In 1950, Transjordan merged with part of Palestine to form the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. It lies in the center of the Middle East, sharing its northern border with Syria, eastern border with Iraq, it's southern and eastern borders with Saudi Arabia, and western border with the Jordan River, the Dead Sea, and Israel. Jordan has barren deserts, fertile valleys, and colorful rock and sand mountains.
It contains the lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea, and the Great Rift Valley, which was created twenty million years ago when tectonic plates shifted, stretching from Lake Tiberius south through Jordan and into eastern Africa. In 1946, the population was about 400,000; in 1997, it reached 4.6 million, a figure twice that of 1981.
The population is young, with a birthrate that is double the world average; 43 percent of the people are under age fifteen. English is taught to all students and is widely spoken. The flag has black, white, and green horizontal stripes with a red triangle on the hoist side bearing a white seven-pointed star.
A popular cheese is called halloumi (similar to feta), made from goat or sheep milk and often served in a sandwich of pita-style bread or cubed in salads.