Jordan or officially the Hamita Kingdom of Jordan is an Asian country located in the Middle East. From the north, the country borders with Syria, from the northeast - with Iraq, in the east and south - with Saudi Arabia, in the southwest - with the Red, and in the west with the Dead Sea, Israel and Palestine. The capital Amman is the largest city in Jordan by population.
General information about the state
The Kingdom of Jordan was created as a result of the division of the Middle East between France and Great Britain after the First World War. In 1946, the country gained sovereignty and independence and became known as the Hamita Kingdom of Transjordan. During the Arab-Israeli war in 1948, Abdullah I assumed the title of King of Jordan and Palestine.
The political system of Jordan is a constitutional monarchy, in which the king (currently Abdullah II) has broad executive and legislative powers. The population of Jordan has a fairly high human development index due to broad economicfreedoms compared to the countries that surround Jordan. Since 2010, the country has been considered a free zone for European trade. Jordan is a founding member of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
The design of the flag of Jordan is dedicated to the uprising of the Arabs during the First World War against the Turkish occupation. The motto of the country is the phrase: "God, Motherland and King".
A Brief History of Jordan
The history of this country begins around 2000 BC, when Semitic Amorites came to its territory and settled on the banks of the Jordan River. Subsequently, the country's territory was subjected to a series of conquests by the Egyptians, Israelites, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders and Turks. The Turkish Empire controlled the territory of Jordan literally until the beginning of the 20th century.
During the First World War, Britain and France took advantage of Arab nationalism and supported the uprising of the Arabs against the Turks and Germans. As a result, the Ottoman Empire after the war was divided between the European powers: Great Britain and France, which established the form of government in modern Jordan. Jordan has existed as a semi-autonomous emirate under British rule since 1922.
The 20th century was marked by Jordan's independence from Great Britain in 1946, followed by a series of wars with Israel that ended in a peace agreement in 1994.
During the 20th century, Jordan maintained good relations with the surrounding countries: Palestine, Egypt, Iraq,Syria, entering into various alliances with them. From 2012 to 2013, after the outbreak of hostilities in Syria, about 600,000 people took refuge in Jordan. This figure is about 10% of Jordan's population.
Political structure
The system of government in Jordan is a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral National Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives (150 deputies) and the Senate (75 members appointed by the king). The King, together with the Council of Ministers, represents the executive branch. Any law must be approved by the king before coming into force, however, his vote can be annulled if more than 2/3 of the members of the National Assembly vote against his decision.
The tasks of the Senate are the approval, amendment or rejection of bills proposed by the House of Representatives. In turn, the king appoints and dismisses judges, approves amendments to laws, declares war, and is the supreme commander of the Jordanian armed forces. Under his auspices, the issuance of money, decisions of judges and the Cabinet of Ministers are also carried out. The king appoints governors in all 12 provinces of the country.
Currently, the country's king is Abdullah II, who in 1999 inherited the throne from his father, Hussein ibn Talal.
Administrative division of the country
Jordan is divided into 12 provinces, the names of which are given below:
- Amman;
- Irbid;
- Zarka;
- Al Balqa;
- Al Mafraq;
- Al Karak;
- Harash;
- Madaba;
- Ajlun;
- Aqaba;
- Maan;
- At Tafilah.
The largest provinces in terms of area are Ma'an (33,163 square kilometers) and Al Mafraq (26,435 square kilometers). The total area of the country is 89,342 km22.
As for the population of the country of Jordan, it should be said that most people live in the province of Amman (more than 4.4 million), as well as in the provinces of Irbid and Zarqa (approximately 1 million people each). These three governorates, together with Al Balqa and Ajlun, have the highest population density, which ranges from 200 to 600 people per square kilometer. The lowest population density in Jordan is found in the governorates of Al Mafraq, Ma'an and Aqaba, where the corresponding figures lie in the range of 3-20 people per square kilometer.
Demography of the country
According to 2011 estimates, Jordan's population exceeds 6,321,000. About 70% of them live in cities. Less than 6% of the population leads a nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyle. The population of Jordan is mostly concentrated in areas where rainfall allows for agriculture. A large number of Palestinians live in this country (about 1.7 million). Only 4 cities in Jordan exceed the 200,000 mark in terms of population. These include the following cities:
- capital Amman (more than 1.2 million);
- Zarqa (over 460 thousand);
- Russeif (more than 330 thousand);
- Irbid (over 300 thousand).
The country's birth rate is 2.55 children per woman, but child mortality is high in Jordan (16.16 deaths per 1,000 babies). Jordan's population is growing at a rate of 2.4% per year. Life expectancy is 74.1 years, with women living an average of 75.5 years and men 72.7 years.
Religion and official language
The population of Jordan is 98% Arabs, but other peoples also live on its territory: Chechens, Armenians, Kurds, etc. The official religion of the country is Islam, which is practiced by 93.5% of the inhabitants. About 4.1% are Christians, mostly Orthodox. There are no religious conflicts in the country, and Christmas is a national holiday for all Jordanians.
The official language of the country is Arabic, but English is widely spoken among the commercial and government sectors. Many schools in Jordan also teach French.
Jordan Economy
Jordan is a small country with limited resources. Currently, the main problem is the limited supply of fresh water. Energy resources are also scarce in Jordan, so since the 1990s it has covered its needs by importing oil from Iraq and other neighboring countries. In 2003, construction was completed on a gas pipeline that runs from Egypt to Jordan's southern port city of Aqaba.
Since the 2000s, the country has been producing a large number of textile products for export, as well asfocused on the development of information technology and tourism. These three directions are the main engine of its economy at present.
The country has a very high unemployment rate, which at the beginning of the 2000s was 40.5% of the working-age population of the country of Jordan. As of 2016, this figure has decreased, but still remains high. According to various estimates, the unemployment rate in Jordan is between 20% and 30% of the working population.
Tourism in Jordan
Tourism is a key sector of Jordan's economy. Due to the stability of the political situation in the country, its warm climate and rich history, the state is an attractive tourist destination. The main tourist activities in the country are visiting various historical buildings, virgin natural places, as well as getting to know the culture and traditions of the state.
The most attractive city in Jordan from a tourist point of view is Petra, which is located in the valley. You can get into it only through a mountain gorge. Many buildings of the city date back to the 2nd century AD and are made in the rocks. Among these buildings are the Treasury of Petra and the monastery of Deir. Petra is considered one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World.
Also in Jordan many tourists are attracted by Gerasa and Gadara, which are two old Roman cities that were once part of the Eastern Roman Empire. These cities have many buildings thatexhibit Roman architecture from the 1st century AD.
Dead and Red Seas
Besides historical monuments, tourists can enjoy in Jordan its unique natural places. One of them is the Dead Sea, which is 411 meters below sea level and continues to dry up rapidly. It is a large lake, the concentration of potassium and magnesium s alts in which exceeds 60 g per liter. S alt water allows a person to swim with little to no effort and also has therapeutic properties.
Another amazing place is the port city of Aqaba, which stands on the shores of the Red Sea. Here, tourists are offered magnificent and equipped beaches, which are famous not only for their warm water, but also for the opportunity to do underwater tourism due to the presence of many corals in the coastal zone.
