Location:
Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia, between Israel (to the west) and Iraq

Geographic coordinates:
31 00 N, 36 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 89,342 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 88,802 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 540 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 112

Area - comparative:
about three-quarters the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Indiana
Area comparison map:

Land boundaries:
total: 1,744 km
border countries (5): Iraq 179 km, Israel 307 km, Saudi Arabia 731 km, Syria 379 km, West Bank 148 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
26 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

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 eastern and western banks of the Jordan River

Elevation:
mean elevation:
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Jabal Umm ad Dami 1,854 m

Natural resources:
phosphates, potash, shale oil

Land use:
agricultural land: 11.4% arable land 2%; permanent crops 1%; permanent pasture 8.4%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 1.1%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 87.5% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
964 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
0.94 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.94 cu km/yr (31%/4%/65%)
per capita: 166 cu m/yr (2005)

Natural hazards:
droughts; periodic earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
limited natural freshwater resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, 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