Jordan ( /ˈdʒɔːrdən/ ; Arabic : الأردن Al-Urdunn ), officially The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan ( Arabic : المملكة الأردنية الهاشمية Al-Mamlakah Al-Urdunnīyah Al-Hāshimīyah ), is an Arab kingdom in Western Asia , on the East Bank of the Jordan River . Jordan is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the east and south, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north, Israel , Palestine and the Dead Sea to the west and the Red Sea in its extreme south-west. [6] Jordan is strategically located at the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe. [7] The capital, Amman , is Jordan's most populous city as well as the country's economic, political and cultural centre. [8] Jordan is named after the Jordan River , The name Jordan appears in an anci...