Zarqa مدينة الزرقاء az-Zarqāʔ
Ceety
Az Zarqā
The Zarqa Center o Commerce
Zarqa Location in Jordan
Coordinates: 32°05′N 36°06′E / 32.083°N 36.100°E / 32.083; 36.100
Kintra	Jordan
Govrenorate	Zarqa Govrenorate
Settled	1902
Municipality	1929
Govrenment
• Teep	Municipality
• Mayor	Engineer Emad Almomani
Area
• Total	60 km2 (20 sq mi)
Elevation	619 m (2,031 ft)
Population  (2004)
• Total	395,227
Time zone	UTC+2 (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (UTC+3)
Area code(s)	+(962)5
Website	http://www.zm.gov.jo

Zarqa (Arabic: الزرقاء‎; BGN: Az Zarqāʼ; local pronunciation ez-Zergā, ez-Zer'a, or ez-Zarka) is a ceety in Jordan locatit tae the northeast o Amman. Zarqa is the caipital o Zarqa Govrenorate (Arabic Muhāfazat az-Zarqā). Its name means "the blue ane".

Zarqa is Jordan's industrial centre, hame taw ower 50% o Jordanian factories. The growthe o industry in the ceety is the result o law real estate costs an proximity tae the caipital, Amman. The ceety o Zarqa wis established bi immigrants frae the Caspian Sea region at the beginnin o the twintiet century, initially on the banks o the Zarqa River, the population grew steadily wi the construction o the Hejaz railway bi the Ottomans. The bases o the Jordanian airmy, umwhile caeed the Arab Legion, wur locatit in Zarqa.

The first dounset in the ceety wis in 1902 bi Chechen immigrants who wur displaced frae the wars atween the Ottoman an Roushie Empires. Thay settled alang the Zarqa River. At that time a station on the Hejaz railway wis biggit in the new dounset, this railway station turned Zarqa intae an important hub. On Aprile 10, 1905 the Ottoman govrenor issued a decree that alloued the Chechen immigrants tae awn lands which thay settled on. The population then quickly grew in size. On November 18, 1928 the new Jordanian govrenment issued a decree tae establish the first municipal cooncil for Zarqa.

Efter the Jordan Frontier Force wis formed in 1926, military bases wur constructit in the ceety bi the Breetish airmy, an the ceety later became kent as the "military ceety".^[1]

The ceety o Zarqa is dividit intae five destricts that aw thegither hae an aurie o aboot 60 km2, an anither twa destricts athin the radius o influence o the ceety.

A new railway will be constructit tae connect Amman wi Az-Zarqa. The project is nou bein developed bi a Spainyie engineerin company an will be peyed wi Kuwaiti funds.

Thare are three varsities in Zarqa: Hashemite University, Al-Balqa Applee'd University-Zarqa college, an Zarqa Private University.

• Railway stations in Jordan
• Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

• Zarqa Discussion Forum (in Arabic) Archived 2011-01-22 at the Wayback Machine

Coordinates: 32°05′N 36°06′E / 32.083°N 36.100°E / 32.083; 36.100