Karak Governorate

Karak Governorate (محافظة الكرك)
Governorate
Karak Governorate within Jordan.
Country	Jordan
Cities	Mu'tah, Rabba, Qatraneh
Capital	Al Karak
Area	3,495 km2 (1,349 sq mi)
Population	249,100 (2012)
Density	71.3 / km2 (185 / sq mi)
Timezone	UTC+2
- summer (DST)	+3
Area code	+(962)3

The Kerak crusader castle in Al Karak is one of the largest castles in the Levant region

Karak (Arabic: الكرك‎‎) is one of the governorates of Jordan, located south-west of Amman, Jordan's capital. Its capital is Al Karak. It borders Madaba and the Capital Governorates to the north, Ma'an Governorate from the east, Tafilah Governorate from the south, and the Dead Sea form the west.

History

Ancient history

The land of Karak Governorate was the home of the Kingdom of Moab, during the first mellenium B.C. Their capital and stronghold is believed to be near the city of Al Karak, which was known as the Qir of Moab.

For a brief period of time, the land of Karak Governorate came under Persian rule, and then the Nabateans took control of it, until the Romans invaded the Levant region and occupied their capital Petra. After the coming of the Byzentines, they established a vassal state ruled by the Ghassanids. The city of Mu'tah was the sight of the first clash between the Muslim Arabs and the Byzantine Empire at the Battle of Mu'tah in 629 AD.

With the coming of the Crusaders, the Principality of Kerak was established, after which Kerak was a center front between the Ayyubids and the Crusaders.

Modern history

From the 15th century until 1917, Karak was under Ottoman rule, then the Emirate of Transjordan. After the creation of the administrative governorates system in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Kerak Became a governorate on June 16, 1966 with Waheeb Al-Bitar as its first governor.

Geography

Wadi Mujib (Arnon River)

The land of Karak Governorate is situated along the south eastern coast of the Dead Sea and the mountain chain known as the Mountains of Moab. Wadi Mujib biblically known as Arnon River flows through the mountains of Karak Governorate and ends in the Dead Sea. The cities in the governorate are located at elevations ranging from over 1000 meters above sea level in the South Mazar Department to 800 meters above sea level in the northern departments to about 350 meters below sea level at Gour Al Safi Department. The governorate is connected to the rest of Jordan by two highways:

• Highway 65, also known as the Kings Highway
• Highway 15, also known as the Desert Highway

Demographics

In the year 2004, according to the Jordan National Census of that year, the population of the Karak governorate was 204,185, i.e. 4% of the population of Jordan. The male-to-female ratio was 50.6 to 49.4, Jordanian citizens made up 95.42% Among the Jordanian citizens the male-to-female ratio was 50.38 to 49.62. Of the non-Jordanians, the male-to-female ratio was 55.19 to 44.81. The estimated population as of 2010 is about 239,000. The next census is scheduled for 2014

Demographics of Karak Governorate	2004 Census	2010 Estimate
Female to Male ratio	49.4% to 50.6%	49.4% to 50.6%
Jordanian citizens to foreign nationals	95.42% to 4.58%	NA
Urban population	34.78%	35%
Rural population	65.22%	65%
Total population	204,185	238,600

Education

Mutah University is the only university in the governorate, located in the city of Mu'tah, and is one of the largest universities in Jordan by number of students.

Administrative Departments

Karak Governorate is divided into 10 departments according to article 7 of the 46th Administrative Divisions System of the year 2000:

Departments of Karak Governorate by population (2004 census)
Capital Department South Mazar Department South Aghwar Department Qasr Department Gour Al-Mazra'a Department		Department	Arabic Name	Areas	Population	Administrative Center	Faqou' Department Aii Department Moab Department Qatraneh Department Moujeb Department
	1	Capital Department (Al-Qasabah)	لواء قصبة الكرك	includes the city of Al Karak and 35 other towns and villages	64,850	Al Karak
	2	South Mazar Department	لواء المزار الجنوبي	includes 30 towns and villages	57,191	Mu'tah
	3	South Aghwar Department	لواء الاغوار الجنوبية	includes seven towns and villages	32,446	Safi
	4	Al-Qasr Department	لواء القصر	includes nine towns and villages	20,860	Rabba
	5	Gour Al-Mazra'a Department	قضاء غور المزرعة	includes six towns and villages	12,743	Gour Al-Mazra'a
	6	Faqou' Department	لواء فقوع	includes six towns and villages	12,178	Faqou'
	7	Aii Department	لواء عي	includes four towns and villages	9,711	Aii
	8	Moab Department	قضاء مؤاب	includes five towns and villages	9,692	Husseiniya
	9	Qatraneh Department	لواء القطرانة	includes four towns and villages	6,949	Qatraneh
	10	Moujeb Department	قضاء الموجب	includes five towns and villages	5,818	Mugheer
	Source: وزارة الداخلية - الأردن Jordanian ministry of interior

Nahias of Karak