Ajloun Governorate (alternative spelling Ajlun Governorate) ( ar, محافظة عجلون) is one of the

governorates A governorate is an administrative division of a state. It is headed by a governor. As English-speaking nations tend to call regions administered by governors either State (administrative division), states or province, provinces, the term ''govern ...

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

, located north of

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 ...

the capital of Jordan. Ajloun Governorate has the fourth highest population density in Jordan (after

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 ...

Jerash Jerash ( ar, جرش ''Ǧaraš''; grc, Γέρασα ''Gérasa'') is a city in northern Jordan. The city is the administrative center of the Jerash Governorate, and has a population of 50,745 as of 2015. It is located north of the capital city ...

, and Balqa Governorates) with a

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

of 350.1 people/km² (2012 estimate). It is bordered by

Jerash Governorate Jerash Governorate ( ar, محافظة جرش) is one of 12 governorates in Jordan. It is located in the northwestern side of the country. The capital of the governorate is the city of Jerash. Jerash Governorate has the smallest area of the 12 ...

from the south east and

Irbid Governorate Irbid or Irbed ( ar, إربد) is a governorate in Jordan, located north of Amman, the country's capital. The capital of the governorate is the city of Irbid. The governorate has the second largest population in Jordan after Amman Governorate, an ...

from the north and west.

Administrative divisions

Article 14 of the Administrative Divisions System of the Ministry of Interior divides Ajloun Governorate into two departments. * Capital Department: includes 50 towns and villages, with its administrative center in Ajloun. * Kofranjah Department: includes 19 towns and villages, its administrative center is in Kofranjah.

History

During the

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...

, a general of Saladin, Izz Al-Din Osama, built a fortress on Mount Ouff. The region also hosts the famous

Ajlun Castle Ajloun Castle ( ar, قلعة عجلون; transliterated: Qalʻat 'Ajloun), medieval name Qalʻat ar-Rabad, is a 12th-century Muslim castle situated in northwestern Jordan. It is placed on a hilltop belonging to the Mount Ajloun district, also ...

(previously called Qal'at Salah Ad-Dein). The castle was built as a garrison structure to protect Ajloun's strategic location from crusaders. Along with Balqa and Karak governorates, Ajloun was formerly a united

sanjak Sanjaks (liwāʾ) (plural form: alwiyāʾ) * Armenian language, Armenian: նահանգ (''nahang''; meaning "province") * Bulgarian language, Bulgarian: окръг (''okrǔg''; meaning "county", "province", or "region") * el, Διοίκησι� ...

of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

Climate

Ajloun is known for its high elevation, which makes it one of the coolest cities in Jordan, with an average maximum temperature during January of 8.2 degrees Celsius, and a minimum average temperature of 2.8 degrees Celsius. Snow is common during the winter.

Demographics

The

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of districts according to

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

results:

Economy

The governorate depends mainly on agriculture. In 2008, olive, grape and fruit farms constituted a total area of 141.4 km² which is 34% of the area of Ajloun Governorate.

Education

There are 28 primary and secondary schools in Ajloun, most of them being public institutions, such as Ajloun University College (a public college) and Ajloun National University, a small private university.

Major villages

The most notable towns and villages in Ajloun (other than Ajloun self) are Ibbeen (Ebeen), Sakhra, Mrajjam,

Rasoun Rasoun Village is located in the Ajloun Governorate in northern Jordan. It is known as a beautiful tourist area in Jordan and is characterized by nature scenery. It is approximately 8 kilometers from Ajloun via a road characterized by green mo ...

Ain Janna Ain Janna (Arabic: عين جنّا) is a village located in the Ajloun Governorate in the north-western part of Jordan. The name is Arabic for ''Spring of Paradise'': Ain is a ''spring'' (of water), and Janna is ''Paradise''. The name was being hi ...

, Kufranji, Anjara and

Al Hashimiyya Al Hashimiyya (; ar, الهاشمية ) (formerly ''Fara'', or ''Farah'') is a village in the Ajloun Governorate of north-western Jordan. The village is located 7 km northwest of Ajloun, 22 km south of Irbid and 108 km north ...

Gallery

File:Hashimiyya 3 mosques view.jpg, The town of

in Ajloun Governorate File:Al Wahadina.jpg, The town of

Al Wahadinah Al Wahadinah (الوهادنه), Khirbet Mar Elias or Khirbet al Wahadneh is a village in the Ajloun Governorate, Jordan. Along with Al Hashimiyya and Halawah, it makes up the Ash Shefa Municipality. It has a large Christian population and cont ...

File:Ajlun Green.jpg, Forests surround Ajloun File:Ajlun nahias.png, Nahias of Ajloun File:Maiser View2.jpg, Olive farms in a village in Ajloun

References

Governorates of Jordan {{Jordan-geo-stub