Zarqa

Zarqa is a big city in Jordan.

Its name means "the blue city." It sits near a river in the northeast.

Long ago, a train station was built there. This helped the city grow. Many factories are in Zarqa now. It is a center for making things. The city also has big schools for students.

It is a very busy place to live.

Zarqa is a large city in northeast Jordan.

Its name means "the blue city." It sits in the Zarqa River basin. The city is near the capital, Amman.

Zarqa is the second largest city in Jordan. Many people live there. It is a very busy place.

The city grew after a train station was built.

This station was part of the Hejaz railway. Later, the British Army built military bases there. Because of this, some people call it the "military city."

Today, Zarqa is a center for industry. This means it is a place where many things are made. More than half of the factories in Jordan are in Zarqa. It has the only oil refinery in the country. The city also has three universities. One large school is Hashemite University.

Zarqa sits on big roads that connect Saudi Arabia to Syria. This helps people and goods move through the area.

Zarqa is a very large city in northeast Jordan.

Its name means "the blue city." It sits inside the Zarqa River basin. The city is located northeast of the capital, Amman.

It covers an area of 60 square kilometers. The city is quite high up, at 619 meters above sea level. The weather here is a cold semi-arid climate. This means it is often dry with most rain falling in the winter.

Many things happen in Zarqa because it is an industrial center.

More than half of all factories in Jordan are located here. This is partly because land costs are low. It is also close to the capital city. The city has Jordan's only oil refinery. In 2011, Zarqa sent over $512 million in goods out of the country. Most of these exports were leather and clothing products. Other items include chemicals, farm products, and medicines.

Zarqa has a long and busy history. People have lived in this area since the 1st century. However, the city itself was only started in 1902. Chechen immigrants founded the city after being moved by wars. They chose to settle along the river. A station on the Hejaz railway was built there at that time.

This railway station helped the new settlement grow into an important hub. In 1928, the government set up the first municipal council for the city.

Many different groups of people have called Zarqa home. The British Army built military bases there in 1926. This earned the city the nickname "the military city." The oldest Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan is also nearby. It was set up in 1949 by the Red Cross. Later, many more people arrived after the 1990–91 Gulf War. More than half of those people went to Zarqa or the nearby city of Russeifa. Today, the city has a large Palestinian population.

Zarqa is a very important place for learning and travel. It is home to three different universities. The largest one is called Hashemite University.

The city also has many secondary schools for older students. Big roads pass through the city to help people travel. One road connects Saudi Arabia with Syria. Another big road connects Amman to Baghdad. This makes the city a major spot for moving goods and people through the region.

Zarqa is a major urban center located in northeast Jordan.

It serves as the capital of the Zarqa Governorate. The city sits within the Zarqa River basin. It is located northeast of the capital city, Amman. Zarqa covers an area of 60 square kilometers. The city is situated at an elevation of 619 meters above sea level. It has a cold semi-arid climate, known as a BSk climate. This means the area is generally dry. Most of the annual precipitation falls during the winter months.

The history of the city began with the settlement of immigrants. Although people have lived in the region since the 1st century, the city was established in 1902. Chechen immigrants founded Zarqa after being displaced by wars. These wars involved the Ottoman and Russian Empires. It also included the Circassian genocide. The immigrants settled along the river. At that time, a station was built for the Hejaz railway.

This railway station transformed the new settlement into an important hub. In 1905, an Ottoman governor allowed the immigrants to own their land. This led to rapid population growth.

Zarqa has a strong connection to military history. In 1926, the Transjordan Frontier Force was formed. Following this, the British Army constructed military bases in the city. This led to Zarqa being known as the "military city." The headquarters of Jordan's Arab Legion were also located there. The city has also been shaped by movements of refugees. In 1949, the International Committee of the Red Cross set up Zarqa Camp. This is the oldest Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan. It was established after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and the Nakba. Initially, the camp used tents. Later, UNRWA replaced these with concrete shelters. Many more refugees arrived after the 1990–91 Gulf War. The Kuwaiti government expelled 250,000 Palestinians during that time. More than half of those people went to Zarqa or Russeifa.

The city is a vital part of the regional economy. Zarqa is the industrial center of Jordan. It contains more than 50% of all Jordanian factories. This growth happened because land costs are low. The city is also close to Amman. Zarqa houses Jordan's only oil refinery. In 2011, the Zarqa Governorate provided 10% of Jordan's total exports. This amount was more than US$512 million. Leather and garment products made up 52% of these exports. Other exports included chemicals, agricultural goods, and pharmaceuticals.

Transportation infrastructure is essential to the city's function.

Zarqa lies on an international highway connecting Saudi Arabia with Syria. The international Amman–Baghdad highway also passes through the city. Between 1908 and 1920, the Hejaz railway connected Zarqa to Amman and Ottoman Syria. Today, the city forms a continuous urban area with Amman and Russeifa. This creates a massive metropolitan area. The total population of this metro area is approximately 6,708,860. This makes it one of the most populous areas in the Middle East.

Education is a significant feature of the city. Zarqa is home to three different universities. The largest of these is Hashemite University. The other two are al-Balqaʼ Applied University and Zarqa University.

The city also contains various community colleges and research centers. One example is the al-Zarqa Educational & Investment center. Zarqa also has many secondary schools for older students. The Zarqa Secondary School for Boys is one of the oldest in Jordan. The city is divided into five main districts. These include the First District, Althawra Al-Arabiya, Ewajan, Zawahreh, and New Zarqa. There are also two other districts within the city's radius of influence.

Zarqa is a place with complex social and political identities. It is often described as a "marginalized" and "conservative" city. It has a large Palestinian population. The city is a stronghold for Political Islam. Many supporters of the Islamic Action Front live here. This party is the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan. The city has also been linked to significant political and conflict-related events. During the Black September conflict in 1970, five airplanes were hijacked. Three of these planes were forced to land at Dawson's Field. This was an airstrip in the desert near Zarqa.