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Jordan, aka Lawrence’s Arabia, is one of the most hospitable and welcoming countries in the world. In the Middle East, which has a reputation for being exceptionally male-oriented, Jordan comes across as a cool breath of equality. Famous for its pink Petra caves, glimpses of ancient Greek, Roman temples, amphitheatres and gateways and samples of Christian civilization. Jordan isn’t quite swamped by tourists though. The tensions of the region are to blame for that, but don’t get taken in by incomplete information – Jordan is a safe place, as safe as any place around the world. So don the kaffiyeh, contemplate the expanses of desert and feel the romance and inspiration, as Lawrence of Arabia and Moses once did!

Jordanians are quite serious about preparing their national dish Mansaf- lamb seasoned with aromatic herbs, cooked in yoghurt. They believe in spending hours preparing this lip smacking dish….so don’t miss out to try their speciality! The natives of the country are quite superstitious about making remarks…they believe that excessive praise of children brings bad luck, so it should be avoided.

Historically Speaking

Jordan and its surrounding regions were home to the oldest known civilization in the world dating back to about 9000 BC. The earliest records say that the Amorit and Canaanite tribe settled here about 3000 BC. Thereafter, warring tribes of Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians and Romans constantly invaded this region, one after another, but historical records are sketchy. From 626 AD onwards, the Arab Muslims have more or less controlled this region barring the Christian conquest during the Crusades and the rule of the Ottoman Turks from 1517 to 1918. With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War II, the British created the state of Transjordan under King Abdullah bin Hussein, who made Amman the capital. Britain gave up its mandate over Transjordan in 1946 and Abdullah bin Hussein became King of the sovereign independent nation. Transjordan formally joined the Arab League in 1946. In 1948, Transjordan along with the Arab League attacked the newly formed State of Israel and took over East Jerusalem and the West Bank. King Abdullah formally annexed West bank and named it the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Palestinians from the West Bank now settled down in Jordan. Abdullah was assassinated in 1950, and was succeeded by his son Talal I. Talal was succeeded by his son Hussein who ruled over Jordan till February 1999. King Abdullah, who is currently ruling Jordan, succeeds King Hussein. Border clashes with Israel, strained relations with Egypt and Syria and internal strife in the form of anti government agitations by the Palestinians have constantly troubled Jordan. In the Six Day War in 1967, the Israelis got back the West Bank from Jordan. This defeat led to unrest in Jordan led by the Palestinians in the 1960s and 1970s. Jordan kept up its claims to the West Bank until the conclusive victory of the Israelis in the Arab-Israeli War of Yom Kippur when Jordan had to give up its claims as well as recognize the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organisation) as the representatives of the Palestinian population living in Jordan. In 1988, Hussein cut off all legal and administrative ties with the West Bank. During the Gulf War in 1990-1991, Jordan’s Palestinian population was in favour of Saddam Hussein, the ruler of Iraq, and King Hussein of Jordan refused to go against the Iraqis for fear of unrest within the country. But fearing UN economic sanctions, Hussein complied with the UN embargo on trade with Iraq, although it meant losing its most important trade partner. In 1991 King Hussein lifted the ban on the formation of political parties and in 1993, the first parliamentary elections were held. In 1994, Jordan and Israel signed a peace treaty but it failed to boost regional integration. While the borders to Israel remain open giving Jordan access to the Israeli Mediterranean ports of Haifa and Ashdod and boosting tourism, there has been little further economic or political cooperation between the two countries. Jordan lays the blame firmly at the feet of Israel, citing its continued expansion of settlements on the West Bank and refusal to withdraw troops, in violation of the 1994 Oslo Accord with the Palestinian National Authority. Jordan is also a member of the Arabic League which was established in 1945.

Habitat

Jordan’s main topographical feature is a dry arid plateau that runs from north to south on which most of the main cities and towns are located. It rises steeply along the shores of the Dead Sea and Jordan River (610-915m). The plateau then slopes down to the semi arid steppe country of the Great Syrian or North Arab desert. In the west runs the deep depression, the Great Rift Valley, which includes the Jordan Valley, the Wadi Arabia and the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is incidentally the lowest point on earth at 395m below sea level. Jordan is a small country, distances are short and it is about 430 km from Ramtha in the north to Aqaba in the south, and 103 km from Amman to furthest east Azraq. The Great Rift Valley is fertile land and you can see mud and salt flats for miles. Amman, Irbid, Zarqa and other important towns are situated in the fertile part of the East Bank plateau watered by streams flowing into the Jordan River. The rest of the East Bank (80%) is a desert stretching to Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia with extreme climate and scanty rainfall. Plant life is not abundant in Jordan, as much of the region consists of steppe or desert. Wooded areas and grasslands are to be found principally in the hills to the west of the River Jordan and in the area between Amman and the Syrian border. Trees here include oak, ilex, palm, olive and Aleppo pine. Slopes of the Jordan Valley are cultivated with cedar, olive, citrus fruits and eucalyptus trees. The animals found in the desert region of Jordan are camels, desert fox, sand rat, hare and jerboa (a small rodent). On the hills, north east of the Dead Sea, you can see boars, badgers and goats, and some times gazelles and oryx (a large antelope). There are a large variety of tropical fish in the Gulf of Aqaba, while the presence of coral makes it ideal for scuba diving.