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Mr. P. Williamson & Ms. G. Walker (Nile Explorer)
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JORDAN GUIDE
Country Statistics
| Time: |
GMT+2 |
|
| Dialing code: |
00 962 |
| Area: |
92,300 sq km |
| Elevation: |
Lowest: Dead Sea - 408m
Highest: Jabal Umm al Dami 1,854m |
| Population: |
5,906,760 (July 2006 est.) |
| Capital: |
Amman |
| Government: |
Hashemite Kingdom |
| Language: |
Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes
|
Egypt country guide |
Overview
 Jordan is a small, desert dominated country which, like many others in the region, gained independence after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Since then its turbulent history has seen its borders change more than once, and the influx of many refugees from the former Palestine and Iraq. Today Jordan is a safe, easily accessible country which offers much to anyone wishing to visit. It has a wealth of tourist sites both natural and made-made and its excellent road network and relatively short travelling distances make it a very easy country to explore. A perfect holiday destination in its own right, the fast and reliable ferry service from Egypt also makes Jordan an excellent extension to a tour in Egypt.
Brief History
The recorded history of Trans-Jordan (the historic name for Jordan) revolves mostly around the fertile north and west of the country, with the history of the sparsely populated arid south and east surviving only through the oral traditions and culture of the nomadic Bedouins.
Evidence of human settlement in Trans-Jordan dates back to the Paleolithic period (500000 - 17000 BCE). While there is no architectural evidence from this era, archaeologists have found tools, such as flint and basalt hand-axes, knives and scraping implements. Read more...
 Geography
Most of Jordan's major towns lie within the Jordan Valley which runs north-south along the western side of the country. West of the Jordan River lies the West Bank plateau which now rests under Israeli occupation. To the east is the East Bank plateau a rock and sand desert stretching away into Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.
Climate
Jordan's climate reflects the fact that most of the country is desert. Summers (April to September - average temp. 16-26C (60-80°F)) are long with very hot, dry days and chilly nights. Winters are cool and dry (November to March - average temp. 7.5-15C (45-60°F)). Away from the desert, in the fertile Jordan Valley the summers are not as intensely hot and the winters are warmer, with a little rain. The hill regions in the northwest also experience higher rainfall.
Bring light clothes, with something warmer for the chilly nights if visiting in the summer. Warmer clothes will be necessary if visiting in the winter.
 |
|
Amman |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
Rain (mm) |
69 |
74 |
31 |
15 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
33 |
46 |
|
Sun (hrs) |
7 |
7 |
8 |
10 |
11 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
11 |
10 |
8 |
6 |
|
Temp (Max) |
12 |
13 |
16 |
23 |
28 |
31 |
32 |
32 |
31 |
27 |
21 |
15 |
|
Temp (Min) |
4 |
4 |
6 |
9 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
18 |
17 |
14 |
10 |
6 |
|
Days of Rain* |
7 |
7 |
5 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
|
Hum (%) |
68 |
65 |
50 |
43 |
33 |
34 |
35 |
37 |
42 |
42 |
53 |
65 |
* denotes number of days with at least 1.0 mm of rainfall
Currency
Jordanian Dinar (JD)
1 JD = 100 Piastres
1 US$ = 0.71 JD
1 UK£ = 1.4 JD
Common coins
- 1 Piastres
- 5 Piastres
- 10 Piastres
- 0.25 JD
- 0.5 JD
- 1 JD
Common notes
- 0.5 JD
- 1 JD
- 5 JD
- 10 JD
- 20 JD
- 50 JD
Money can be changed at any bank, exchange bureaux, Amex or Thomas Cook offices, or most hotels. Banks are open from 8-8.30am until 12pm from Sunday to Thursday, and then from 4pm until 5.30pm. Foreign exchange bureaux are usually open throughout the day. Main brand traveller’s cheques are widely accepted but may entail a small service charge, usually per cheque. ATM’s are common and accept all major credit/debit cards. Credit cards are also widely accepted, with Visa and MasterCard being the most popular. Cash advances are also available at banks and exchange bureaux. No black market exists in Jordan. Payments in local currency are always preferred over foreign currencies.
Holidays
|
New Year's Day |
- |
1 st January |
| Islamic New Year* |
- |
20 th January (2007) |
|
Milad un Nabi (The Prophet's Birthday)* |
- |
1 st May (2007) |
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Easter |
- |
|
| Labour Day |
- |
1 st May |
|
Independence Day |
- |
25 th May |
|
Accession of HM Abdullah |
- |
9 th August |
|
Asseccion of Mohammed |
- |
11 th August |
| Army Day |
- |
10 th June |
| Eid ul Fitr (end of Ramadan)* |
- |
13 th October (2007) |
|
Birthday of Late King Hussein |
- |
14 th November |
|
Eid ul Adha* |
- |
20 th December (2007) |
| Victory Day |
- |
23 rd December |
*These Muslim festivals have no fixed dates and generally fall about 11 days earlier each year
NB Banks and government offices are usually closed during public holidays and opening times for shops, banks and government offices are restricted during Ramadan.
Religion
Sunni Muslim 96%, Christian 4% (1997 est).
For more detailed information on how Ramadan affects our tours in Jordan, please check the Ramadan page in our Travel Guide section. Vaccinations
Recommended vaccinations and other health protection measures vary and are subject to change. You must consult your GP on current vaccinations needed for your destination. You can also visit our travel health website at:
TravelHealthZone
This has links to up-to-date information on vaccination requirements as well as much more general travel health information and advice.
For direct, up-to-date information on vaccination requirements for Jordan please click here
Customs
-
Always dress conservatively, particularly women, and most importantly when visiting mosques (shorts are not allowed), churches, synagogues and bazaars. For more information on dress codes in the Muslim world read our Muslim country clothing guide.
-
Jordanian women are very conservative and should not be touched without their consent. Public shows of intimacy are considered inappropriate and, except on the beach, you should try to dress conservatively wherever possible.
-
Always use your right hand for communal eating and other social interaction as the left hand is reserved for toilet duties. If you have been invited into a local's house to dine, always remove your shoes before entering and wash your hands before eating.
-
Although alcohol is widely available, it is still regarded as forbidden in the eyes of many Muslims and you should refrain from drinking in public.
-
Tipping (baksheesh) is a way of life in Jordan and is often an essential way to supplement low wages. Tipping is usually expected in restaurants, however, most already include a 10% service charge, and where this is the case it is fine just round the bill up a bit. Where there is no service charge added, 10% of the meal would be considered a minimum. Tipping for services is dependent on the service provided, and how well it is performed - 0.5 JD or less is normally fine for chambermaids, porters and helpful site guards. Remember; if you are not happy with the service don't tip.
-
Haggling is an integral part of Jordanian life. You should expect to haggle for just about everything, but for the best results do so with a smile and a light-hearted approach - even when it is not returned. Always be wary of street sellers, as what they sell may not always be what you think it is.
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Be considerate when taking photographs. Always ask permission before taking pictures of people. It is against the law to photograph bridges, railway stations, anything military, airports and other public works. Signs are usually obvious. Try to avoid flash photography inside temples and around light-sensitive paintings or artwork.
Security
We advise you check your local consular advice for up to date security information before you travel. Jordan is generally a safe place to travel. Tensions here can rise suddenly however following changes in the whole Middle Eastern situation.
For more specific, up-to-date security information and how this may affect your tour, please visit our regional security page.
Visas
British, Europeans, American, Australian and New Zealand nationals can obtain their visas either before travelling or upon arrival in Amman airport or at Aqaba, if arriving by ferry from Egypt (our representative can help arrange these for you on your arrival). The cost is 10 JD, approx. UK£7to UK£8 – to be paid in either JD or hard currency – i.e. UK Pounds or US Dollars).
Note: For groups of 5 or more people, visa fees for many nationalities are waived. We therefore recommend that, if you are joining a group tour, most nationalities wait until arriving in Jordan before obtaining their visas.
Most African, and many Asian nationalities must obtain their Jordan visas in advance.
The visa is valid for a stay of up to 15 days and can be either single or multiple entry. The cost of visas issued in advance works out at about UK£11.
Flights (from the UK)
If you travelling only in Jordan you will probably fly into the capital Amman. With some shopping around you should be able to find a return flight here for around UK£300- UK£400inc. taxes.
If you are planning to travel to both Egypt and Jordan, you can now find flights into Cairo and out of Amman (or vice versa) from the UK for around UK£400 inc. taxes.
For more information on the tours we run in Jordan, check out our Jordan tours |
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