Page 69 - Egypt & the Eternal Nile by Private, Classic River-Yacht
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August of 2006 that are collectively known as the Second Lebanon War.
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from Fatah. The dramatic takeover tested the already uneasy relationships and alliances in the
region—especially after both Israel and Egypt set up a blockade of the Gaza Strip in reaction
to the takeover. In 2008 Olmert came under investigation for corruption; the resulting scandal
forced him to step down. In 2009 Benjamin Netanyahu became prime minister. In recent
years, his administration has seen both the easement of the Gaza blockade (2010, for non-
military goods) and one of the largest social demonstrations in Israeli history (2011, against
the rising cost of living and loss of social services).
Jordan
Facts & Figures
• Area: 34,495 square miles
• Capital: Amman
• Languages: ,]LMTN T^ _SP ZʯNTLW WLYR`LRP ZQ 5Z]OLY& 0YRWT^S T^ LW^Z ^[ZVPY
• Ethnicity: Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
• Location: Jordan bordered by Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Syria.
• Geography: To the east, Jordan is arid desert plateau; to the west, highlands. The Jordan
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elevation is Jabal Ram (5,689 feet) and the lowest is the Dead Sea (-1,594 feet).
• Population: 8,117,564
• Religion: Muslim 97.2% (predominantly Sunni), Christian 2.2% (majority Greek
Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox,
Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), Buddhist 0.4%, Hindu 0.1%,
other 0.1%
• Time Zone: Jordan is on Eastern European Time, seven hours ahead of U.S. EST. When it
is 6am in Washington D.C., it is 1pm in Amman.
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