Welcome to the “Hashemite Kingdom”—welcome to Jordan, an Arab nation on the east bank of the Jordan River known as a peaceful oasis in the heart of the Middle East. There are around 11 million people living here, and the capital is Amman, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The official language is Arabic, though English is very widely understood in business and tourism.

Jordan covers about 89,342 square kilometers (34,495 square miles). This means its roughly the same size as the state of Maine in the U.S., or about the same size as Portugal. Most of the country is covered by the vast Arabian Desert, but the Jordan Valley provides fertile land for farming.

The most popular sport is Football, and the national team, known as “The Chivalrous,” has seen great success in the Asian Cup. Their national animal is the Arabian Oryx, a beautiful white antelope with long, straight horns that was successfully brought back from the brink of extinction.

The flag consists of three horizontal stripes of black, white, and green with a red triangle on the left containing a seven-pointed white star, where the black, white, and green represent the historical Arab caliphates, the red stands for the Hashemite dynasty, and the seven points of the star represent the seven verses of the opening surah of the Quran.

The food is a celebration of hospitality and rich Mediterranean flavors. You must try Mansaf, the national dish, which consists of tender lamb cooked in a sauce of fermented dried yogurt (jameed) and served over a large tray of rice and flatbread. Another favorite is Maqluba, which literally means “upside-down,” a pot of meat, rice, and fried vegetables that is flipped over before serving. Jordan is also famous for its street food, particularly hot falafel and creamy hummus drizzled with local olive oil.

Jordan is home to Petra, the “Rose City,” an ancient Nabataean capital carved directly into vibrant red sandstone cliffs and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. You can also visit the Dead Sea, the lowest point on dry land, where the water is so buoyant you can float while reading a newspaper. For movie fans, the desert of Wadi Rum, with its red sands and towering rock formations, has served as the backdrop for films like The Martian and Lawrence of Arabia. Jordan is also home to Jerash, one of the best-preserved Roman provincial towns in the world, and the Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the site believed to be the location of the baptism of Jesus.

From the quiet star-filled nights in a Bedouin tent to the bustling gold souks of Amman, Jordan is a land of ancient wonders and legendary kindness. Shukran! That means “Thank you!”