JORDAN

Jordan is a relatively small country situated at the junction of the Levantine and Arabian areas of the Middle East. The country is bordered to the north by Syria, to the east by Iraq, and by Saudi Arabia to the east and south. To the west are Israel and the occupied West Bank, while Jordan's outlet to the Red Sea, the magnificent Gulf of Aqaba, is to the south.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is slightly bigger than Portugal and slightly smaller than Indiana. 85% of the land is desert. The altitude varies from 1834 meters for Jebel Umm ad-Daami down to -408m for the Dead Sea shore. However, Jordan's beautiful diverse terrain and landscape belie its actual size, demonstrating a variety usually found only in large countries.

Well over 90% of the population of 5.2 million consists of Muslim Arabs, with small minorities of Muslim Circasians and Chechens, as well as Christian Arabs.

Language: Arabic, but English is widely used.

Currency: Jordan Dinars.

Banks open from 8.30am to 3pm except on Fridays and Saturdays.

Jordan is GMT+2 during the winter and GMT+3 during the summer.

All foreign visitors are required to hold a valid visa stamp in their passports.

Friday and Saturday are the official weekly days off in Jordan.

The Embassy will be closed on the following days in 2012 for Jordanian and Belgian official holidays:

   New Year - January 2
   Easter - April 9
   Labor Day - May 1
   Ascension - May 17
   Jordan’s Independence Day - May 25
   Pentecôte - May 28
   Assomption - August 15
   Eid Al Fitr - August 20, August 21
   Eid Al Adha - October 25, October 26, October 29
   Toussaint - November 1
   Armistice Day - November 9
   Islamic New Year - November 15
   Christmas - December 25, December 26