Jordan

At a Glance

Jordan is a Middle Eastern country of ancient ruins, desert landscapes, and warm Bedouin hospitality that has made it one of the region's most visitor-friendly destinations. Petra, carved into rose-red sandstone, is one of the great archaeological wonders of the world, and the Wadi Rum desert offers a landscape of silence and scale that feels otherworldly. The food, the tea, and the welcome in Jordanian homes are things most visitors remember long after they leave.

• Hosts more refugees per capita than almost any country in the world.
• Petra was carved directly into red sandstone cliffs — no foundations, no mortar.
• More than half the population is under 25, yet unemployment is structurally high.