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The Daily Insight

Which desert is in Jordan

Author

Mia Morrison

Published Mar 03, 2026

Things to Do in The Desert in Jordan Wadi Rum is really the only desert in Jordan with plenty of things to do. Wadi Rum is visitor friendly and easy to access from the city of Aqaba. From leisurely walks to adrenaline fuelled adventures, there are lots of things to do in the Jordanian desert.

How many deserts are there in Jordan?

Discover 5 deserts in Jordan.

What desert is near the Jordan River?

The Negev is an arid region that spans the southern part of Israel and occupies almost half of Palestine west of the Jordan River.

Where is the Jordanian desert?

Around 75% of Jordan is made up of a desert area known as the North Arab Desert. With elevations rising above sea level between 600 and 900 meters, the desert also stretches into parts of Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. The climate of the Eastern Desert of Badia can vary a great deal both during the day and seasonally.

What is the biggest desert in Jordan?

Wadi RumLocationAqaba, JordanCoordinates29°35′35″N 35°25′12″ECoordinates: 29°35′35″N 35°25′12″EArea720 km2 (280 sq mi)Elevation1,750 m (5,740 ft)

Where is the Wadi desert?

Wadi Rum (Valley of the Moon) lies in the far south of Jordan, set on a high plateau at the western edge of the Arabian desert. Gargantuan rock formations, rippled sand dunes, and clear night skies create an almost fairy-tale setting across an unpopulated area the size of New York City.

How much of Jordan is desert?

The country has an area of 89,213 square kilometers, with approximately 75% of that space being taken up by desert. Jordan is a land steeped in history. It has been home to some of mankind’s earliest settlements and villages, and relics of many of the world’s great civilizations can still be seen today.

What desert is Petra in?

Local people have long known about the ruins of an ancient city called Petra, hidden deep within the desert of modern-day Jordan. Stories tell of a powerful and wealthy city that once bustled with life.

Is Amman a desert?

To the south of Amman is the Central Desert, while Wadi Sarhan on Jordan’s eastern border drains north into Azraq. Al-Jafr Basin, south of the Central Desert, is crossed by a number of broad, sparsely-vegetated wadis.

What is the capital of Jordan?

Amman, Arabic ʿAmmān, biblical Hebrew Rabbath Ammon, ancient Greek Philadelphia, capital and largest city of Jordan. It is the residence of the king and the seat of government.

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How cold does it get in Jordan?

It can get “cold” in Jordan! Chance of rain drops substantially from April onwards. The coldest months of the year are December and January, where temperatures average about 13 degrees Celsius but can drop to around 5 degrees.

Where is the Gobi Desert?

The Gobi Desert cuts across both Mongolia and northern China. Location of the Gobi Desert: Mongolia is a country north of China. It has a rapidly changing economy.

Is the Negev a desert?

The Negev or Negeb (/ˈnɛɡɛv/; Hebrew: הַנֶּגֶב‎, romanized: ha-Négev; Arabic: ٱلنَّقَب‎, romanized: an-Naqab) is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The region’s largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. 209,687), in the north.

Where is the Kalahari Desert?

Kalahari Desert, large basinlike plain of the interior plateau of Southern Africa. It occupies almost all of Botswana, the eastern third of Namibia, and the northernmost part of Northern Cape province in South Africa.

What county is the Mojave desert in?

Mojave, CaliforniaCoordinates: 35°03′09″N 118°10′26″WCoordinates: 35°03′09″N 118°10′26″WCountryUnited StatesStateCaliforniaCountyKern

How old is Wadi Rum?

Archeological evidence shows that Wadi Rum Desert has been inhabited since prehistoric times. A recently excavated site to the south indicates settlement at least as early as 4500 BC. In the 8th and 6th centuries BC, the area was known as Wadi Iram.

What is a desert wadi?

Definition of wadi 1 : the bed or valley of a stream in regions of southwestern Asia and northern Africa that is usually dry except during the rainy season and that often forms an oasis : gully, wash. 2 : a shallow usually sharply defined depression in a desert region.

What sea is in Jordan?

Dead SeaCatchment area41,650 km2 (16,080 sq mi)Basin countriesIsrael, Jordan, and PalestineMax. length50 km (31 mi) (northern basin only)Max. width15 km (9.3 mi)

What are the tribes of Jordan called?

The main tribes present in the Emirate of Transjordan at the time of its creation were the Bani Sakhr in the north, the Adwan in the Jordan Valley and the Huwaytat south of Kerak. The Rwala nomads from the outskirts of Damascus roam around the Wadi Sirhan.

Who is the king of Jordan?

His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein is the 43rd generation direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammed. King Abdullah assumed his constitutional powers as King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on February 7, 1999, the day his father, the late King Hussein, passed away.

Where is Wadi Rum and Petra?

Petra can be found in southwest Jordan, a couple of hours’ drive north of Wadi Rum.

Where is the Jordan?

Where is Jordan Located? Jordan is located in the Middle East and borders Syria, Saudi Arabia, the Red Sea, Palestine, Israel, and Iraq. Covering some 89,342 sq.km., it is located at 31 00 N, 36 00 E.

Why is Wadi Rum called the Valley of the Moon?

Wadi Rum – In south-western Jordan, a desert landscape with bright, breathtaking shades of red and strange rock formations as seen from space makes Wadi Rum look so alien that it is nicknamed the Valley of the Moon. … He made several references to Wadi Rum in his book Seven Pillars of Wisdom.

How many mountains are there in Jordan?

There are 1394 named mountains in Jordan. Jabal Um Ad-dami is the highest point.

What is Jordan known for?

Jordan is home to more than 100,000 archaeological, religious and tourist sights. Like Petra, Dead Sea, Wadi Rum and Jerash, only to name a few. Jordan is rich in history and culture, it is a great holiday destination to enjoy your time and educate yourself on Middle Eastern heritage.

Is Jordan flat?

Jordan is generally a flat desert plateau, east and west, as the western edges of the Syrian and Ard As Sawwan deserts stretch across the land.

What is Petra called in the Bible?

What is the biblical name of Petra? The biblical name of Petra is Sela, which was probably replaced by the Greek name Petra, meaning “rock.”

Where did the Nabateans come from?

The Nabataeans, an Arab tribe, first appeared in the sixth century BC in the desert located to the east of Jordan, and came from the south-east of the Arabian Peninsula. They settled first in Petra and subsequently expanded their territory to the Horan and Levant and finally announced Bosra as their capital.

Who really built Petra?

Petra was built by the Nabateans in what is now southern Jordan, while the civilization was amassing great wealth trading with its Greek and Persian contemporaries around 150BC.

What was Jordan before 1921?

The population of eastern Jordan in 1921 reached 400 thousand people. In 1946, Jordan became officially an independent state, known as the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan. However, it was renamed to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan post the country took over the West Bank during the Arab–Israeli War of 1948.

Who is Amman in the Bible?

According to both Kings 14:21-31 and Chronicles 12:13, Naamah was an Ammonite. She was the only wife of King Solomon to be mentioned by name in the Tanakh as having borne a child. She was the mother of Solomon’s successor, Rehoboam.