Jordan is approximately 37,300 square miles, or about the size of Indiana.  About 94 per cent of the country is arid and cannot produce food without irrigation.  Its geography ranges from the Rift Valley, lying almost exclusively below sea level in the West to the flat steppe in the East with a mountainous strip paralleling the Rift Valley in between.  Elevations range between 1230 feet below sea level at the Dead Sea surface to about 3612 feet above sea level at Wadi Rum in the south. 

The Dead Sea region is not only a popular visitor destination, it is also important to the rest of economy of Jordan.  Minerals extracted from the Dead Sea and neighboring areas are the primary commodities exported.  Unlike its Arab neighbors, Jordan has no oil and relies heavily on Iraq for its crude oil supplies that are trucked into the country to be refined and used.  Agriculture accounts for about 7% of the GDP.

Jordan is a constitutional monarchy, currently ruled by King Abdallah, the eldest son of the late King Hussein, one of the longest reigning monarchs in history.  The late King Hussein named his eldest son Prince Abdallah as Crown Prince and heir to the throne shortly before he passed away in 1999.  Abdallah was educated in Britain and the US, and maintains close ties with both countries.  He is known as an adventurer and an avid promoter of tourism to Jordan.  His wife, Queen Rania, is known for her philanthropic work and is the mother of their four children, the youngest born in 2005.  Both are committed to promoting peace and understanding between the Middle East and the West, and between Muslims and non-Muslims.  King Abdallah has been managing the domestic and regional crises with competence and patience, and has carried on his father's tradition of being a moderate voice in Middle East politics.