Balqa Governorate
| Balqa Governorate (محافظة البلقاء) | |
| Governorates of Jordan | |
 Balqa Governorate in Jordan | |
| Country | Jordan |
|---|---|
| Subdivisions | 5
|
| Cities | Fuheis, Mahis, Deir Alla |
| Capital | Salt. |
| - coordinates | 32°02′0″N 35°44′0″E / 32.03333°N 35.73333°E |
| Area | 1,120 km2 (432 sq mi) |
| Population | 428,000 (2012) |
| Density | 382 / km2 (989 / sq mi) |
| Governor | Fawaz Irsheidat |
| Timezone | GMT +2 |
| - summer (DST) | +3 |
| Area code | +(962)5 |
| Urban | 71.8% |
| Rural | 28.2% |
Balqa' (Arabic: البلقاء Al Balqā’) is one of the governorates of Jordan. It is located northwest of Amman, 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 after Irbid Governorate and Jerash Governorate.
History
The historical name Balqa' was applied to the entire area of the eastern plateau of the Jordan valley as early as the 7th century when Heraclius’ brother Theodore fought an early campaign against the Arabs on the approaches to southern Syria.[1] During World War I, the British army led by General Allenby entered Salt on 24th of March 1918, in the Battles for Amman campaign, marking the end of a 500-year Ottoman rule.
On March 21, 1968, the town of Karameh near Shouna al-Janubiyya was the site of Battle of Karameh, between Israel and Jordan, which was one of the largest military confrontations in the period between the Six-day War in 1967, and Yom-Kippur War in 1973.
Administrative Divisions
The capital of the Balqa' Governorate is Salt. Other cities and towns in the governorate are Mahis, Fuhais and Ain Al Basha.
| Department | Arabic name | population (2004) | Administrative Center | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capital Department (Al-Qasaba) | لواء قصبة اﻟﺴﻠﻂ | 109,877 | Salt |
| 2 | Shuna al-Janubiyya Department | ﻟﻮاء اﻟﺸﻮﻧﺔ اﻟﺠﻨﻮﺑﻴﺔ | 38,757 | Shuna al-Janubiyya |
| 3 | Deir Alla Department | ﻟﻮاء دﻳﺮ ﻋﻼ | 46,481 | Deir Alla |
| 4 | Ain Al Basha Department | ﻟﻮاء ﻋﻴﻦ اﻟﺒﺎﺷﺎ | 128,949 | Ain Al Basha |
| 5 | Mahis and Fuheis Department | ﻟﻮاء ﻣﺎﺣﺺ واﻟﻔﺤﻴﺺ | 22,290 | Mahis |
Economy
Due to its fertile mountains, the governorate's economy is based on agriculture, and a light industry, mainly the Cement factory in Fuheis by the Jordan Cement Factories Ltd- Lafarge. Some pharmaceutical industries are based in Salt, such as the Arab Pharmaceutical Manufacturing company.
There are 2 universities in the governorate of Balqa, Balqa Applied University (BAU) located near the Salt Ringroad and Al-Ahliyya Amman University (AAU) located on the main highway between Amman and Salt.
References
- ↑ Howard-Johnston, James, Witnesses to a World Crisis: Historians and Histories of the Middle East in the Seventh Century, Oxford University Press, 2010, p. 373
- ↑ 2004 Census
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Irbid Governorate | Ajloun Governorate | Jerash Governorate | |
 West Bank |
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Zarqa Governorate | ||
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| Madaba Governorate | Amman Governorate |
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