Zarqa Governorate
| Zarqa Governorate (محافظة الزرقاء) | |
| Governorate | |
 Zarqa Governorate
|
|
| Country | Jordan |
|---|---|
| Cities | Russeifa, Azraq |
| Capital | Zarqa |
| - coordinates | 32°05′N 36°06′E / 32.083°N 36.100°E |
| Area | 4,761 km2 (1,838 sq mi) |
| Population | 951,800 (2012) |
| Density | 199.9/km2 (518/sq mi) |
| Governor | Hamid Alsheyyab |
| Timezone | GMT +2 |
| - summer (DST) | +3 |
| Area code | +(962)5 |
| Urban | 94.5% |
| Rural | 5.5% |
Zarqa Governorate (Arabic محافظة الزرقاء Muħāfazat az-Zarqāʔ, local dialects ez-Zergā or ez-Zer'a) is the third largest governorate in Jordan by population. The capital of Zarqa governorate is Zarqa City, which is the largest city in the governorate. It is located 25 km east of the Jordanian capital Amman. The second largest city in the governorate is Russeifa.
Zarqa Governorate hosts the largest military and air bases for the Jordan armed forces in the kingdom.
The land of Zarqa Governorate has been inhabited since the Bronze Age, most prominent were the Ammonite kingdom and the Nabateans, who constructed the fort known as Qasr al Hallabat, which then was used as a fort by the Romans, and then as a desert palace by the Umayyads. The most significant historical remains are the Umayyad desert palaces, such as Qasr Amra, a World Heritage site, Qasr al Hallabat, Qasr Shabib in the center of the city of Zarqa, as well as the Castle of Azraq.
After the construction of the Hedjaz railway by the Ottoman Turks at the beginning of the 1900s, Zarqa became a strategically important hub that connects Damascus to Medina, the cities along the railway started flourishing. Later, Jordan's Arab Legion led by Glubb Pasha had its main bases in Zarqa.
Zarqa Governorate borders Mafraq Governorate from the north and north east, Amman Governorate from the south and south west, Jerash and Balqa Governorates from the west. It also shares an international border with Saudi Arabia in its south eastern edge. Most of the area covered by the governorate constitutes part of the Syrian desert plateau. the heavily populated western regions of the governorate constitute part of the Zarqa River basin. The two cities of Zarqa and Russeifa are the second and fourth largest cities in Jordan.
...
Wikipedia