Zarqa ( ar, الزرقاء) is the capital of Zarqa Governorate in Jordan. Its name means "the blue (city)". It had a population of 635,160 inhabitants in 2015, and is the most populous city in Jordan after

Amman Amman (; ar, عَمَّان, ' ; Ammonite language, Ammonite: 𐤓𐤁𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''Rabat ʻAmān'') is the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 a ...

Geography

Zarqa is located in the Zarqa River basin in northeast Jordan. The city is situated northeast of

Climate

Zarqa has a cold semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification: ''BSk''). The average annual temperature is , and around of precipitation falls annually, mostly in winter months.

History

Although inhabited since the 1st century, the city of Zarqa was established in 1902 by Chechen immigrants who were displaced from the wars between the Ottoman and Russian Empires. They settled along the Zarqa River. At that time a station on the Hejaz Railway was built in the new settlement. The railway station turned Zarqa into an important hub. On 10 April 1905, the Ottoman governor issued a decree that allowed the Chechen immigrants to own lands which they settled on. The population then quickly grew in size. On 18 November 1928, the new Jordanian government issued a decree to establish the first municipal council for Zarqa. After the Transjordan Frontier Force was formed in 1926, military bases were constructed in the city by the British Army and the city later became known as the "military city". The headquarters of Jordan's Arab Legion was in Zarqa.

Demographics

With an estimated metropolitan population of about 700,000 in 2010, Zarqa has the third largest metropolitan population in Jordan after Amman and

Irbid Irbid ( ar, إِربِد), known in ancient times as Arabella or Arbela (Άρβηλα in Ancient Greek language, Ancient Greek), is the capital and largest city of the Irbid Governorate. It also has the second largest metropolitan population in ...

, whilst the city of Zarqa has the second largest population after Amman with a population of about 500,000.

Districts of Greater Zarqa Municipality

The city of Zarqa is divided into five districts that all together have an area of about and another two districts within the radius of influence of the city.

Economy and infrastructure

Transportation

Zarqa is connected by the Hejaz Railway to Amman to the south and to

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

to the north. A new railway is under construction to connect Amman with Zarqa. Zarqa lies on the international highway that connects Saudi Arabia with Syria and on the international Amman- Baghdad highway.

Industry

Zarqa is Jordan's industrial centre. It is home to over 50% of Jordanian factories. The growth of industry in the city is the result of low real estate costs and proximity to the capital Amman. Several facilities that are vital to Jordan's economy are based in Zarqa, such as Jordan's only oil refinery plant. According to the Zarqa Chamber of Commerce, 10% of Jordan's total exports in 2011 came from Zarqa Governorate, amounting to more than US$512 million. Leather and garment products constituted about 52% of Zarqa'a exports, followed by chemical, agricultural and pharmaceutical products. In September 2020, massive explosions occurred at an army munitions depot for mortars near Zarqa, caused by an electric short circuit.

Education

There are three universities in Zarqa, the largest of which is Hashemite University. The other two are Al-Balqa` Applied University and Zarqa University. Other community colleges and research centres are based in Zarqa such as the Al-Zarqa Educational & Investment. Also, there are many secondary schools (or high schools) in Zarqa, most notably is the Zarqa Secondary School for Boys which is considered one of the oldest high schools in Jordan.

Twin towns

Oran Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...

, Algeria. * Sfax, Tunisia.

Notable people

Ahmad Alhendawi Ahmad Alhendawi (أحمد الهنداوي) (born 20 May 1984) currently serves as the Secretary-General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, the youngest in the history of the organization. Prior to this, he was the first-ever United N ...

, Secretary-General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement * Saleh Al-Sharabaty, Olympic silver medallist in

Taekwondo ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. ...

* Taghreed Hikmat, judge and

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...

, first female judge in Jordan *

Lobo Ismail ''Ismail Salah Ismail Loub'' (in Arabic إسماعيل صلاح إسماعيل لوب), better known by his stage name Lobo Ismail (in Arabic لوبو إسماعيل) or just Lobo ( Arabic لوبو) (born in Zarqa, Jordan on 11 August 1974), ...

, singer *

Amjad Nasser Amjad Nasser ( ar, أمجد ناصر), known with the pseudonym of Yahya Numeiri al-Naimat ( ar, يحيى النميري النعيمات), (1955 – 31 October 2019) was a London-based Jordanian writer, journalist and poet and one of the pionee ...

, writer, journalist and poet *

Samih al-Qasim Samīħ al-Qāsim al Kaissy ( ar, سميح القاسم; he, סמיח אל קאסם; 1939 – August 19, 2014) was a Palestinian Druze poet with Israeli citizenship whose work is well known throughout the Arab world. He was born in Transjordan ...

, a Palestinian Druze poet *

Ayman Safadi Ayman Safadi (Arabic: أيمن الصفدي ''ʾayman aṣ-ṣafadī'') (born 15 January 1962) is a Jordanian politician who serves as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Safadi is a member of the Jordanian Druze community. ...

, a Jordanian politician who serves as Deputy Prime Minister and

Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between coun ...

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Abu Musab al-Zarqawi ( ar, أَبُو مُصْعَبٍ ٱلزَّرْقَاوِيُّ, ', ''Father of Musab, from Zarqa''; ; October 30, 1966 – June 7, 2006), born Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal al-Khalayleh (, '), was a Jordanian jihadist who ran a t ...

, leader of

Al-Qaeda in Iraq Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI; ar, القاعدة في العراق, al-Qā'idah fī al-ʿIrāq) or Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia ( ar, القاعدة في بلاد الرافدين, al-Qā'idah fī Bilād ar-Rāfidayn), officially known as ''Tanzim Qaidat a ...

References

External links

Zarka Chamber of Industry

Zarqa Discussion Forum

Photos of Zarqa
at the

American Center of Research The American Center of Research (ACOR) is a private, not-for-profit scholarly and educational organization. Based in Alexandria, Virginia, with a facility in Amman, Jordan, ACOR promotes knowledge of Jordan and the interconnected region, past and ...

{{Authority control Municipalities in Jordan Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan Populated places in Zarqa Governorate