The following contribution examines aspects of the physi- ography of Jordan as a basis for understanding processes and events that influence population distribution and occupational environment, both at present and in the past. This chapter provides a description of the physiography of Jordan based largely on the physiographic provinces initially erected by Bender (1968, 1974, 1975), but with some modifications. For each province it examines and compares events from a small selection of well-document- ed sites, where the nature of long-term occupation reflects strongly on the physical evolution of Jordan through time. In dealing with palaeoenvironmental reconstructions there are many difficulties in comparing the palaeohydrol- ogy and palaeoclimatology from different areas, and this is especially the case using archaeological evidence.