CHICAGO, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of digital map, traffic and location data for in-vehicle, portable, wireless and enterprise solutions has launched a navigable map of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Offering full coverage stretching from the elegance of Amman in the north to the magnificent landscape of Wadi Rum and the coastal city of Aqaba in the South, the new map includes over 28,000 kilometres of Jordan's expanding road network and, very importantly, over 13,000 of the Points of Interest (POIs) which are so key to navigation in this country.

With mail delivered to post office boxes, street addresses rarely used and most places of interest (such as government buildings, hotels and restaurants) in Jordanian cities and towns well known, directions are usually given based on nearby landmarks. With its usual attention to local detail, NAVTEQ has therefore included a particularly wide range of POIs which can be used as destinations. The commonly used 1st to 8th Circle names for the central jabal junctions have also been retained but NAVTEQ has also added the alternative official names where they are available.

This type of country specific nuance underlines the importance of driving the roads when collecting and coding complex data. Jordan was covered by a team from over 1,000 NAVTEQ geographic analysts located around the world, who, as part of the verification process, drive and sometimes walk millions of kilometres each year building and refining the database using proprietary software and tools.

With all names in both Arabic and English, the map database also includes the major tourist destinations such as Aqaba, Petra, Jerash, the Dead Sea Resort Hotels and historic landmarks in downtown Amman. As NAVTEQ foresees a strong demand for new content and database developments in Jordan, the company has already added speed limits, a recent addition to its core map.

"As Jordan continues to grow rapidly as both a commercial centre and tourist destination, it became an increasing priority to add the country in detail to our map database," explained Frank Pauli, Vice President EMEA Map and Content Products, NAVTEQ. "A government agreement has enabled us to market the map globally and respond to increasing demand from customers in the Middle East and around the world."

NAVTEQ is committed to continuing expansion of its coverage in the region which, addition to Jordan, currently includes UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.

About NAVTEQ

NAVTEQ is the leading global provider of digital map, traffic and location data that enables navigation and location-based platforms around the world. NAVTEQ supplies comprehensive digital map information to power automotive navigation systems, portable and wireless devices, Internet-based mapping applications and government and business solutions. The Chicago-based company was founded in 1985 and has approximately 4000 employees located in 190 offices in 39 countries.

NAVTEQ and MapCare are trademarks in the U.S. and other countries. All rights reserved.

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SOURCE NAVTEQ

Web site: http://www.navteq.com/