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Location &
Population |
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Location & Population Jordan is located in the heart of the Middle East, Northwest of Saudi Arabia, South of Syria, Southwest of Iraq, and East of Israel and the Palestinian National Authority. Jordan has access to the Red Sea via the port city of Aqaba, located at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba. |
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Area: Population: |
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Jordan enjoys a range of geographical features, starting from the Jordan Rift Valley in the West ending at the desert plateau of the East, with a range of small hills running the length of the country in between.
Lowest Point: Dead Sea, -408 meters (-1338.6 feet) |
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Entry & Visa Requirements Any non-Arab visitor to Jordan, whether for business or tourism, needs an entry visa. The required fee for a visa in addition to the granted stay duration depends on the visitors nationality. Although entrance visas are obtainable at the airport for visitors arriving by airplane, those arriving by land must get a visa prior to arrival. These are obtainable from any Jordanian diplomatic mission abroad, where they generally take a day to be received. Visas cannot be obtained at Jordan's land border crossings. Visas obtained in Jordanian consulates are valid for 3-4 months from the date of issue, and can be issued for multiple entries. Tourist visas allow a stay of up to one month initially. However, this period can easily be extended for up to another two months. After that date you must exit and re-enter the country, or undergo immigration procedures. If your visa has not been renewed properly by the time you leave Jordan you will have to pay a fine at the border. If you plan to stay for more than two weeks in Jordan, you will need to register at the nearest police station. |
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Many of the best
hotels and restaurants will add a gratuity of about 10% to your bill.
However, smaller establishments usually expect you to leave a tip in
line with the service you received. Taxi drivers are generally not
tipped, but it is customary to pay the nearest round figure to the
price on the meter. It may be difficult to get change for a large
bill, so carry plenty of small denominations and coins for taxis.
Credit cards are accepted at most large hotels, restaurants, car rental companies and tourist shops. The most widely accepted cards are American Express, Visa, Diners Club and Master Card. You can also use your cards to draw cash (up to 500 JD's) at any bank linked with your credit card network. Only Jordanian bank account holders can use the automatic cash machines outside some banks in Amman and you should not attempt to use them. |
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Time Jordan is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Measurements Jordan operates on the metric system. Length is counted in meters, distances in kilometers, weight in kilograms and volume in liters. You may come across the measurement for land: the dunum. One dunum is equivalent to approximately 1000 square meters (10,760 square feet). |
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As the lunar Hijra calendar is 11 days shorter than the Gregorian
calendar, each year Islamic holidays fall approximately 11 days earlier
than in the previous year. The precise dates are known only shortly
before they fall, however, as they depend on the sighting of the moon. |
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Business Hours Fri.'s & Sat.'s are the weekly holidays where banks and most offices close. Most businesses and banks have a half-day on Thursday, and some take Sunday as a half-day or a complete holiday. Government departments are open from 08:00 to 15:00 daily except Friday. Banks are open from 08:30 to 15:00, and some have recently introduced afternoon hours from 16:00 to 18:00. Small shops are open long hours, from around 09:00 until 21:00, often closing for a couple of hours in the mid-afternoon. Most Muslim shop owners close early or do not open on Friday, and Christians follow similar rules on Sunday. However, the markets and street stalls downtown remain open all week long, and Friday is their busiest day of the week. During Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, business hours are shorter. Museums are generally open every day except Tuesday, but opening hours sometimes vary. |
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Customs Customs regulations exempt from duty most items carried by tourists, including cameras, radios, hair-dryers, video equipment, etc. So far as duty allowances are concerned, you may carry up to 200 cigarettes or 200 grams of tobacco, and either one liter of spirits or two liters of wine. Cars and electrical appliances, from household goods to personal computers and video cameras, are subject to duty, which may be very high. Upon exit you will be asked to show that your goods were tax exempted. |
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Health Recommendations Although not required, it is preferable to have preventative shots against polio, tetanus and typhoid. Jordan is one of the cleanest and safest countries, but it is nonetheless advisable to take some precautions until your digestive system adjusts. Hotels rated four-star and up have their own filtering systems, and their tap water is safe to drink. In other places, bottled water is recommended. All fruit and vegetables should be washed thoroughly, and salads and cold meats which have been sitting out for a long time should be avoided, especially during summer months. All Jordanian dairy products are pasteurised and safe. Medical services are well developed throughout Jordan, with a medical centre or clinic in every town and village. In the larger towns and cities many of the doctors have been trained overseas and speak English. |
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The Hashemites His Majesty King Abdullah II is the 43rd generation direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. King Abdullah assumed his constitutional powers as King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on February 7, 1999, the day his father the late King Hussein, passed away. |
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