The goodbyes have begun and so has the process of explaining the purpose of this trip and the research I plan to conduct while there. Needless to say, dissecting the history of the Arab world and the roots of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict is quite difficult - particularly for a novice such as myself. The complexity of the region and the long, rich history is incredibly intimidating.
So as I move through this journey I will do my best to contextualize things and attempt to put them into perspective.
And what better time than now to start that contextualization. Consider this post your crash course in the geography and demography of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
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Jordan is located in the Fertile Crescent, bordering Saudi Arabia to the South, Iraq to the East, Syria to the North and the West Bank to the West. Jordan is primarily a desert climate and according to the CIA factbook (I can't believe they allowed me to access that website either!) the size is slightly smaller than Indiana. (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/jo.html#top) They have no water. Well they have some but hardly any fresh water and "the only sea they have is dead." (I heard this several times while in Jordan. The Dead Sea is really, really salty...not good for drinking water but great for floating and for mud masks and bath salts.
The population is about 6.5 million and the capital is Amman - this is where I will be staying. Jordan is a Constitutional Monarchy and the current king is King Abdullah II and his wife is Queen Rania. They don't really have any resources but they do have stability, which is immensely important to the region. Jordan hosts about 2 million Palestinian refugees and about 500,000 Iraqi guests, displaced from "Operation Iraqi Freedom."
The people speak Arabic and are primarily Muslim - though there are small Christian populations present.
Some noteworthy tourist destinations are: Petra (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was filmed here!), Wadi Rum, and Aqaba. And coming soon......a Star Trek Theme Park!!! King Abdullah is a big fan and even made a cameo appearance in a Star Trek episode some years back. Not only will this be the biggest Trekkie destination in the world, but it will also be run on green energy. Check it out:
$1.5 Billion Star Trek Theme Park in Jordan to Run on Green Energy
Below is a map of Jordan and further below are more links if you want to check out more of what the Hashemite Kingdom has to offer.
Ciao!
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The above map was taken from the World Atlas website. Check it out and the links below to find out more about the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
And in case you want to come visit me, check out these travel websites:
Look out for a consulting job for me once you get to Jordan so I can come visit you! I have food bank contacts there too if you ever think they would be useful to you. xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteOh I will keep my eyes peeled. I will hook you up:) and I would love to have those food bank contacts! xo
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