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Balqa Governorate محافظة البلقاء | |
|---|---|
 The city ofAl-Salt is the capital of Balqa Governorate | |
 Balqa Governorate in Jordan | |
| Country | Jordan |
| Capital | Salt |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Nayef Al-Hidayat |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,120 km2 (430 sq mi) |
| Population (2012) | |
• Total | 428,000 |
| • Density | 382/km2 (990/sq mi) |
| Time zone | GMT +2 |
| • Summer (DST) | +3 |
| Area code | +(962)5 |
| Urban | 71.8% |
| Rural | 28.2% |
| HDI (2021) | 0.716[1] high ·4th of 12 |
Balqa' (Arabic:البلقاءAl Balqā’) is one of thegovernorates of Jordan. It is located northwest ofAmman, Jordan's capital.
The governorate has the fourth largest population of the 12 governorates of Jordan, and is ranked 10th by area. It has the third highest population density in the kingdom afterIrbid Governorate andJerash Governorate.
The "Balqa" historically referred to the entire area of the eastern plateau of theJordan Valley as early as the 7th century whenHeraclius' brotherTheodore fought anearly campaign against the Arabs on the approaches to southern Syria.[2] During biblical times, the southern part of Balqa was known as thePlains of Moab.[citation needed]
DuringWorld War I, the British army led by GeneralEdmund Allenby entered Salt on 24 March 1918, in theBattles for Amman campaign, marking the end of a 500-yearOttoman rule.[citation needed]
On March 21, 1968, the town ofKarameh nearShouna al-Janubiyya was the site ofBattle of Karameh, between Israel on one side, and Jordan andPalestinian forces (Fatah,PLO) on the other side. It was one of the largest military confrontations of theWar of Attrition, in the period between theSix-Day War of 1967 and theYom Kippur War of 1973.
The capital of the Balqa' Governorate isSalt. Other cities and towns in the governorate areMahis,Fuhais and Ain Al-Basha.
| Department | Arabic name | population (2004) | Administrative Center | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capital Department (Al-Qasaba) | لواء قصبة اﻟﺴﻠﻂ | 109,877 | Salt |
| 2 | Ash-Shunah al-Janubiyah District [ar] | ﻟﻮاء اﻟﺸﻮﻧﺔ اﻟﺠﻨﻮﺑﻴﺔ | 38,757 | Shuna al-Janubiyya |
| 3 | Deir Alla District | ﻟﻮاء دﻳﺮ ﻋﻼ | 46,481 | Deir Alla |
| 4 | Ain Al Basha District | ﻟﻮاء ﻋﻴﻦ اﻟﺒﺎﺷﺎ | 128,949 | Ain Al-Basha |
| 5 | Mahis and Fuheis District | ﻟﻮاء ﻣﺎﺣﺺ واﻟﻔﺤﻴﺺ | 22,290 | Mahis |
Thepopulation of districts according tocensus results:[4]
| District | Population (Census 1994) | Population (Census 2004) | Population (Census 2015) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balqa Governorate | 276,082 | 346,354 | 491,709 |
| 'Aīn al-Bāshā | ... | 128,949 | 176,726 |
| Ash-Shūnah al-Janūbīyah | 33,598 | 38,757 | 52,714 |
| Dīr 'Allā | 39,538 | 46,481 | 73,477 |
| Māḥeṣ & al-Fuḥaīṣ | ... | 22,290 | 36,670 |
| Qaṣabah as-Salṭ | ... | 109,877 | 152,122 |
Due to its fertile mountains, the governorate's economy is based on agriculture, as well as industry, such as the cement factory inFuheis, run by Jordan Cement Factories Ltd - Lafarge, and pharmaceutical companies including theArab Pharmaceutical Manufacturing company.
There are two universities in the governorate:Balqa Applied University (BAU), located near the Salt ring road, andAl-Ahliyya Amman University (AAU) located on the main highway betweenAmman andSalt. It is also home to theSESAME facility, the first research facility of its type in the Middle East.
Places adjacent to Balqa Governorate | |
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| North Region | ||
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| Central Region | ||
| South Region | ||
| Geographic | |
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| Other | |
