT/113,080 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, oil tanker 1 Airports: total: 17 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 9 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 Jordan:Communications Telephone system: 81,500 telephones; adequate telephone system local: NA microwave, cable, and radio links intercity: NA international: 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station; coaxial cable and microwave to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria; microwave link to Lebanon is inactive; participant in MEDARABTEL a microwave radio relay network linking Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco Radio: broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 7, shortwave 0 radios: NA Television: broadcast stations: 8 and 1 TV receive-only satellite link televisions: NA Jordan:Defense Forces Branches: Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF; includes Royal Jordanian Land Force, Royal Naval Force, and Royal Jordanian Air Force); Ministry of the Interior's Public Security Force (falls under JAF only in wartime or crisis situations) Manpower availability: males age 15-49 981,004; males fit for military service 699,891; males reach military age (18) annually 45,494 (1995 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $564.2 million, 9.1% of GDP (1995 est.)
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