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Surrounded by the deserts of the Middle East, Jordan has just 26 km (16 miles) of maritime coastline on the Gulf of Aqaba. The vast majority of the population lives in the northwest, on the east bank of the River Jordan. Jordan ceded its claim to the West Bank of the river to the aspiring Palestinian state in 1988. Tourism, associated with important historical sites such as Petra, and phosphates are the mainstays of the economy.