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Petra - Jordan
  Most of Jordan's 37,537-sq.-mi. (97,226-sq.-km.) area covers a semi-arid plateau that becomes increasingly desertlike toward the east and south. Just 6 percent of the land supports crops, pastures, or woodlands, and most of it is located along the east bank of the Jordan River. The Jordan River, separating Jordan from Israel and the Palestinian West Bank, occupies a deep depression—below sea level in places—and flows southward into the Dead Sea, which is shared by Jordan and Israel. People Despite differences among city dwellers, villagers, and nomadic Bedouin tribesmen, Jordanians are united by their religion, language, and historic traditions. Certain traditional values and customs, including hospitality, personal honor, and loyalty to kin, are still important. Many of Jordan's leading families, even those several generations removed from the traditional nomadic herding life in the desert, take pride in their Bedouin origins and connections. About one in four Jordanians live in small farming villages. The villagers' homes are flat-roofed buildings made of stone or baked-earth bricks. One room in the house is used for livestock and farm tools. Most villages have one or more small squares, or sahah, where open markets and social events are held. Large apartment houses have been built in the bigger towns, but most city people live in small family dwellings. Jordan's small Bedouin minority still lead a nomadic life, herding sheep, goats, camels, and' horses. Bedouin live in tents in temporary desert encampments. Jordanian dress varies from Western-style clothes in the cities to traditional Arab costume in the villages and the desert encampments of the Bedouin nomads. Arab male dress consists of a black or brown cape called an abayyah, and the kafiyyah, a folded cloth headdress. Loose, flowing white and black robes are worn by the desert-roaming Bedouin. Most Jordanian women wear colorful shawls, gaily embroidered jackets, and long skirts. Many men in the cities wear the traditional kafiyyah along with Western-style suits. Jordan's climate is similar to that of other eastern Mediterranean lands. Winters are rainy and relatively cold, particularly in the highlands, while the other seasons are extremely hot and dry. In the Jordan Valley, summer temperatures rise to 120° F. (49° C). Rainfall in the eastern plains is approximately 8 in. (20 cm.) a year. This makes the land fertile enough for desert nomads to graze their flocks. In the western portion of the country, annual rainfall is about 15 to 25 in. (38 to 64 cm.). | |
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Article Contributors Anonymous user updated 1 year ago |
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