Middle East - Anthony Ham [284]
To help improve productivity and make Jordan a more attractive country for foreign investment, the government has reduced its debt-to-GDP ratio. A major challenge now facing Jordan is reducing dependence on foreign grants. The current resurgence of tourism is helping in this regard. Two incidents in recent times (the 2005 Al-Qaeda suicide bombing of three hotels in Amman, and the 2007 shooting by a lone gunman of tourists Downtown) momentarily cast doubt over Jordan’s peaceful reputation. With so much at stake in terms of revenue, however, every effort is being made by Jordanian authorities to ensure the safety of travellers within the country.
THE CULTURE
The National Psyche
Jordanian people are extremely hospitable, with initial conversation inevitably leading to a heartfelt ‘welcome’. This traditional sense of hospitality is mixed with an easygoing modernity and wonderful sense of humour that make Jordanians fun to get along with.
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HOW MUCH?
Souvenir keffiyeh from JD3
Cup of tea from 300 fils
Midrange dinner JD10
Museum admission JD1
Mid-range hotel room JD30 to JD80
LONELY PLANET INDEX
Litre of petrol 600 fils and climbing
1.5L bottle of water JD1
Bottle of Amstel beer JD3.500
Souvenir T-shirt JD8
Street stall felafel 500 fils
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The modern Western outlook of Amman’s young middle and upper classes contrasts with the conservative Bedouin morality of the countryside. This tension, along with the rapid social change linked to the rise of tourism, has led to a clash of values in places such as Wadi Musa.
Shared values include a deep respect for the Jordanian royal family, which is part of the ingrained tribal respect for elders. Islam dominates Jordanian views of the world, of course, as does the Palestinian experience, which is hardly surprising when you consider that 65% of Jordanians are Palestinian.
Being physically and ethnically close to Iraq, most Jordanians are often frustrated and at times angered by American policies towards Iraq but they are always able to differentiate a government from its people. You’ll never be greeted with animosity, regardless of your nationality, only a courtesy and hospitality that are humbling.
Daily Life
More than 40% of Jordan’s population lives in Amman, reflecting a big split between rural and urban lifestyles. The middle and upper classes of Amman shop in malls, drink lattes in mixed-sex Starbucks and obsess over the latest fashions. Mobile phones dominate life in Jordan as they do abroad. Yet urban unemployment is high, and entire neighbourhoods of Amman are made up of Palestinian and Iraqi refugees. The average monthly wage is a meagre JD190.
At the other end of the spectrum is traditional Bedouin life, deeply rooted in the desert and centred on herding. For more on the Bedouin, Click here.
Family ties are essential to both groups and the sexes are often segregated. Most Jordanian women socialise with other women only and often inside the family group only, while men chat in male-only cafés. Women were allowed to vote for the first time in the 1989 elections, but attitudes towards women remain quite traditional.
Population
The population of Jordan stood at about 6.2 million in 2008. Some 953,000 of these are registered as refugees (primarily from the wars of 1948 and 1967, and the more recent conflicts in Iraq).
About 2.2 million people live in the capital Amman and 850,000 in neighbouring Zarqa. The majority (98%) of Jordanians are Arab (which includes Bedouin); about two-thirds of these are Palestinians. There are also small communities of Circassians (Muslims from the Caucasus who emigrated to Jordan in the 19th century), Chechens and Armenians who