Jordan is a country in Asia, in Middle East, with about 11.5 million people (2025) and an area of 89,318 square kilometres. Its capital is Amman, and it shares land borders with 5 countries.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of JordanJordan in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Jordan's 17, in full.
PLACELens 1 of 17
Eighty percent desert, most of the population on one narrow strip
Jordan is overwhelmingly arid: the eastern and southern deserts run to the Iraqi and Saudi borders with little to sustain settlement. Nearly all Jordanians live on the western highland strip running north to south from Irbid through Amman to Aqaba. That band holds the capital, the farmland, the industry, and most of the water. The Jordan River, once imagined as a great biblical waterway, is now barely a stream in places, drained by upstream diversions in Israel and Syria before it reaches Jordanian territory.
More on Jordan River
The Jordan River's flow has declined by over 90% since the 1960s due to diversions by Israel, Syria, and Jordan itself. What reaches the Dead Sea is now mostly agricultural runoff and treated wastewater, contributing to the Dead Sea's dramatic shrinkage.
16 more lenses on Jordan in the app
STORY A kingdom built on balance and survival
NOW The fall of Assad reshuffled Jordan's neighborhood overnight
THREAD Jordan is everyone's buffer state
NOW Water scarcity is Jordan's existential constraint
PLACE A small kingdom on the rift
STORY A royal hand in the global game
NOW A first World Cup, and a short one
THREAD Arriving with the neighbors, leaving with them
PLACE Desert canyons and a single port
STORY The chivalrous warriors of the highlands
NOW A home-based squad, with a European spark
THREAD The Levant on the world stage
PLACE A sea that Jordan mines for fertilizer
STORY Nabataeans who made a desert hold water
THREAD A monarchy that keeps the keys elsewhere
PLACE Black basalt and traps built for gazelle
Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.
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Common questions
What is the capital of Jordan?
The capital of Jordan is Amman. Amman lies at about 32.0 degrees north and 35.9 degrees east. Jordan is in Asia, in the region often called Middle East. It is home to about 11.5 million people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of Jordan?
About 11.5 million people live in Jordan, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 83rd most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 89,318 square kilometres, that is about 129 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Jordan?
Jordan shares land borders with 5 countries: Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Syria. The map on this page outlines each of them around Jordan. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake.
How big is Jordan?
Jordan covers 89,318 square kilometres, or about 34,486 square miles. That makes it the 112th largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 11.5 million gives a density of 129 people per square kilometre.
Jordan is a country in Asia, in Middle East, with about 11.5 million people (2025) and an area of 89,318 square kilometres. Its capital is Amman, and it shares land borders with 5 countries.
Capital
Amman
Continent
Asia
Region
Middle East
Population
11,520,684 2025, World Bank. 83rd of 195.
Area
89,318 km² (34,486 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 112th largest of 195.
Population density
129 people per km²
Land neighbours
5: Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria
Official name
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
UN status
Member state
PLACE · from the Geography app
Eighty percent desert, most of the population on one narrow strip
Jordan is overwhelmingly arid: the eastern and southern deserts run to the Iraqi and Saudi borders with little to sustain settlement. Nearly all Jordanians live on the western highland strip running north to south from Irbid through Amman to Aqaba. That band holds the capital, the farmland, the industry, and most of the water. The Jordan River, once imagined as a great biblical waterway, is now barely a stream in places, drained by upstream diversions in Israel and Syria before it reaches Jordanian territory.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/jordan/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
Jordan
NameDate
Draw the flag
Colour Jordan on the map, then fill in what you find.
Capital
Continent
Population
Area
Languages
Currency
Neighbours
Landmarks
Rivers or mountains
Three things I learned
1
2
3
One question I still have
?
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/jordan/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
