Ruwaished

Ruwaished is a toun in the far east o Jordan. Admeenistratively it belangs tae Mafraq Govrenorate. It haes a population o 14,400 (2010 estimate). Ruwaished is the farthest Jordanian dounset tae the east. The Karameh Border Crossin atween Jordan an Iraq admeenistratively belangs tae the Ruwaished Depairtment. Efter the war on Iraq in 2003, aboot 800 refugees fled frae Iraq tae the Jordanian border, maistly Palestinians an Somalis, whaur they wur allocatit in the Ruwaished Refugee Camp in the Nae man's laund atween Jordan an Iraq. Geografie The toun is located in Mafraq Govrenorate aboot 240 km tae the east o Amman. Ruwaished haes a desert climate wi an average annual precipitation o 82.9 mm. Aboot aicht wadis converge in the plains of Ruwaished, makkin it the seicont lairgest watter basin in the northren desert region efter Azraq. The watter floods frae these wadis in the winter compensate for the law annual precipitation rate o Ruwaished. The toun is at an elevation o 683 metres abuin sea level. It is locatit on the desert heich-gate connectin Jordan tae Iraq an aw. The toun haes a strategic importance frae its location as a rest aurie for travelers tae an frae Iraq. Thare is a militar airport in Ruwaished an aw. History It is no kent exactly whan wis the Ruwaished basin first inhibitit, housomeivver existin Roman watter dams, such as the Burqu Dam, indicate that the basin haes been uised as a traffic stop bi the Roman an Byzantine imperial airmies, an markit the eastren borders o the Byzantine empire, or wis pairt o the Roman vassal states. Durin the Iraq War in 2003, Ruwaished came tae warld attention, as tens o media correspondents uised it as a base for their coverage o the war. Demografics The Jordan Naitional Census o 2004 showed that the toun o Ruwaished haed a population o 12,098, o whom 55.5% wur males an 44.5% females. Anerlie 67.5% o the population wur Jordanian citizens. Amang the Jordanian citizens, 53.4% wur males, while males made up 58% o the foreign naitionals . Economy Agricultur constitutes the backbone o the toun's economy. Due tae its location in plains whaur aicht wadis converge, thare are several dams built in the Ruwaished basin, tae efficiently utilize the winter floods in the wadis: North Ruwaished (Abu Alsafa) Dam: haes a capacity o 10.3 million m3. Burqu Dam: Oreeginally a Roman built dam an still in uise, haes a capacity o aboot 4 million m3. Shaalan Dam: haes a capacity o 1 million m3. Alrisha Alsharqiyya Dam: haes a capacity o 2 million m3. Hadlat Dam: The lairgest dam wi a capacity o 20 million m3. Raqban Dam Buwaidha Dam See an aw Karameh Border Crossin Mafraq Govrenorate References