Jordan is one of the most exciting countries and very clean city to visit in the Middle East. It is a safe country for travelers, it has incredible sights, the people are friendly, and the sun always shines. Do you need any more reasons?

The capital city, Amman, is quite a nice place to spend some time and, of course, some money. The city center features an old Roman theater, an ancient Citadel, an archaeological museum (which features some of the Dead Sea Scrolls among other interesting artifacts), and a plethora of shops and stalls selling souvenirs.  It is also an ideal location for launching out to other sites throughout Jordan.
Amman itself is a very good intinerary, you can have a walking contrast between the old town and the plush parts of the city, indeed the contrast to say the least is mind-boggling.
If you want to visit on your own that can be fulfilling, but for a really good historical perspective your best bet is to have a guided tour from one of the local operators like Petra Tours which can arrange for a customized tour. It will show you the contrasts, developments, scocial change, local skyscrappers (still a novelty), tunnels and the erected bridges.
But Jordan has many other places to see that's why a tour guide would be best. Highlights of Jordan include Petra, Jerash, Aqaba, Um Qais, Mount Nebo, the Dead sea, the Jordan River, and Wadi rum. These are many places, that's why tour company companies arrange their packages and excursions on a daily basis to allow international toiurists to see as much of the country as possible.
In Jordan for instance there is diversity as far the tourism product is concerned. There is for instance, cultural, historical tourism, eco-tourism, religious tourism, desert tourism (majestic mountains of Wadi Rum) and the swimming and diving in Aqaba's virginal waters. The country is an open space, a readership manual of different products. In Jordan, the Rose Red City of Petra is the most famous but in reality there are many, many other towns, cities, places and archaelogical digs for everyone to see.

When to Go
The best time to visit Jordan is in spring or autumn. The weather during this period is pleasant and perfect to explore the country. This also the time when some of Jordan’s popular festivals are held like the Jerash Festival.
March through May and mid-September through mid-November are the peak seasons in Jordan, plus a small flurry around Christmas/New Year. The summers are very hot but there’s no humidity and the nights are wonderfully cool and pleasant.
This culinary break is available all year round and runs on a Saturday to Saturday basis.
Weather
Jordan's climate varies dramatically from one end of the country to the other. The Jordan Valley can be incredibly hot in summer, around 40°C (104°F), while Amman and Petra occasionally get snow in winter. The Plateau area is usually warm and dry, fluctuating between the low 20°Cs (low 70°Fs) and high 30°Cs (high 90°Fs), while the desert suffers extremes of temperature - baking dry heat interspersed with freezing winds from central Asia.

HISTORY & BACKGROUND
Jordan is situated in the Middle East. It is bordered by Syria in the north, Iraq in the east, Saudi Arabia in the south, and Israel and the West Bank in the west. Its territory extends over 86 square kilometers. It became fully independent in 1946 and was founded as a hereditary constitutional monarchy. The estimated population of the country in 1999 was 4.7 million. The population is primarily homogenous; the Arabic language and the Islamic religion predominate throughout. The climate of the country varies from arid or semiarid regions in the east and south to regions in the north and west where there is adequate rainfall and a cooler climate.
Historically, Jordan is part of the Arab world and nations. As was the case with other nations in the region, Jordan was under Ottoman rule until 1918. In 1921, it was known as the Emirate of Transjordan. It remained an independent constitutional state under British rule until 1946, when it achieved complete independence and became the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Following the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, part of Palestine (the West Bank) became an integral part of the kingdom. Since the war of 1967, however, Israel has occupied the West Bank.
When the Ottomans ended their occupation, they left behind a traditional system of education, which was composed of three-year primary schools and four elementary schools offering six years of study. At that time, there were no intermediate or secondary schools. There were private Islamic schools (Kuttab) and Christian missionary schools. After the emirate was created, an expansion program began, culminating in 1922 with 44 government schools employing 71 teachers and serving 3,316 students, of which 318 were female. By 1923, a secondary school was established in Salt; this was followed the same year by a program of curriculum unification and the establishment of the country's first Education Council, which was formed to choose teachers and supervisors. In 1926 this council was replaced by another council called the Consultative Council of Education.
In 1946-47, there were 77 government schools enrolling some 10,729 students who were taught by 214 teachers. At the time, the school budget amounted to 6.3 percent of the total budget of the government. The first Ministry of Education during the emirate period was established 24 September 1940. Under its leadership, an educational system was set up with an elementary school cycle (seven years), a secondary school cycle (four years), and a technical school cycle (two years). Government-supervised national examinations were required at the end of both the elementary and secondary school cycles.
In June 1952, the first School Ordinance was issued regulating the examination system, the role of school principals, and the methods to be used for recruiting and promoting school children.
Recent History
King Abdullah, the sort of monarch who enjoys dressing up as a taxi driver and talking with his subjects incognito, has the growing support of the international community as well as most Jordanians, including the large and influential Palestinian community. Under his reign, Jordan has moved closer to Israel with a 2002 deal to pipe water from the Red Sea to the shrinking Dead Sea at a cost of US$800000000 , and a 2004 deal to develop a desert science centre on their mutual border. At the same time, ties with Egypt and Syria have been strengthened.
The first independent elections in 2003 saw a majority of seats go to independent royalist candidates. There were signs, however, that Jordan's 'each-way bet' foreign policy was under pressure. In October 2002 a senior US diplomat was assassinated in Amman, and the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad was bombed in August 2003, killing 11 people. This was followed by the worst attack in Jordan's recent history - a triple bomb blast that killed 60 people in Amman. Despite these pressures to succumb to violence, Jordan continues to act in a moderating role between its troubled neighbours, particularly Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Responding to the threat of terror on its own soil, Jordanian officials claim to have provided information to the United States that led to the June 2006 assassination of Jordanian-born terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Sights
Amman Citadel (Jebel al-Qala'a)
The area known as the Citadel sits on the highest hill in Amman, Jebel al-Qala'a (about 850m (2788ft) above sea level) and is the site of ancient Rabbath-Ammon. Artefacts dating from the Bronze Age show that the hill may have been a fortress for thousands of years. The Citadel ticket office is on the road leading up to the Citadel's entrance.
Karak Castle
The ancient Crusader stronghold of Karak (or Kerak) lies within the walls of the old city and is one of the highlights of Jordan. The fortified castle dominates the town and was a place of legend in the battles between the Crusaders or Franks and the Islamic armies. Often ignored by travellers heading for Petra, Karak Castle is well worth the effort. Throughout the castle are informative display boards with detailed descriptions of the history and function of each structure. It's worth bringing a torch (flashlight) to explore the darker regions, and some doorways are quite low so watch your head. Reconstruction and excavation work within the castle is ongoing.
Petra
Petra is the sort of place that usually exists only in the imagination. This unique ancient city was hewn from a towering rock wall; few of the imposing facades of its great buildings are freestanding. Make sure you take as much film as you can carry because every nook and cranny is a Kodak moment.
It's hard to overrate Petra. There's no other sight in Jordan, or perhaps the whole Middle East, as compelling - the locals know it, and they'll charge you accordingly. Once the capital of the Nabateaeans, a 3rd century BC Arab dynasty, Petra was forgotten for 1000 years and only rediscovered in 1812. It raised its public profile with an appearance in the movie Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade . Since its discovery and up until the 1980s, it was home to a number of Bedouin families who have since been relocated, an arrangement they are less than happy with. Don't expect a serene and contemplative visit: up to 3000 people come here every day.
You really need to spend a couple of days here to get the feel of the place, which means paying the entry fee more than once. Set in a deep canyon and only accessible through a narrow winding cleft (or siq ) in the rock, Petra is carved from sandstone that takes on deep rusty hues interlaced with bands of grey and yellow. The most famous ruin is the Khazneh, or treasury, whose beautifully carved facade is the first thing you'll see when you enter from the siq. The monastery is equally imposing, and if you climb to the top you'll get stunning views. Other ruins include an 8000-seat amphitheatre and the Temple of the Winged Lions, still in the process of excavation.
Qala'at ar-Rabad
Ar-Rabad Castle, built atop Mt 'Auf, is a fine example of Islamic military architecture. The castle was built by one of Saladin's generals and nephews in 1184-8, and was enlarged in 1214. The castle commands views of the Jordan Valley and three wadis leading into it - the Kufranjah, Rajeb and Al-Yabes.
Ruins at Jerash
The ruins at Jerash (known in Roman times as Gerasa) are one of Jordan's major attractions and still have the power to evoke the ghosts of Rome. It's one of the best examples in the Middle East of a Roman provincial city, and is remarkably well preserved.
In its heyday, Jerash (known in Roman times as Gerasa) had a population of 15,000 to 20,000 inhabitants and, although it wasn't on any major trade route, its citizens prospered from the good agricultural land that surrounded it. The ancient walled city that survives today was the administrative, commercial, civic and religious centre of Jerash. The bulk of the inhabitants lived on the eastern side of Wadi Jerash (now the modern town of Jerash) and the two centres were linked by causeways and processional paths. As you wander Jerash try to imagine life 2000 years ago: the centre bustling with shops and merchants, lined with cooling water fountains and dramatic painted façades. Picture today's empty niches filled with painted statues; buildings still clad in marble façades and decorated with carved peacocks and shell motifs; and churches topped with Tuscan-style terracotta tiled roofs. For a visual reconstruction of Jerash's finest buildings, check out the drawings at the visitor centre.
Getting There
Amman has an international airport, with flights from Beirut, Cairo, Damascus and further afield. Departure tax is JD5.00 for foreign travellers departing by land, air or sea. Buses travel between Amman and Damascus (about four hours unless there is considerable delay at the border), Baghdad (14 hours), Jeddah, Dammam and Riyadh (about 24 hours). There are indirect buses to Jerusalem; for Eilat you'll need to hire a taxi from Aquaba ( JD5.00 ). You can also catch service taxis from Jordan to Syria and Iraq, or a train from Amman to Damascus (Monday and Thursday). A ferry/bus service runs from Amman to Cairo, or you can get a fast boat between Aqaba and Nuweiba in Sinai.
Getting Around
The only domestic air route is between Amman and Aqaba. JETT bus company runs from Amman to Aqaba, the King Hussein Bridge, Petra and Hammamat Ma'in. Private buses run from Amman to Irbid and Aqaba. Minibuses travel between the smaller towns on an irregular service - usually they leave when they're full. Service taxis cover much the same routes. They're more expensive than minibuses, but a lot faster.

Festivals
Jordan is having a Tourism and Hospitality Careers Forum on 31 July - 1st August, 2007. This is the first careers forum for the travel, tourism and hospitality industry in the Kingdom. It will be a kind of festival because its attracting major players in tourism and employers will be directlty presented to discuss, develop and initiate project opportunities in Jordanian tourism.
The careers forum is organized by the Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association whose officials believe that the even is in line with the Jordan National Tourism Stratagy to upgrade the status of the tourism industry in Jordan, and equip it with the right and skilled labour force.
The Career Forum is being supported by the USAID/Jordan Development Tourism Project (Siyaha) which is itself involved in product development of the tourism industry in Jordan.
Presently it is working on a number of projects that include Madaba and Wadi Rum and has just embarked on a national awareness strategy to among the local population to increase awareness and appreciation of the tourism product in Jordan.
The Career Forum falls within this overall development strategy and perspective to upgrade the occupational professionalism of the tourism industry by seeking to set standards among the local populations.
JITOA has been working on promoting the careers forum for the last three months. Tours operators, Travel agents, hoteliers, restaurants, event management companies will be participating in the two-day event, and there are across the board jobs from housekeepers, account executives, clerks, to executive chefs, all will be required.
The career forum is a sign of the times for Jordanian tourism as the sector contributes between 10 and 12 percent of the country's domestic national product.

Economy
Economy—overview: Jordan is a small Arab country with inadequate supplies of water and other natural resources such as oil and coal. Jordan benefited from increased Arab aid during the oil boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s when its annual real GNP growth averaged more than 10%. In the remainder of the 1980s however reductions in both Arab aid and worker remittances slowed real economic growth to an average of roughly 2% per year. Imports—mainly oil capital goods consumer durables and food—outstripped exports with the difference covered by aid remittances and borrowing. In mid-1989 the Jordanian Government began debt-rescheduling negotiations and agreed to implement an IMF-supported program designed to gradually reduce the budget deficit and implement badly needed structural reforms. The Persian Gulf crisis that began in August 1990 however aggravated Jordan's already serious economic problems forcing the government to shelve the IMF program stop most debt payments and suspend rescheduling negotiations. Aid from Gulf Arab states worker remittances and trade contracted; and refugees flooded the country producing serious balance-of-payments problems stunting GDP growth and straining government resources. The economy rebounded in 1992 largely due to the influx of capital repatriated by workers returning from the Gulf but recovery was uneven in 1994-97. The government is implementing the reform program adopted in 1992 and continues to secure rescheduling and write-offs of its heavy foreign debt. Debt poverty and unemployment remain Jordan's biggest on-going problems. GDP: purchasing power parity—$20.7 billion (1997 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 5.3% (1997 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$4 800 (1997 est.) GDP—composition by sector: