A civilizational crossroads for eventful millennia, Jordan attracts us with astounding Petra, a city carved from living stone, with the Dead Sea, and with Bedouin camps under million-starred desert nights.

• TOTAL AREA: 92,300 sq km

• LAND AREA: 91,971 sq km

• WATER AREA: 329 sq km

• POPULATION: 5,906,760

• RELIGIONS: Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several small Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations)

• LANGUAGES: Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes

• GOVERNMENT TYPE: Constitutional Monarchy

• CAPITAL CITY: Amman

• OFFICIAL CURRENCY: Jordanian dinar (JOD)

• TIME ZONE: GMT/UTC +2