๐ฏ๐ด Irbid, known in ancient times as Arabella or Arbela, is the capital and largest city of the Irbid Governorate. It also has the second largest metropolitan population in Jordan. Irbid is located about 70 km north of Amman on the northern ridge of the Gilead, equidistant from Pella, Beit Ras, and Um Qais, and approximately 20 km south of the Syrian border.
Irbid was built on successive Early Bronze Age settlements and was possibly the biblical Beth Arbel and the Arbila of the Decapolis, a Hellenistic league of the 1st century BCE through the 2nd century CE. The population of Irbid swelled in the late 19th century, and prior to 1948 it served as a significant centre of transit trade.
Irbid is the second largest metropolitan in Jordan by population after Amman. But as a city Irbid is the third largest one after Amman and Zarqa. The province of Irbid Governorate has the second largest population, and the highest population density in the kingdom.
The city is a major ground transportation hub between Amman, Syria to the north, and Mafraq to the east.
The Irbid region is also home to several colleges and universities. The two most prominent universities are Jordan University of Science and Technology and Yarmouk University.
Irbid today combines the bustle of a provincial Middle Eastern town and the youthful nightlife of a typical college town. The city is home to four major universities: Yarmouk University, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid National University and Jadara University. In addition, it is home for two campuses of Balqa Applied University and several private colleges. University Street, which defines the western border of the Yarmouk University campus, is popular with locals as well as with the occasional foreign visitors who stop by to relax in any of its numerous restaurants and cafรฉs that open late into the night.
Though not usually a major tourist destination itself, Irbid is home to two notable museums: the Museum of Jordanian Heritage and the Jordan Natural History Museum, both on the campus of Yarmouk University. Furthermore, Irbid's strategic location in northern Jordan makes it a convenient starting point for tourists interested in seeing the northern Jordan Valley; visiting Umm Qais, Beit Ras (Capitolias), Pella, Ajloun, Umm el-Jimal, La Foossi baitaras and other historical sites; or travelling on to Syria.
Irbid is divided into 23 city districts forming smaller cities within the metropolitan sphere of influence of Irbid.
Economy Most of the city's economy is based on the services sector, that is directly or indirectly related to the higher education institutions in the city, as an example there are 26 book publishing companies in the city. The number of internet cafes per capita is the highest in the world that took Irbid to the Guinness Book of World Records. Irbid is considered the cultural capital of Jordan. There is one Qualifying Industrial Zone in Irbid.
Education As of 2007, there were 70,000 registered students in Irbid's 10 universities, community colleges and institutes, of whom 8,000 were international students from 47 countries. This high concentration of institutions of higher education has played a key role in carving a unique identity of the city. The largest universities in Irbid are: โข Yarmouk University โข Jordan University of Science and Technology โข Irbid National University โข Al-Balqa` Applied University (Irbid campus) โข Jadara University.
Irbid has a population of over 569,068 people. Irbid also forms the centre of the wider Irbid Governorate which has a population of over 1,770,000 people.
To set up a UBI Lab for Irbid see: https://www.ubilabnetwork.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/UBILabNetwork
Twin Towns, Sister Cities Irbid has links with:
๐น๐ท Gaziantep, Turkey ๐ท๐ด Iaศi, Romania ๐จ๐ณ Zhengzhou, China๐ต๐ฐ Mandi Bahauddin 32.567
๐บ๐ธ Warner Robins 32.6
๐บ๐ธ Bossier City 32.526
๐ฎ๐ฑ Umm al-Fahm 32.517
๐ฏ๐ต Yatsushiro 32.5
๐ฒ๐ฆ Fquih Ben Salah 32.5
Locations Near: Irbid 35.8417,32.5593
๐ธ๐พ Daraa 36.11,32.626 d: 26.2
๐ฏ๐ด Jerash 35.883,32.267 d: 32.8
๐ฏ๐ด Deir Alla 35.6,32.183 d: 47.6
๐ธ๐พ Izra 36.233,32.833 d: 47.7
๐ฎ๐ฑ Nof HaGalil 35.334,32.709 d: 50.4
๐ฎ๐ฑ Safad 35.483,32.95 d: 54.9
๐ฏ๐ด Salt 35.733,32.033 d: 59.4
๐ฏ๐ด Al-Salt 35.733,32.033 d: 59.4
Antipodal to: Irbid -144.158,-32.559
๐ต๐ซ Papeete -149.566,-17.537 d: 18258.9
๐ฆ๐ธ Pago Pago -170.701,-14.279 d: 16646.5
๐น๐ด Nuku'alofa -175.216,-21.136 d: 16698
๐ผ๐ธ Apia -171.76,-13.833 d: 16528.1
๐บ๐ธ Hilo -155.089,19.725 d: 14086.2
๐บ๐ธ Maui -156.446,20.72 d: 13948.3
๐บ๐ธ Kahului -156.466,20.891 d: 13929.3
๐บ๐ธ Wailuku -156.505,20.894 d: 13928.1
๐บ๐ธ Maui County -156.617,20.868 d: 13928.4