Jordan

Amman serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Jordan, positioned in Western Asia. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Zarqa, Irbid, Aqaba — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Amman is built on seven hills (now expanding across 19), and its ancient Roman theatre is still used for concerts with an amphitheatre visible from the modern café terraces above — a capital that has absorbed successive waves of Palestinian, Iraqi, and Syrian refugees to become a city of multicultural density whose Hashemite stability makes it one of the Middle East's safest urban environments.

With a population of approximately 10.3M, Jordan is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The official language is Arabic, which reflects the country's cultural heritage and connects it with a wide international community. Internationally, Jordan is reached via the dialling code +962. Jordanians have built a national identity around the Hashemite monarchy's claim to descent from the Prophet Muhammad and custodianship of Jerusalem's holy sites — a legitimacy framework that has survived Jordan's pivotal geographic position between Israel, the Palestinian territories, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia through the careful diplomacy of a country with no oil but significant strategic value.

Jordan spans 89,342 km², in the Western Asia subregion of Asia. Geographically centred around 31.0°N, 36.0°E, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Asia convention.

The official currency is the Jordanian dinar (د.ا), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Jordan's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC+03:00, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.

Football holds a special place in the heart of Jordan's national identity. Football is Jordan's primary sport, though the national team has not yet qualified for a World Cup — but it is the growing popularity of marathon running in the desert (the Dead Sea Ultra Marathon descends from 800 metres to -400 metres, the world's lowest marathon course) and the ancient Nabataean horse culture preserved in Bedouin communities that reveal Jordan's sporting range beyond the pitch.

The highest point in Jordan is Jabal Umm ad Dami, rising to 1,854 metres above sea level. Petra, the rose-red city carved into sandstone cliffs by the Nabataean civilisation between the 4th century BC and 2nd century AD, contains a Treasury facade visible at the end of a 1.2-kilometre Siq (narrow gorge) that has become one of the world's most photographed architectural moments — a monument that housed 20,000 people at its peak and whose water engineering system in the desert remains an object of study.