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| Scuba Jordan Coral Reef |
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Resources Overview
The coastline of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan extends approximately 27 km along the north eastern-reaches of the Gulf of Aqaba ( Fig. 1). The coast is home to Jordan's only seaport and is a center of industry, tourism and transportation. Approximately 30% of the coast is used for port facilities.
The climate in the region is arid with an annual rainfall of 20 - 30 mm and mean daily air temperatures ranging from 14 to 32 °C. The Gulf of Aqaba is a semi-enclosed system with limited water circulation (residence time of two to three years).
Fringing reefs border up to 50% the coast supporting a high diversity of coral and associated fauna. It has been reported that the reefs support 158 coral species in 51 genera (Al-Moghrabi 2000) and over 280 fish species (PERSGA 1996). Jordan's coral reefs are in good condition, supporting up to 90% cover of scleractinian corals. No bleaching events were recorded in the aftermath of the 1997/1998 global warming event, possibly as a result of the extreme northern latitudes.
Pollution form industry, primarily in the form of phosphates and fertilisers, constitute the major threats to coral reefs. The influx of nutrients smothers the coral polyps and promotes the overwhelming growth of opportunistic species such as Stylophora pistillata, which ultimately alters the ecological balance on the reefs. The slow water circulation patters in the Gulf of Aqaba exacerbate these problems. Natural impacts on coral reefs include predation, such as that from Drupella cornus, disease and extreme low tides.
There are currently no marine protected areas in Jordan, although one is proposed that will encompass coral reefs at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, through funding by a GEF-Jordan initiative.
Coral reef conservation in the Gulf of Aqaba will only come about by limiting the effects of industry, maritime activities and tourism. Several efforts are underway to develop regulatory and institutional mechanisms for promoting sustainable development in the Aqaba region.
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Geography
Area: 89,544 sq. km. (34,573 sq. mi.).
Cities: Capital--Amman (pop. 1 million). Other cities--Irbid (281,000), Az-Zarqa (421,000). |
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Jordanian(s).
Population (est.): 5.0 million.
Religions (est.): Sunni Muslim 96%, Christian 4%.
Languages: Arabic (official), English.
Education (2001): Literacy--90%.
Health (2001): Infant mortality rate--26/1,000. Life expectancy--71 yrs.
Ethnic groups: Mostly Arab but small communities of Circassians, Armenians, and Kurds.
Work force (1.15 million): Services--64%; industry--30%; agriculture--6%. |
Economy
GDP (2001 est.): $7.5 billion.
Annual growth rate (2001 est.): 4.1%.
Per capita GDP (2001 est.): $1,500.
Natural resources: Phosphate, potash.
Agriculture: Products--fruits, vegetables, wheat, olive oil. Land--4% arable.
Industry (25% of GDP): Types--phosphate mining, manufacturing, cement and petroleum production, and construction.
Trade (2000 est.): Exports--$1.5 billion: chemicals, phosphates, potash, agricultural products, manufactures. Major markets--U.S., Iraq, Saudi Arabia, India, EU, UAE, Syria, Indonesia, Malaysia, China.
Imports--$3.7 billion: machinery, transportation equipment, food and live animals, petroleum products, and chemicals. Major suppliers--U.S., Iraq, Japan, U.K., Syria, Turkey, EU, Japan, China. |
Profile
Jordanians are Arabs, except for a few small communities of Circassians, Armenians, and Kurds which 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 are urban; less than 6% of the rural population is nomadic or seminomadic. Most people live where the rainfall supports agriculture. About 1.5 million Palestinian Arabs registered as refugees and displaced persons reside in Jordan, most as citizens. |
History
The land that became Jordan is part of the richly historical Fertile Crescent region. Its history began around 2000 B.C., when Semitic Amorites settled around the Jordan River in the area called Canaan. Subsequent invaders and settlers included Hittites, Egyptians, Israelites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arab Muslims, Christian Crusaders, Mameluks, Ottoman Turks, and, finally, the British. At the end of World War I, the League of Nations as the mandate for Palestine and Transjordan awarded the territory now comprising Israel, Jordan, the West Bank, Gaza, and Jerusalem to the United Kingdom. In 1922, the British divided the mandate by establishing the semiautonomous Emirate of Transjordan, ruled by the Hashemite Prince Abdullah, while continuing the administration of Palestine under a British High Commissioner. The mandate over Transjordan ended on May 22, 1946; on May 25, the country became the independent Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan. It ended its special defense treaty relationship with the United Kingdom in 1957.
Transjordan was one of the Arab states which moved to assist Palestinian nationalists opposed to the creation of Israel in May 1948, and took part in the warfare between the Arab states and the newly founded State of Israel. The armistice agreements of April 3, 1949 left Jordan in control of the West Bank and provided that the armistice demarcation lines were without prejudice to future territorial settlements or boundary lines.
In 1950, the country was renamed the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to include those portions of Palestine annexed by King Abdullah. While recognizing Jordanian administration over the West Bank, the United States maintained the position that ultimate sovereignty was subject to future agreement.
Jordan signed a mutual defense pact in May 1967 with Egypt, and it participated in the June 1967 war between Israel and the Arab states of Syria, Egypt, and Iraq. During the war, Israel gained control of the West Bank and all of Jerusalem. In 1988, Jordan renounced all claims to the West Bank but retained an administrative role pending a final settlement, and its 1994 treaty with Israel allowed for a continuing Jordanian role in Muslim holy places in Jerusalem. The U.S. Government considers the West Bank to be territory occupied by Israel and believes that its final status should be determined through direct negotiations among the parties concerned on the basis of UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.
The 1967 war led to a dramatic increase in the number of Palestinians living in Jordan. Its Palestinian refugee population--700,000 in 1966--grew by another 300,000 from the West Bank. The period following the 1967 war saw an upsurge in the power and importance of Palestinian resistance elements (fedayeen) in Jordan. The heavily armed fedayeen constituted a growing threat to the sovereignty and security of the Hashemite state, and open fighting erupted in June 1970.
No fighting occurred along the 1967 Jordan River cease-fire line during the October 1973 Arab-Israeli war, but Jordan sent a brigade to Syria to fight Israeli units on Syrian territory. Jordan did not participate in the Gulf war of 1990-91. In 1991, Jordan agreed, along with Syria, Lebanon, and Palestinian representatives, to participate in direct peace negotiations with Israel sponsored by the U.S. and Russia. It negotiated an end to hostilities with Israel and signed a peace treaty in 1994. Jordan has since sought to remain at peace with all of its neighbors. |
| Information provided by CIA Worldfactbook, US Department of State, Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN). ReefBase: Oliver, J. and M. Noordeloos. Editors. 2002, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Center, |
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