King Hussein's decision to name his son as his successor came as a surprise because Hussein's brother, Prince Hassan, had been designated as his heir for more than three decades. The king is said to have changed his mind in part because of his brother's behavior while Hussein was in the United States for medical treatment, notably acting as though he were about to become king. Other analysts speculate that the king wanted to ensure that his sons continue the succession of the Hashemite family.
Abdullah has pursued an identical course to that of his father, keeping the peace with Israel but not expanding relations , maintaining strong ties with the other Arab states, and aggressively cultivating the friendship of the United States. Sources: Mitchell G. NY: Alpha Books, Download our mobile app for on-the-go access to the Jewish Virtual Library. Category » Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
CIA Factbook. Palestinian Refugees in Jordan. Map of Palestine and Transjordan. Rulers of Jordan. State Department Documents. Relations with Israel.
Israel-Jordan Peace Negotiations. Treaty of Peace between Jordan and Israel. Jordanian Annexation of the West Bank. Israel's Response to Suggestion for Diplomacy with Jordan. Jerusalem Islamic Waqf.
Jordan-Israel Secret Negotiations. Jordanian Valley Development. Attack on Qibiya. Expulsion of Jewish communties in Jordan.
King Hussein's Federal Plan. Human Rights Practices. Religious Freedom. Terrorism Reports. Relations with the United States. Arms Sale to Jordan. Foreign Aid to Jordan. Foreign Relations of the United States: — King Hussein Requests U. Jordan's significance results partly from its strategic location at the crossroads of what Christians, Jews and Muslims call the Holy Land.
It is a key ally of the United States and, together with Egypt, one of only two Arab nations to have made peace with Israel. Head of state: King Abdullah II.
King Abdullah II, Jordan's monarch since , has extensive powers. He appoints governments, approves legislation, and can dissolve parliament. Over the past few years he has been facing growing demands for political reform, especially in the wake of the popular uprising in Tunisia that led to political turmoil in many Arab countries after , King Abdullah dismissed his government at the time and appointed the first of a series of prime ministers to oversee the introduction of political change, but concerns over the cost of living and income tax reform have led to regular street protests.
The Jordanian media have traditionally been under tight state control. Jordan Media City - one of the first such ventures in the region - aims to attract media investments and operates as a regional hub for satellite TV broadcasts. Capital: Amman, population 2. He serves as the chief executive and the commander-in-chief of Jordan's armed forces. The king also appoints all 60 members of one of the two houses of Parliament, the Majlis al-Aayan or "Assembly of Notables.
The other house of Parliament, the Majlis al-Nuwaab or "Chamber of Deputies," has members who are directly elected by the people. Jordan has a multi-party system, although the majority of politicians run as independents. By law, political parties can not be based on religion. Jordan's court system is independent of the king, and includes a supreme court called the "Court of Cassation," as well as several Courts of Appeal. The lower courts are divided by the types of cases they hear into civil and sharia courts.
Civil courts decide criminal matters as well as some types of civil cases, including those that involve parties from different religions. Sharia courts have jurisdiction over Muslim citizens only and hear cases involving marriage, divorce, inheritance, and charitable giving waqf. The population of Jordan is estimated at 6. As a relatively stable part of a chaotic region, Jordan plays host to enormous numbers of refugees, as well.
Almost 2 million Palestinian refugees live in Jordan, many since , and more than , of them still live in refugee camps. They have been joined by some 15, Lebanese, , Iraqis, and most recently, , Syrians.
The population growth rate is a very modest 0. Jordan's official language is Arabic. English is the most commonly used second language and is widely spoken by middle and upper-class Jordanians. Jordan has a total area of 89, square kilometers 34, square miles and is not quite landlocked. Jordan's coastline stretches just 26 kilometers, or 16 miles. To the south and east, Jordan borders on Saudi Arabia. To the west is Israel and the Palestinian West Bank. On the northern border sits Syria , while to the east is Iraq.
Eastern Jordan is characterized by desert terrain, dotted with oases. The western highland area is more suitable for agriculture and boasts a Mediterranean climate and evergreen forests. The highest point in Jordan is Jabal Umm al Dami, at 1, meters 6, feet above sea level. The lowest is the Dead Sea, at meters -1, feet. The climate shades from Mediterranean to desert moving west to east across Jordan. In the northwest, an average of about mm 20 inches or rain falls per year, while in the east the average is just mm 4.
Most of the precipitation falls between November and April and may include snow at higher elevations. The highest recorded temperature in Amman, Jordan was The lowest was -5 degrees Celsius 23 Fahrenheit. The kingdom has a small, struggling agricultural and industrial base, due in large part to its shortages of fresh water and oil. Its official unemployment rate is
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