Mafraq Governorate
Encyclopedia
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, located to the north-east of Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, capital of Jordan. It has a population of 254,219 (2000) with a percentage of 4.5% of Jordan's population. Its capital is Mafraq
Mafraq
Mafraq is the capital city of Mafraq Governorate, Jordan, located 80 Km to the north from the Jordanian capital Amman in crossroad to Syria to the north and Iraq to the east. It has 58,954 inhabitants...
, which is known for its military bases.
Geography
The province is located in the eastern part of the kingdom of Jordan, It is the only governorate in Jordan that has borders with three countries: IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
to the east, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
to the north, and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
to the south. It is bordered by Irbid
Irbid Governorate
Irbid or Irbed is one of the governorates of Jordan. It is located north of Amman, Jordan's capital. The capital of the governorate of Irbid is the city of Irbid...
, Jerash
Jerash Governorate
Jerash is one of the governorates of Jordan; it is located north of Amman, Jordan's capital. It carrys the name of its capital and largest city, Jerash City....
, and Zarqa
Zarqa Governorate
Zarqa Governorate is the third largest governorate in Jordan by population. The capital of Zarqa governorate is Zarqa City, which is the largest city in the governorate. It is located 25 km east of the Jordanian capital Amman...
governorates from the west.
Mafraq governorate covers the second largest area in the kingdom, but yet the second smallest population density (after Ma'an)
the climate is dry most of the year. The western region of the province is part of the fertile Houran plateaus, that extend through southern Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, the Golan heights and northern Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
.
The Governorate is connected to Iraq through the Karameh Border Crossing
Karameh Border Crossing
Karameh Border Crossing is the only border crossing between Jordan and Iraq.On the Iraqi side it is called the Turaibil Border Compound ....
, and to Syria through the Jabir Border Crossing
Nasib Border Crossing
The Nasib Border Crossing is an international border crossing between Syria and Jordan. It is one of the busiest border crossings in Syria and is situated on the Damascus-Amman international highway. It is the main crossing for Syrian exports to Jordan and the Gulf countries.-References:...
.
Administrative Divisions
Mafraq Governorate is divided into four departments according to article 10 of the 46th Administrative Divisions System of the Kingdom of Jordan by the Ministry of Interior which was ratified in the year 2000:| Department | Arabic Name | Subdivisions | Administrative Center | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capital Department | لواء قصبة المفرق | includes 72 towns and villages | Mafraq Mafraq Mafraq is the capital city of Mafraq Governorate, Jordan, located 80 Km to the north from the Jordanian capital Amman in crossroad to Syria to the north and Iraq to the east. It has 58,954 inhabitants... city. |
| 2 | Ruwaishid Department | لواء الرويشد | includes 12 towns and villages | Ruwaished Ruwaished Ruwaished is a town in the far east of Jordan. Administratively it belongs to Mafraq Governorate. It has a population of 14,400 . Ruwaished is the farthest Jordanian settlement to the east... |
| 3 | North Badiya Department | لواء البادية الشمالية | includes 67 towns and villages | Sabha |
| 4 | North West Badiya Department | لواء البادية الشمالية الغربية | includes 45 towns and villages | Sama al- Sarhan |
Economy
Agriculture forms a central element of the economy for Mafraq Governorate, especially in the Houran Plateaus in the western part of the province. The total area of fruit farms in the province in 2008 was 48.676 Km2, with a total production of 101874 tons of fruits mainly apples and peaches, according to the ministry of Agriculture. The total area of vegetable farms in the province for 2008 was 8.295 Km2 with a total production of 15540 tons, with cabbage, onions, garlic, and lettuce being the main products.There is one natural gas production field at Al-Reeshah, it is run by the Jordanian National Petroleum Company. In 2008, British Petroleum
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
purchased the rights to produce natural gas in the field, and is expected to increase its capacity from 21 cubic foot (0.594653787 m³) to 300 million cubic feet per day in the next five years. The natural gas produced at Al-Reeshah is used entirely for producing electricity at a nearby electricity generating station with a capacity of 120 Megawatts, covering 12% of the total needs of the kingdom for the year 2008.
The city of Mafraq hosts Al al-Bayt University
Al al-Bayt University
Al al-Bayt University is one of the public universities in Jordan. It is located in Mafraq city in the Mafraq Governorate, 69 km from Amman.- Academics :There are seven schools in the university:*Faculty of Science...
, which is the only university in the governorate.