Jordan Valley

Description

The Jordan River rises from several sources, mainly the Anti-Lebanon mountains in Syria. It flows down into the Sea of Galilee, 212 meters below sea level, and then drains into the Dead Sea. South of the Dead Sea, the Jordan Valley turns into the hot, dry

The Jordan Valley, which extends down the entire western flank of Jordan, is the country’s most distinctive natural feature. The Jordan Valley forms part of the Great Rift Valley of Africa, which extends down from southern Turkey through Lebanon and Syria to the salty depression of the Dead Sea, where it continues south through Aqaba and the Red Sea to eastern Africa. This fissure was created 20 million years ago by shifting tectonic plates.

The northern segment of the Jordan Valley, known in Arabic as the Ghor, is the nation’s most fertile region. It contains the Jordan River and extends from the northern border down to the Dead Sea. The Jordan River rises from several sources, mainly the Anti-Lebanon Mountains in Syria, and flows down into Lake Tiberias (the Sea of Galilee), 212 meters below sea level. It then drains into the Dead Sea which, at 407 meters below sea level, is the lowest point on earth. The river is between 20 and 30 meters wide near its endpoint. Its flow has been much reduced and its salinity increased because significant amounts have been diverted for irrigational uses. Several degrees warmer than the rest of the country, its year-round agricultural climate, fertile soils, higher winter rainfall and extensive summer irrigation have made the Ghor the food bowl of Jordan

The Jordan Valley is more than just a valley. For centuries, it has been a blessed place in the desert, with reliable sources of water, food and trade. It has symbolic meaning to people all over the world. Today, the valley feeds people through agriculture, teaches them through the discoveries made at its many archeological sites,