Jordan flag
Basic facts of Jordan
Official name: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Capital: Amman
Area: 89,556 sq km, 34,578 sq mi
Population: 6,198,677 (2008 estimate)
Population growth rate: 2.34 percent (2008 estimate)
Urban/rural distribution:
Share urban 79 percent (2005 estimate)
Share rural 21 percent (2005 estimate)
Largest cities: Amman, Az Zarqā, Irbid, Al ‘Aqabah
Languages: Arabic (official), English widely understood among educated population Religious affiliations:
Muslim (Islam is the official religion; almost all Sunni Muslim) 93 percent
Christian 4 percent
Nonreligious 2 percent
Other 1 percent
Life expectancy:
Total 78.7 years (2008 estimate)
Female 81.4 years (2008 estimate)
Male 76.2 years (2008 estimate)
Literacy rate:
Total 92.4 percent (2005 estimate)
Female 87.9 percent (2005 estimate)
Male 96.5 percent (2005 estimate)
Form of government: Constitutional monarchy
Total number of military personnel: 100,500 (2004)
Introduction:
Jordan (country) or Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, kingdom in the Middle East. Its full official name is Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Arabic Al Mamlakah al Urdunniyah al Hashimiyah). The term Hashemite refers to the Jordanian monarchy’s claim of descent from Hashim, the grandfather of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam.
Jordan’s arid desert landscape and few natural resources belie its importance in the history of the modern Middle East. The territory was part of the Ottoman Empire, which was dismantled after World War I (1914-1918) and replaced, in this part of the Middle East, by British and French control. Transjordan—the territory east of the Jordan River—came under British control, as did Palestine to the west of the Jordan River. Transjordan’s status as an independent kingdom was recognized in 1946 (the kingdom’s name was changed to Jordan in 1949).
In 1947 the United Nations (UN) voted to partition Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state and to internationalize the city of Jerusalem, but that plan was rejected by the region’s Arabs. The Jewish state of Israel was nonetheless established in 1948 in Palestine. Transjordan, along with four other Arab nations, attacked Israel the same year. Following the war, Israel held western Jerusalem, while Jordanian troops held eastern Jerusalem and the West Bank. In the Six-Day War in June 1967, Israel conquered East Jerusalem and the West Bank. JordanWest Bank. continued to claim the West Bank until 1988 when, in response to mass Palestinian uprisings and Palestinian claims to self-determination, Jordanian king Hussein relinquished sovereignty over the
Today, Jordan is bounded on the north by Syria, on the east by Iraq and Saudi Arabia, on the south by Saudi Arabia and the Gulf of Aqaba, and on the west by Israel and the West Bank. The area of Jordan is 89,556 sq km (34,578 sq mi). Amman is the capital and largest city of Jordan.
King Abdullah Mosque in Amman, Jordan
The King Abdullah Mosque in Amman, Jordan, is an example of modern Islamic architecture. Islam is Jordan’s state religion and about nine-tenths of the population are Sunni Muslims. Communal prayer is important in the Islamic religion, making the mosques a necessary part of worship.
Jordan's Port City
The city of Al ‘Aqabah is Jordan's only seaport. Located on the country's southwest tip, the port sits at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba, the narrow eastern arm of the Red Sea. The city began to develop its port facilities in the 1950s, and now more than 500 ships per year carry goods to and from its harbor.
Ancient Ruins in Modern Amman
Jordan's capital and largest city, Amman, lies north of the Dead Sea. The city presents an intriguing mix of the contemporary and the very old. An ancient Roman amphitheater and citadel in Amman are surrounded by modern buildings, and this city of historic trade routes remains a major trading center today.