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Wordnet 3.0

NOUN (2)

1. a river in Palestine that empties into the Dead Sea; John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan;
[syn: Jordan, Jordan River]

2. an Arab kingdom in southwestern Asia on the Red Sea;
[syn: Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Jordan \Jordan\ prop. n. A landlocked country of the Middle East, surrounded by Israel, Iraq, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, and that area on the west bank of the Jordan river which was once claimed by Jordan, and is at present occupied by Israel and in part governed by a Palestinian authority. It has a population of 4,212,152 (1996) in a total area of 89,213 sq km. The population is predominantly Arab and Moslem. Officially known as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, it was formerly called Trans-Jordan when occupied by the British. The government is a constitutional monarchy, with King Hussein Bin Talal Al Hashimi as its ruler since 2 May 1953. Jordan is a small developing Arab country, having a Gross Domestic Product of $19.3 billion in 1995. --CIA Factbook 1996. [PJC] Jordan
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Jordan \Jor"dan\, Jorden \Jor"den\, n. [Prob. fr. the river Jordan, and shortened fr. Jordan bottle a bottle of water from the Jordan, brought back by pilgrims.] [1913 Webster] 1. A pot or vessel with a large neck, formerly used by physicians and alchemists. [Obs.] --Halliwell. [1913 Webster] 2. A chamber pot. [Obs.] --Chaucer. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

Jordan n 1: a river in Palestine that empties into the Dead Sea; John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan [syn: Jordan, Jordan River] 2: an Arab kingdom in southwestern Asia on the Red Sea [syn: Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan]
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary:

Jordan Heb. Yarden, "the descender;" Arab. Nahr-esh-Sheriah, "the watering-place" the chief river of Palestine. It flows from north to south down a deep valley in the centre of the country. The name descender is significant of the fact that there is along its whole course a descent to its banks; or it may simply denote the rapidity with which it "descends" to the Dead Sea. It originates in the snows of Hermon, which feed its perennial fountains. Two sources are generally spoken of. (1.) From the western base of a hill on which once stood the city of Dan, the northern border-city of Palestine, there gushes forth a considerable fountain called the Leddan, which is the largest fountain in Syria and the principal source of the Jordan. (2.) Beside the ruins of Banias, the ancient Caesarea Philippi and the yet more ancient Panium, is a lofty cliff of limestone, at the base of which is a fountain. This is the other source of the Jordan, and has always been regarded by the Jews as its true source. It rushes down to the plain in a foaming torrent, and joins the Leddan about 5 miles south of Dan (Tell-el-Kady). (3.) But besides these two historical fountains there is a third, called the Hasbany, which rises in the bottom of a valley at the western base of Hermon, 12 miles north of Tell-el-Kady. It joins the main stream about a mile below the junction of the Leddan and the Banias. The river thus formed is at this point about 45 feet wide, and flows in a channel from 12 to 20 feet below the plain. After this it flows, "with a swift current and a much-twisted course," through a marshy plain for some 6 miles, when it falls into the Lake Huleh, "the waters of Merom" (q.v.). During this part of its course the Jordan has descended about 1,100 feet. At Banias it is 1,080 feet above sea-level. Flowing from the southern extremity of Lake Huleh, here almost on a level with the sea, it flows for 2 miles "through a waste of islets and papyrus," and then for 9 miles through a narrow gorge in a foaming torrent onward to the Sea of Galilee (q.v.). "In the whole valley of the Jordan from the Lake Huleh to the Sea of Galilee there is not a single settled inhabitant. Along the whole eastern bank of the river and the lakes, from the base of Hermon to the ravine of Hieromax, a region of great fertility, 30 miles long by 7 or 8 wide, there are only some three inhabited villages. The western bank is almost as desolate. Ruins are numerous enough. Every mile or two is an old site of town or village, now well nigh hid beneath a dense jungle of thorns and thistles. The words of Scripture here recur to us with peculiar force: 'I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation...And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it...And your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate' (Lev. 26:31-34).", Dr. Porter's Handbook. From the Sea of Galilee, at the level of 682 feet below the Mediterranean, the river flows through a long, low plain called "the region of Jordan" (Matt. 3:5), and by the modern Arabs the Ghor, or "sunken plain." This section is properly the Jordan of Scripture. Down through the midst of the "plain of Jordan" there winds a ravine varying in breadth from 200 yards to half a mile, and in depth from 40 to 150 feet. Through it the Jordan flows in a rapid, rugged, tortuous course down to the Dead Sea. The whole distance from the southern extremity of the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea is in a straight line about 65 miles, but following the windings of the river about 200 miles, during which it falls 618 feet. The total length of the Jordan from Banias is about 104 miles in a straight line, during which it falls 2,380 feet. There are two considerable affluents which enter the river between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, both from the east. (1.) The Wady Mandhur, called the Yarmuk by the Rabbins and the Hieromax by the Greeks. It formed the boundary between Bashan and Gilead. It drains the plateau of the Hauran. (2.) The Jabbok or Wady Zerka, formerly the northern boundary of Ammon. It enters the Jordan about 20 miles north of Jericho. The first historical notice of the Jordan is in the account of the separation of Abraham and Lot (Gen. 13:10). "Lot beheld the plain of Jordan as the garden of the Lord." Jacob crossed and recrossed "this Jordan" (32:10). The Israelites passed over it as "on dry ground" (Josh. 3:17; Ps. 114:3). Twice afterwards its waters were miraculously divided at the same spot by Elijah and Elisha (2 Kings 2:8, 14). The Jordan is mentioned in the Old Testament about one hundred and eighty times, and in the New Testament fifteen times. The chief events in gospel history connected with it are (1) John the Baptist's ministry, when "there went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and were baptized of him in Jordan" (Matt. 3:6). (2.) Jesus also "was baptized of John in Jordan" (Mark 1:9).
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (late 1800's):

Jordan, the river of judgment
CIA World Factbook 2002:

Jordan Introduction Jordan ------------------- Background: For most of its history since independence from British administration in 1946, Jordan was ruled by King HUSSEIN (1953-1999). A pragmatic ruler, he successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population, through several wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he resumed parliamentary elections and gradually permitted political liberalization; in 1994 a formal peace treaty was signed with Israel. King ABDALLAH II - the eldest son of King HUSSEIN and Princess MUNA - assumed the throne following his father's death in February 1999. Since then, he has consolidated his power and established his domestic priorities. Geography Jordan ---------------- Location: Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia Geographic coordinates: 31 00 N, 36 00 E Map references: Middle East Area: total: 92,300 sq km water: 329 sq km land: 91,971 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Indiana Land boundaries: total: 1,635 km border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km Coastline: 26 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 NM Climate: mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April) Terrain: mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River Elevation extremes: lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m Natural resources: phosphates, potash, shale oil Land use: arable land: 2.87% permanent crops: 1.52% other: 95.61% (1998 est.) Irrigated land: 750 sq km (1998 est.) Natural hazards: droughts; periodic earthquakes Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification Environment - international party to: Biodiversity, Climate agreements: Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank People Jordan ------------- Population: 5,307,470 (July 2002 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 36.6% (male 991,370; female 949,247) 15-64 years: 60% (male 1,698,568; female 1,485,261) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 90,186; female 92,838) (2002 est.) Population growth rate: 2.89% (2002 est.) Birth rate: 24.58 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) Death rate: 2.62 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) Net migration rate: 6.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/ female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2002 est.) Infant mortality rate: 19.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.71 years female: 80.3 years (2002 est.) male: 75.26 years Total fertility rate: 3.15 children born/woman (2002 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.02% (1999 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA AIDS: HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA Nationality: noun: Jordanian(s) adjective: Jordanian Ethnic groups: Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1% Religions: Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several small Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.) Languages: Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 86.6% male: 93.4% female: 79.4% (1995 est.) Government Jordan ----------------- Country name: conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan conventional short form: Jordan local short form: Al Urdun local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah former: Transjordan Government type: constitutional monarchy Capital: Amman Administrative divisions: 12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ajlun, Al 'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba Independence: 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) National holiday: Independence Day, 25 May (1946) Constitution: 8 January 1952 Legal system: based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Crown Prince HAMZAH (half brother of the monarch, born 29 March 1980) head of government: Prime Minister Ali Abul RAGHEB (since 19 June 2000) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the Senate, also called the House of Notables (Majlis al-Aayan), a 40- member body appointed by the monarch from designated categories of public figures; members serve four-year terms and the House of Representatives, also called the House of Deputies (Majlis al- Nuwaab), an 80-member body elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms elections: House of Representatives - last held 4 November 1997 (November 2001 election postponed, next to be held NA) note: the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved by the monarch several times since 1974; in November 1989, the first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - National Constitutional Party 2, Arab Land Party 1, independents 75, other 2 Judicial branch: Court of Cassation; Supreme Court (court of final appeal) Political parties and leaders: Al-Umma (Nation) Party [Ahmad al- HANANDEH, secretary general]; Arab Land Party [Dr. Muhammad al-'ORAN, secretary general]; Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'id DHIYAB, secretary general]; National Constitutional Party [Abdul Hadi MAJALI, secretary general]; Islamic Action Front [Abd al latif al-ARABIYAT, secretary general]; National Action (Haqq) Party [Muhammad al-ZUBI, secretary general]; (Arab) Socialist Ba'th Party [Taysif al-HIMSI, secretary general]; Jordanian People's Democratic (Hashd) Party [Salim al- NAHHAS, secretary general]; Pan-Arab (Democratic) Movement [Mahmud al- NUWAYHI, secretary general]; Constitutional Front [Mahdi al-TALL, secretary general]; Jordanian Progressive Party [Fawwaz al-ZUBI, secretary general]; Communist Party [Munir HAMARINAH, secretary general] Political pressure groups and Jordanian Press Association [Sayf leaders: al-SHARIF, president]; Muslim Brotherhood [Abd-al-Majid DHUNAYBAT, secretary general]; Anti- Normalization Committee [Ali Abu SUKKAR, president vice chairman]; Jordanian Bar Association [Saleh ARMOUTI, president] International organization ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, participation: CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTAET, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Marwan Jamil MUASHER chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110 telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664 Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Edward US: William GNEHM, Jr. embassy: Abdoun, Amman mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; APO AE 09892- 0200 telephone: [962] (6) 5920101 FAX: [962] (6) 5920121 Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top, the Abbassid Caliphate of Islam), white (the Ummayyad Caliphate of Islam), and green (the Fatimid Caliphate of Islam) with a red isosceles triangle (representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916) based on the hoist side bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations Economy Jordan -------------- Economy - overview: Jordan is a small Arab country with inadequate supplies of water and other natural resources such as oil. Debt, poverty, and unemployment are fundamental problems, but King ABDALLAH since assuming the throne in 1999 has undertaken some broad economic reforms in a long-term effort to improve living standards. Amman in the past three years has signed on to an IMF agreement, practiced careful monetary policy, and made significant headway with privatization. The government also has liberalized the trade regime sufficiently to secure Jordan's membership in the WTrO, an association agreement with the EU, and a free trade accord with US. These measures have helped improve productivity and have put Jordan on the foreign investment map. Ongoing challenges include fiscal adjustment to reduce the budget deficit and broader investment incentives to promote job-creating ventures. GDP: purchasing power parity - $21.6 billion (2001 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 2.8% (2001 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,200 (2001 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.7% industry: 26% services: 70.3% (2001 est.) Population below poverty line: 30% (2001 est.) Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 3.3% percentage share: highest 10%: 29.8% (1997) Distribution of family income - Gini 36.4 (1997) index: Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (2001 est.) Labor force: 1.26 million note: in addition, at least 300,000 workers are employed abroad (2001) Labor force - by occupation: services 82.5%, industry 12.5%, agriculture 5% (2001 est.) Unemployment rate: 16% official rate; actual rate is 25%-30% (2001 est.) Budget: revenues: $2.9 billion expenditures: $3.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) Industries: phosphate mining, petroleum refining, cement, potash, light manufacturing, tourism Industrial production growth rate: 3.9% (2001 est.) Electricity - production: 6.932 billion kWh (2000) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.44% hydro: 0.56% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% Electricity - consumption: 7.092 billion kWh (2000) Electricity - exports: 5 million kWh (2000) Electricity - imports: 650 million kWh (2000) Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, citrus, tomatoes, melons, olives; sheep, goats, poultry Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.) Exports - commodities: phosphates, fertilizers, potash, agricultural products, manufactures, pharmaceuticals Exports - partners: India, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, EU, US, Indonesia, UAE, Lebanon, Kuwait, Syria, Ethiopia Imports: $4.6 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.) Imports - commodities: crude oil, machinery, transport equipment, food, live animals, manufactured goods Imports - partners: Iraq, Germany, US, Saudi Arabia, Japan, UK, Italy, Turkey, Malaysia, Syria, China Debt - external: $7.9 billion (2001 est.) Economic aid - recipient: ODA, $850 million (1996 est.) Currency: Jordanian dinar (JOD) Currency code: JOD Exchange rates: Jordanian dinars per US dollar - 0.7090 (1996-present ) note: since May 1989, the Jordanian dinar has been pegged to a group of currencies Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Jordan --------------------- Telephones - main lines in use: 403,000 (1997) Telephones - mobile cellular: 11,500 (1995) Telephone system: general assessment: service has improved recently with the increased use of digital switching equipment, but better access to the telephone system is needed in the rural areas and easier access to pay telephones is needed by the urban public domestic: microwave radio relay transmission and coaxial and fiber- optic cable are employed on trunk lines; considerable use of mobile cellular systems; Internet service is available international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals; fiber-optic cable to Saudi Arabia and microwave radio relay link with Egypt and Syria; connection to international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); participant in MEDARABTEL; international links total about 4,000 Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1999) Radios: 1.66 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 20 (plus 96 repeaters) (1995) Televisions: 500,000 (1997) Internet country code: .jo Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 5 (2000) Internet users: 210,000 (2001) Transportation Jordan --------------------- Railways: total: 677 km narrow gauge: 677 km 1.050-m gauge (2001) Highways: total: 8,000 km paved: 8,000 km unpaved: 0 km (2000 est.) Waterways: none Pipelines: crude oil 209 km; note - may not be in use Ports and harbors: Al 'Aqabah Merchant marine: total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 41,206 GRT/53,401 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 3, container 1, roll on/roll off 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Greece 6 (2002 est.) Airports: 18 (2001) Airports - with paved runways: total: 15 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 under 914 m: 1 (2001) 914 to 1,523 m: 1 Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2001) Heliports: 1 (2001) Military Jordan --------------- Military branches: Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) Royal Jordanian Land Force, Royal Naval Force, Royal Jordanian Air Force, and Special Operations Command or Socom); note - Public Security Directorate normally falls under Ministry of Interior but comes under JAF in wartime or crisis situations Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.) Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,517,751 (2002 est.) Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 1,073,991 (2002 service: est.) Military manpower - reaching males: 57,131 (2002 est.) military age annually: Military expenditures - dollar $757.5 million (FY01) figure: Military expenditures - percent of 8.6% (FY01) GDP: Transnational Issues Jordan --------------------------- Disputes - international: none
U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000):

Jordan, MT -- U.S. town in Montana Population (2000): 364 Housing Units (2000): 233 Land area (2000): 0.355158 sq. miles (0.919855 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.355158 sq. miles (0.919855 sq. km) FIPS code: 39925 Located within: Montana (MT), FIPS 30 Location: 47.321151 N, 106.910642 W ZIP Codes (1990): 59337 Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs. Headwords: Jordan, MT Jordan
U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000):

Jordan, NY -- U.S. village in New York Population (2000): 1314 Housing Units (2000): 542 Land area (2000): 1.155944 sq. miles (2.993882 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 1.155944 sq. miles (2.993882 sq. km) FIPS code: 38825 Located within: New York (NY), FIPS 36 Location: 43.065779 N, 76.472915 W ZIP Codes (1990): 13080 Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs. Headwords: Jordan, NY Jordan
U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000):

Jordan, MN -- U.S. city in Minnesota Population (2000): 3833 Housing Units (2000): 1423 Land area (2000): 2.613680 sq. miles (6.769401 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.022625 sq. miles (0.058599 sq. km) Total area (2000): 2.636305 sq. miles (6.828000 sq. km) FIPS code: 32174 Located within: Minnesota (MN), FIPS 27 Location: 44.668459 N, 93.632483 W ZIP Codes (1990): 55352 Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs. Headwords: Jordan, MN Jordan