31 FUN Facts About Jordan

Looking for some fun facts about Jordan? Jordan is a land of earth-shattering landscapes, ancient history, tantalizing food, exciting experiences, and hospitable locals.

Jordan, by all means, is a total package for tourists and deserves a place on every traveler’s bucket list. If you want to know some facts about Jordan, we’ve narrowed down some pretty interesting ones for you!

Fun Facts About Jordan

1. Jordan is Home to the Dead Sea

Ah, yes, the Dead Sea. This is a famous salt lake in Jordan that’s a great spot for floating around. In fact, it’s one of the saltiest lakes in the world. There’s almost ten times the amount of salt in here than the actual sea. Result? It makes you really buoyant. It was also one of the first health resorts in the world.

2. The Dead Sea is the Lowest Point on Earth (One of the Most Interesting Facts About Jordan!)

This is an amazing fact about Jordan. Yes, the Dead Sea is really, really low altitude. It’s actually so low that the shores around the lake account for the lowest point of elevation on the planet, at 480 meters below sea level. The bottom of the lake is 728 meters below sea level.

3. Jordan’s Only Real Shoreline is the Red Sea

Rhyming with the Dead Sea, which is actually a lake, the Red Sea is Jordan’s only true shoreline. And it’s a short one at that – only 16 miles long. It’s otherwise pretty landlocked. However, the town of Aqaba on the Red Sea coast offers up some prime diving among colorful reefs that makes up for the lack of long coastal retreats.

4. In 363 AD, Jordan Experienced a Huge Earthquake

A seismic event of monumental proportions damaged a lot of buildings and took a lot of lives almost 2,000 years ago across the area now known as Jordan. One of the most prominent structures to suffer was Petra, being literally carved into the rock.

5. Petra is Jordan’s Most Famous Sight

Oh, yeah, speaking of Petra – it’s got to be the most famous place to travel in Jordan. In fact, it’s one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It’s a beautiful sight to see, we have to say. First settled more than 10,000 years ago, it was established as the capital of the formerly nomadic Nabataean Arabs around the 4th century BC. It’s so famous that it’s been a filming location for loads of movies, including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Classic.

6. Jordan is an Important Spot Between Africa, Europe, and Asia

It’s a pretty significant and strategic location in the world. That’s probably why so many empires and Kingdoms, biblical figures, Islamic rulers, crusading Christians, and modern-day powers wanted to own it or keep a close eye on it. Jordan, as a result, is a fascinating and (sometimes messed up) mix of culture and history.

7. There are Over 100,000 Archaeological (and Tourist) sites in Jordan!

This is one of my favorite facts about Jordan. Yep, that’s a ton of sights for people to come and see – from the everyday, garden variety tourists to the history buffs out there. Jordan really is packed with old stuff to see. Petra, of course, Jerash, Al-Maghtas, Mount Nebo, and Ajulun Castle are some of the best places to visit in Jordan. Tourism is a huge deal in Jordan; it employs a lot of people.

8. Jordan Makes up Part of the Holy Land

Yeah, the name Jordan sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Even if you don’t know the modern-day country, you’ve probably heard of Jordan somehow, most often through biblical stories, of which there are a TON set in Jordan. Loads of stuff happened here, and many of the religious sites are big pilgrimage destinations. There are important places and shrines for Jews and Muslims here, too.

9. Jesus was Baptized in Jordan

Well, maybe you don’t believe it or whatever, but it doesn’t matter – many people do! Al-Maghtas is the place to go if you want to see the place where Jesus himself was baptized by John the Baptist (that’s how he got his name!).

10. Jordan is Where You’ll Find the World’s Oldest Dam

A great historical fact about Jordan is that it is home to the oldest dam in the world – by a long shot. The Jawa Dam dates back to the 4th millennium BC and was built, as many dams are, for water supply. Jordan actually still struggles with water shortages to this day. 

11. Amman is a Super Old City

Founded in 7250 BC, it’s actually one of the oldest cities in the world that’s been continuously inhabited. Sorry to all the “classically” oldest cities in the world (ahem, Rome), but Amman really is pretty ancient, and we’ve got to hand it to them.

12. A Jordanian Movie was Nominated for an Oscar in 2016

This is a fact about Jordan for movie-buffs out there (who might know this already). So, yeah, the 2014 Jordanian movie Theeb follows a young Bedouin boy who has to survive in the desert. It used non-professional actors for realism and was nominated as Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards.

13. in 2016 Jordan Won its First-Ever Olympic medal

Any guesses for what sport they won it in? No? Ok, it was Taekwondo. The medal winner was Ahmad Abu Ghaush. He won gold in the under 67-kilo weight category. Taekwondo has become one of the most popular sports in Jordan since then.

14. The Romans Once Ruled Jordan

It’s true. It was consolidated in 63 BC in the province of Arabia Petraea. One of the most famous cities to see remnants of Roman rule is Jerash. There’s the forum, countless colonnades, public bathhouses, a hippodrome, and an amphitheater, to name just a few of the fantastic relics from the past. (The Byzantines were up next, of course.)

15. Jordan is One of the Least Forested Countries in the World

Usually, countries have forests. And Jordan, though it’s got a surprising amount of plant species, does not have much in the way of forested areas. In fact, forests account for less than 2% of the country’s ecosystems; that’s way below the international average of 15%. One of the only forested regions in Jordan is in the northern mountains, home to oak trees and wild olive trees, plus… 

16. Jordan is the Home of the Long-Eared Hedgehog

We weren’t sure if we should even mention this fact about Jordan – we weren’t sure if you’d be able to handle the cuteness. But we decided the world needed to know that there is a long-eared hedgehog in Jordan. It’s got great ears, it’s actually surprisingly fast (Sonic, anyone?), and thankfully, they’re not endangered at all. 

17. Jordan has a Royal Family

Yes, it does. And the current monarch is King Abdullah II. The same royal family has been in power ever since 1921, which is funny because… 

18. Jordan was a British Protectorate for 25 years

From 1921 to 1946, Jordan was a “protectorate” of Britain. It was officially called the Emirate of Transjordan. While it wasn’t a colony as such, being a protectorate of Britain meant that the European Power could meddle in Jordan’s affairs all it wanted to – like saying who should be king… just saying.

19. During that time, Palestine and Israel were part of the Emirate

Possibly why things are so messy in that region of the world, with some dividing lines neatly drawn on maps by British (and French) officials, many countries were often part of one so-called protectorate.

The Emirate of Transjordan included parts of Syria and yes – Israel. That meant Jerusalem too. The country is partially responsible for protecting religious buildings in the Holy Land.

20. Jordan is one of only two Arab countries to sign a peace treaty with Israel

With the “help” of the Soviet Union and the US, the two countries signed a deal on October 26, 1994. It’s called the Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. The other country was Egypt, and that was back in 1979.

21. Jordan was the first Arab country to allow female police officers

Way back in the 1970s, Jordan made the progressive move to allow females to train and serve as police officers. The number of female police officers in the Jordanian police force is still rising.

22. The Oldest Statues in the World Were Found in Jordan

Ok, some of the oldest statues in the world. They were naturally found in Ain Ghazal and are known as the Ain Ghazal Statues. What’s impressive about them is that they date all the way back to Neolithic times.

Way before anyone had any idea about building pyramids in Egypt or how to carry all those stones to Stonehenge. Someone made these plaster statues. They’re actually pretty good. Picasso-esque.

23. There’s a Place in Jordan Called Montreal

Nope, we didn’t get that wrong. There really is a place in this country called Montreal. And you can thank the Crusaders for that. It’s actually a castle built by Baldwin I of Jerusalem in 1115 AD. You’ll find it in Shoubak.

24. Jordan Played Host to the First Women’s Sports Tournament in the Middle East

In a country where it was once frowned upon for a woman to kick a ball around, 2016 was a great year for women’s sports in Jordan.

This is the year it hosted the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Back in 2005, it was King Abdullah II who formed the first women’s national team. The U-17 Jordanian team themselves trained with a British coach.

25. Jordan’s National Dish is Mansaf

Maybe you’ve never heard of it, but any foodie worth their salt should have their interest piqued with this flavorful fact about Jordan. Mansaf is a tasty lamb dish cooked with fermented, dried yogurt, served with bulgur wheat or rice, and topped with pine nuts.

It’s served up at important events like weddings, funerals, and holidays. That dried, fermented yogurt – jameed – is made from sheep (or goat) milk, and the city of Al-Karak is the best place to go for jameed.

26. Jordan is Pretty Small

As far as countries go, it’s definitely not one of the biggest. The land area is 89,000 square kilometers. To make it sound even smaller, that’s 34,000 square miles. And to put into a shape you’d understand, you can fit Jordan into Texas about eight times. 

27. Population Density is Insane in Jordan

Obviously, there’s a load of places you can’t live in Jordan, i.e., the desert… well, some people do live there, to be fair (Bedouin tribes, for example). But elsewhere, you get huge bunches of people in a small place. Thirty percent of the population lives in the hilly north.

Even more wild is the fact that forty percent of Jordanians live in the capital, Amman!

28. Jordan Was One of the Countries “Lawrence of Arabia” Helped Liberate

T. E. Lawrence was key in helping the Arab nations during World War I. How? Well, in a nutshell, as the Allied forces fought against the Ottoman Empire (based in modern-day Turkey), Lawrence went around convincing Arab leaders that if they cooperated with British and Allied attacks, they’d be able to help beat the Ottomans and gain independence from the empire.

This was known as the Great Arab Revolt. If you want to watch it all unfold it’s a great travel movie to tune into.

29. You Can Walk Across Jordan

You might want to do this if you’re mad about walking. The Jordan Trail stretches for 402 miles, all the way from Umm Qais in the north to Aqaba in the south.

It takes about 40 days to do and passes by some of the country’s best-known places, such as Petra, the desert landscapes of Wadi Rum, and the Greco-Roman ruins at Gadara.

30. There’s No Oil in Jordan

Well, barely any oil anyway. So, unlike the rest of its Arab neighbors, Jordan can’t make money from oil – a negligible amount, maybe. What it does have are some pretty modest natural gas reserves, which are far less interesting.

31. Jordan’s National Flower is Super Rare

Usually, national flowers are pretty common, aren’t they? Jordan chose the mega-rare black iris as its shining star. It’s a common name for hotels, restaurants, and other establishments. This is one of my favorite facts about Jordan!

Quick Travel Tips for Jordan

Currency – 1 Jordan Dinar – $1.41 USD

Language – Arabic. However, English is spoken widely due to a good education and a strong tourist industry.

Official Name – Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Capital City – Amman

Constitutional Monarchy – King Abdullah II of Jordan

Visa – Most visitors to Jordan will need to obtain a visa. US citizens can get a visa on arrival, payable by card or cash. If you have plans to go to Petra, it’s worth getting the Jordan Pass which includes your visa and access to all the main tourist sites in Jordan.

Wondering What to Pack for Jordan? We got you covered here.

When is the Best Season to Travel to Jordan?

High season (March-May, September-November): Because of the intense heat that Jordan sees between June and early September, the best time to visit would be around those. March-May and September-November mark the high season in Jordan. Temperatures will be lower (but still hot), making any trip more enjoyable. However, tourism is high, and you’ll face crowds around the popular sites.

Shoulder Season (November – February): Tourism is lower during this time, but temperatures aren’t brutally hot. It’s winter in Jordan, and you may even see some snow. Nights will be cold, especially in Wadi Rum, so bring extra layers.

Low Season (June-August): This is the hottest time of the year to visit Jordan, and you won’t want to spend much time under the sun. You’ll likely always look for shade or AC if you visit during this time. However, prices are at their lowest, but you’ll also find many establishments closed for the low season.