Land area

89,206 sq km

Population

5.1m (2004 census)

Main towns

Population by governorate, ('000; end-2007 estimate)

Amman: 2,220 Jerash: 172

Irbid: 1,019 Madaba: 143

Zarqa: 853 Ajloun: 132

Balqa: 383 Aqaba: 120

Mafraq: 269 Maan: 109

Karak: 223 Tafileh: 80

Climate

Hot and dry summers, cool and wet winters

Weather in Amman (altitude 777 metres)

Hottest month, August, 14-37°C; coldest month, January, 0-16°C; driest months, May-August, 0 mm average rainfall; wettest month, February, 75.5 mm average rainfall

Language

Arabic; English is also widely spoken

Measures

Metric system and local measures

Currency

Jordanian dinar (JD) = 100 piastres = 1,000 fils. The dinar is pegged to the US dollar at JD0.709:US$1

Time

GMT plus two hours

Public holidays

New Year's Day (January 1st); Prophet Mohammed's birthday (February 15th 2011); Labour Day (April 29th); Independence Day (May 25th); Eid al-Fitr (August 30th 2011); Eid al-Adha (November 6th 2011); Islamic New Year (November 26th 2011); Christmas Day (December 25th)

The dates of Islamic holidays are based on the lunar calendar and are therefore approximate