Geography

 The Eastern Desert or Badia Region

Comprising around 75% of Jordan, this area of desert and desert steppe is part of what is known as the North Arab Desert. It stretches into Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, with elevations varying between 600 and 900 meters above sea level. Climate in the Badia varies widely between day and night, and between summer and winter. Daytime summer temperatures can exceed 40°C, while winter nights can be very cold, dry and windy. Rainfall is minimal throughout the year, averaging less than 50 millimeters annually. Although all the regions of the Badia (or desert) are united by their harsh desert climate,similar vegetation types and sparse concentrations of population, they vary considerably according to their underlying geology.

The volcanic formations of the northern Basalt Desert extend into Syria and Saudi Arabia, and are recognizable by the black basalt boulders which cover the landscape. East of the Basalt Desert, the Rweishid Desert is an undulating limestone plateau which extends to the Iraqi border. There is some grassland in this area, and some agriculture is practiced there. Northeast of Amman, the Eastern Desert is crossed by a multitude of vegetated wadis, and includes the Azraq Oasis and the Shomari Wildlife Reserve.

Brightly blue lizard, Petra.

© Ammar Khammash

To the south of Amman is the Central Desert, while Wadi Sarhan on Jordan’s eastern border drains north into Azraq. Al-Jafr Basin, south of the Central Desert, is crossed by a number of broad, sparsely-vegetated wadis. South of al-Jafr and east of the Rum Desert, al-Mudawwara Desert is characterized by isolated hills and low rocky mountains separated by broad, sandywadis. The most famous desert in Jordan is the Rum Desert, home of the wondrous Wadi Rum landscape. Towering sandstone mesas dominate this arid area, producing one of the most fantastic desert-scapes in the world.