Balqa Governorate
| Balqa Governorate (محافظة البلقاء) | |
| Governorate of Jordan | |
 Balqa Governorate in Jordan
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| Country | Jordan |
|---|---|
| Cities | Fuheis, Mahis, Deir Alla |
| Capital | Salt. |
| - coordinates | 32°02′0″N 35°44′0″E / 32.03333°N 35.73333°ECoordinates: 32°02′0″N 35°44′0″E / 32.03333°N 35.73333°E |
| Area | 1,120 km2 (432 sq mi) |
| Population | 428,000 (2012) |
| Density | 382/km2 (989/sq mi) |
| Governor | Fawaz Irsheidat |
| Timezone | GMT +2 |
| - summer (DST) | +3 |
| Area code | +(962)5 |
| Urban | 71.8% |
| Rural | 28.2% |
Balqa' (Arabic: البلقاء Al Balqā’) is one of the governorates of Jordan. It is located northwest of Amman, Jordan's capital.
The governorate has the fourth largest population of the 12 governorates of Jordan, and is ranked 10th by area. It has the third highest population density in the kingdom after Irbid Governorate and Jerash Governorate.
The historical name Balqa' was applied to the entire area of the eastern plateau of the Jordan valley as early as the 7th century when Heraclius' brother Theodore fought an early campaign against the Arabs on the approaches to southern Syria.
During World War I, the British army led by General Edmund Allenby entered Salt on 24th of March 1918, in the Battles for Amman campaign, marking the end of a 500-year Ottoman rule.
On March 21, 1968, the town of Karameh near Shouna al-Janubiyya was the site of Battle of Karameh, between Israel on one side, and Jordan and Palestinian forces (Fatah, PLO) on the other side. It was one of the largest military confrontations of the War of Attrition, in the period between the Six-Day War of 1967 and the Yom Kippur War of 1973.
The capital of the Balqa' Governorate is Salt. Other cities and towns in the governorate are Mahis, Fuhais and Ain Al Basha.
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Wikipedia