Amman is an exceptionally young city to be the centre of a country – for less than a century it has been the capital of Jordan, and while that may not be so unusual, the growth is. Till 1906 it was inhabited by no more than 5,000 people of whom none spoke Arabic (according to Wikipedia), in 1930s its population was 10,000, while now, 8 decades later, it has grown to 4 million (according to the mayor of Amman) which constitute 62% of the whole population of Jordan. Due to migrants and refugees Amman has grown so rapidly that it has not had time to catch up with its own expansion – green areas and public spaces are rare, transport options are very few. When walking around you can see how Amman seems to have erupted over its 19 hills, but you can also see how it is beginning to evolve into something more than just a large residential area.
by Sara
European Voluntary Service 