Aqaba Governorate

Aqaba Governorate (محافظة العقبة)
Governorate
The city port of Aqaba
Country	Jordan
Capital	Aqaba
- elevation	24 m (79 ft)
- coordinates	29°31′25″N 35°0′26″E / 29.52361°N 35.00722°E / 29.52361; 35.00722Coordinates: 29°31′25″N 35°0′26″E / 29.52361°N 35.00722°E / 29.52361; 35.00722
Area	6,905 km2 (2,666 sq mi)
Population	139,200 (2012)
Density	20.2/km2 (52/sq mi)
Governor	Fawaz Irshaidat
Timezone	GMT +2
- summer (DST)	+3
Area code	+(962)3
Urban	86%
Rural	14%
Location of Aqaba Governorate in Jordan

Aqaba (Arabic: العقبة al-ʻAqabah‎‎) is one of the governorates of Jordan, located south of Amman, capital of Jordan. Its capital is Aqaba. It is the fourth largest governorate in Jordan by area and is ranked 10th by population.

Aqaba, the port at the Red Sea, plays an important role in the economic life of Jordan. Two of Jordan's top three tourist destinations lie in Aqaba Governorate, Wadi Rum, and the port city of Aqaba. The port is Jordan's most important import/export hub. The industrial port lies about 15 km to the south from the beaches and the Aqaba city center.

Aqaba Governorate lies in the south western tip of Jordan, it borders Ma'an Governorate from the east, Tafilah Governorate from the north, Saudi Arabia from the south, Israel from the west, and the Gulf of Aqaba from the southwest. There are two international crossing points in Aqaba Governorate, the Durra Border Crossing and Wadi Araba crossing.

The Jordanian-Saudi border originally ran a few kilometers south of Aqaba. In 1965 the late King Hussein exchanged 12 km (7 mi) of the valuable coastal strip for areas in the desert.

The city of Aqaba was inhabited since 4000 BC, it reached its peak during the Roman era, when the Romans constructed the Via Traiana Nova route that terminates in Aqaba. Aqaba (known then as Ayla) was also the garrison of the Roman 10th Legion of the Sea Strait (Legio X Fretensis).

Aqaba was also the site of some of the adventures of Sinbad the Sailor in the famous Arabian Nights.