Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Jerash Governorate

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- summer (DST)
  
+3

Area
  
410 km²

University
  
Jerash University

Elevation
  
600 m

Capital
  
Jerash


Points of interest
  
Nymphaeum, Arch of Hadrian, Jerash Museum, Temple of Zeus, Parks and restaurants Bab Amm

Jerash (Arabic: جرش‎‎) is one of the governorates of Jordan; it is located north of Amman, Jordan's capital. It carries the name of its capital and largest city, Jerash City.

Contents

Map of Jerash Governorate, Jordan

Jerash Governorate has the smallest area of the 12 governorates of Jordan, yet it has the second highest density in Jordan after Irbid Governorate. Jerash Governorate is ranked 7th by population.

History

In the first century of the Christian era this insignificant city (then Gerasa) experienced a fast ascent under Roman rule and the Pax Romana. It became part of the Decapolis and grew increasingly competitive with the older Petra as a commercial town. The inhabitants extracted iron ore from the nearby Ajlun mountains. Starting in the middle of the 1st century, this upswing led to active building and a rich abundance of architectural monuments, still impressive today. In the 2nd century, the Roman expansion wars in Asia led to further gains. Well-made roads were built to Pella, Philadelphia (now Amman), Dion and to the provincial capital Bos(t)ra. Emperor Hadrian visited the city in the winter of 129-130. In the following centuries the political situation in this region changed fundamentally and the city's means declined. During this time also Christianity was on the ascendant and many churches were built. Gerasa had its own bishop—still today it is a Titularbistum—and bishop Placcus (or Plancus) participated in the Council of Chalcedon.

The mathematician Nicomachus of Gerasa came from this city.

The Jerash Governorate was formed in 1994 from a portion of Irbid Governorate.

Geography

Jerash is a hilly region with fertile lands, the province is bordered by Irbid Governorate to the north, Ajlun Governorate to the west, Mafraq Governorate and Zarqa Governorate to the east, and Balqa Governorate from the south. The average yearly rainfall in Jerash governorate is in the range of 400–500 mm considered among the highest in the country. The elevation range of the province is 300 to 1300 m above sea level with fresh water streams and the Zarqa River flowing through it, surrounderd by fertile plains, hills and mountains with a mild mediterranean climate.

Administrative divisions

Jerash Governorate consists of a single district (liwa'), Jerash Liwa, that is divided into three sub-districts (qda'):

  1. Jarash Sub-District
  2. Mastabah Sub-District
  3. Borma Sub-District

Villages

Aside from the city that gives the governorate its name, Jerash Governorate has twenty-two towns and villages: Sakib, El-Kitté, Souf, Al-Haddadé, Bellila, Kufranjé, El-Hseiniat, Deir Il-Liyat, Al-Mastaba, Nahlé, Il-Kfeir, Bani Irsheid, Raimoun, An-Nabi Houd, Burma, Al-Jazzazah, Jubbah, Mirse', Muqbila, Al-Msheirfeh,and Qafqafa.

Refugee camps

There are two Palestinian refugee camps in Jerash Governorate, Souf camp near Souf and Gaza (Jerash) camp at Al Ḩaddādah.

Demographics

The national census of 2015 shows that the population of Jerash Governorate was 237,059, making up 2.49% of the population of Jordan. This number is an increase by 54% on the population of the governorate in 2004, which was 153,602. Jordanian nationals made up 70.7% of the population in 2015. The foreign nationals who reside in Jerash Governorate made up only 2.38% of the foreign nationals in Jordan. The population in 2004 was distributed as follows:

The population of districts according to census results:

Industry and agriculture

Jerash is known for its ample olive groves and fruit orchards; almost one-fourth of the total area of the province is covered with olive groves some dating back to Roman times. Estimates put the number of olive trees in Jerash at 2 million. Jerash Governorate has a total annual production of 6500 tons of olives and 1300 tons of olive oil.

The capital city of the province, Jerash, is equidistant from the three largest cities in Jordan; 48 km from Amman, 40 km from Irbid, and 50 km from Zarqa. This proximity has made it difficult for the city to attract investments, as investors tend to invest in one of those cities instead.

Education

According to the national census of 2004, about half of the population of Jerash Governorate were 15 years of age or older. 0.55% held a master's of science degree (the national average was 0.8%) and 0.3% held a PhD degree. Jerash Private University is the only university in Jerash Governorate.

References

Jerash Governorate Wikipedia