Country Information
Country Information
About Jordan
Jordan is a Kingdom steeped in history and culture. From the moment you arrive, you get a sense of its rich heritage; all around are remnants of ancient civilizations, stamped into the fabric of this amazing Kingdom. To find out more about historical sites in Jordan please visit www.visitjordan.com
Jordan boasts almost all year-round sunshine with temperate, comfortable weather. Spring and autumn are fresh, with rain being more common in the winter. The long summer days are sunny with cool evenings. In general, Amman is sunny and cloudless from May to October, with average temperatures around 23°C (73°F). July and August are hot and dry, but summer days are usually tempered by a cool breeze and low humidity. April, May, September and October are especially pleasant times to visit as temperatures are mild and even somewhat cool in the evenings. Winter usually runs from December to the end of March; during this time temperatures can get quite cool. Aqaba and the Jordan Valley are ideal winter resorts, with temperatures averaging 16-22°C (61-72°F) between November and April.
Jordan Standard Time
GMT+2 Time Zone
Jordan Summer Time (from 00:00 on the last Thursday in March until 01:00 on last Friday in October)
GMT+3 Time Zone.
Jordanian Dinar (JOD) is the official currency of the Kingdom. Paper notes consist of 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1 JOD. Currency coins consist of 50, 25, 10 and 5 piasters.
Jordanian Dinar exchange rate is fixed with the $US and 1 JOD = 1.410 $US.
Amman
Amman, the capital of Jordan, is a city of contrasts. In the commercial heart of the city, modern buildings, hotels, restaurants, art galleries, and boutiques mix with traditional coffee shops and artisans' workshops.
The residential suburbs consist of mainly tree-lined streets and avenues flanked by elegant, white houses in accordance with a municipal law, which states that all buildings must be faced with local stone.
The downtown area is more traditional with vibrant smaller businesses producing and selling everything from fabulous jewellery to everyday household items.
The people of Amman are multi-cultural, multi-denominational, well-educated and extremely hospitable. They welcome visitors and take pride in showing them around their fascinating and beloved city.
The Boulevard Amman
Strategically situated at the heart of Abdali, the new downtown of Amman, The Boulevard is a mixed-use complex that consists of a 370-meter-long and a 21-meter-wide outdoor pedestrian spine, bordered by 12 buildings.
These buildings offer unique premium retail outlets, high street cafes and restaurants, avant-garde office spaces, luxurious Arjaan by Rotana hotel serviced apartments and exclusive rooftop lounges.
The Boulevard blends business, pleasure and contemporary urban lifestyles in one prestigious address, enhancing the capital's touristic and economic offering at Abdali Hospital's footsteps.
Petra World Wonder
Although much has been written about Petra, nothing really prepares you for this amazing place. It has to be seen to be believed.
Petra, a world wonder, is without a doubt Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction. It is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome. Entrance to the city is through the SIQ, a narrow gorge, over 1km in length, which is flanked on either side by soaring, 80m high cliffs. Just walking through the SIQ is an experience on its own and formations of the rocks are dazzling. As you reach the end of the SIQ you will catch your first glimpse of Al-Khazneh (Treasury).
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is without a doubt one of the world’s truly unique sites. The Jordan Rift Valley is a dramatic beautiful landscape, which at the Dead Sea, is over 400m (1,312 ft.) below sea level. At the lowest point on the face of the earth, this vast stretch of water receives a number of incoming rivers, including the River Jordan. Once the waters reach the Dead Sea, they are land-locked and so they evaporate, leaving behind a dense, rich, cocktail of salts and minerals that supply industries, agriculture and medicine with some of its finest products.
One of the most spectacular natural and spiritual landscapes in the world, the Jordanian east coast of the Dead Sea has evolved into a major hub of both religious and health and wellness tourism in the region. A series of good roads, excellent hotels with spa and fitness facilities, as well as archaeological and spiritual discoveries make this region as enticing to today’s international visitors as it was to kings, emperors, traders, prophets and pilgrims in antiquity.
