For other uses see Jordan (disambiguation). This article may be too long to read and navigate comfortably. Please consider splitting content into sub-articles and using this article for a summary of the key points of the subject. (June 2010) Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Al-Mamlakah al-Urdunniyyah al-Himiyyah Flag Coat of arms Motto: Arabic: Transliteration: Allah Al-Watan Al-Malek Translation: "GodHomelandThe King" Anthem:     The Royal Anthem of Jordan >  ("As-salam al-malaki al-urdoni")1 Long Live the King Capital Amman 3157N 3556E / 31.95N 35.933E / 31.95; 35.933 Official language(s) Arabic1 Spoken languages English French Circassian Jordanian Levantine Chechen Turkish Demonym Jordanian Government Constitutional monarchy  -  King Abdullah II  -  Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit Independence  -  End of British League of Nations mandate 25 May 1946  Area  -  Total 92300 km2 (111th) 35637 sq mi   -  Water (%) 0.8 Population  -  July 2010 estimate 64070852 (102nd)  -  July 2004 census 5611202   -  Density 68.4/km2 (131st) 138.8/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2010 estimate  -  Total $34.528 billion3   -  Per capita $59564  GDP (nominal) 2010 estimate  -  Total $27.527 billion3   -  Per capita $44993  Gini (200203) 38.8 (medium)  HDI (2010) 0.6815 (high) (82nd) Currency Jordanian dinar (JOD) Time zone UTC+2 (UTC+2)  -  Summer (DST) UTC+3 (UTC+3) Drives on the Right ISO 3166 code JO Internet TLD .jo . Calling code 962 1 Also serves as the Royal anthem.

Jordan (i /drdn/: Arabic: Al-'Urdunn) officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Arabic: ) Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) and also known as JK (short for The Jordanian Kingdom) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east Iraq to the north-east Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west sharing control of the Dead Sea. Jordan's only port is at its south-western tip at the Gulf of Aqaba which is shared with Israel Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Much of Jordan is covered by the Arabian Desert. However the north-western part of Jordan is part of the Fertile Crescent. The capital city is Amman.

Modern Jordan was founded in 1921 and it was recognized by the League of Nations as a state under the British mandate in 1922 known as The Emirate of Transjordan. In 1946 Jordan joined the United Nations as an independent sovereign state officially known as the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan.

In antiquity the present day Jordan was in the heart of the earlier civilizations which prospered in the Fertile Crescent including the Babylonian and the Canaanites. Later Jordan became a home for several ancient kingdoms including: the kingdom of Edom the kingdom of Moab the kingdom of Ammon and the prominent Nabataean kingdom of Petra. However across different eras of history parts of the country laid under the control of some regional powers including the Pharaonic Egypt during their wars with the Babylonian and the Hetites; and for discrete periods of times by Israelites whose been taken under the captivity of the Babylonian and whose been later defeated by the Moabites as recorded in Mesha stele. Furthermore and due to its strategic location in the middle of the ancient world Jordan was also controlled by the ancient empires of Greek the Persians the Romans and later by the Byzantine. Yet the Nabataean managed to create their independent kingdom which covered most part of modern Jordan and beyond for some centuries before it been over taken by the still expanding Roman empire. However apart from Petra the Romans maintained the prosperity of most of the ancient cities in Jordan which enjoined a sort of city-states autonomy under the umbrella of the alliance of the Decapolis. With the decline of the Roman Empire Jordan became under the control of the Ghassanid Arab kingdom. In the seventh century and due to its proximity to Damascus Jordan became a heartland for the Arabic Islamic Empire and therefore secured several centuries of stability and prosperity which allowed the coining of its current Arabic Islamic identity. In the 11th century Jordan witnessed an era phase of instability as it became a battle field for the Crusade wars which ended with defeat by the Ayyobis. Jordan suffered also from the Mongol attacks which was blocked by Mamluks. In 1516 It became part of the Ottoman Empire and it remained until 1918 when the Army of the Great Arab Revolt took over and secured the present day Jordan with the help and support of Jordan local tribes.

As witness of the Jordanian rich history the Nabataean civilization left many magnificent archaeological sites at Petra which is considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World as well as been recognized by the UNISCO as a world Heritage. Beside Petra other civilization also left their archaeological fingerprints on Jordan including the Hellenistic and the Roman through their ruins in Decapolis cities of Gerasa (Jerash) Gadara (Umm Qais) Amman(Amman) Capitolias (Beit Ras) Raphana Pella and Arabella (Irbid) and the Byzantine site of Um er-Rasas (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The Arabic Islamic Empire also left its unique architectural signature which is embodied by dessert palaces including Qasr Mshatta Qasr al Hallabat and Qasr Amra which is recognized as World Heritage; in addition to the castles of Ajloun and Karak which combine the Crusade Ayyobi and Mumlouk eras all together. The more recent Ottomans left some landmarks including several mosques tombs small railway stations and castles.

Modern Jordan is predominantly urbanized. Jordan is classified as a country of "high human development" by the 2010 Human Development Report.6 Furthermore The Kingdom has been classified as an emerging market with a free market economy by the CIA World Fact Book. It has more Free Trade Agreements than any other country in the region. It has a "pro-Western" regime with very close relations with the United Kingdom and the United States and became a major non-NATO ally of the United States in 1996. The Jordanian Government is one of only three members of the 22 state Arab League to have diplomatic relations with Israel the others being the Egyptian and Palestinian governments.7891011121314 It is a founding member of the Arab League15 the WTO1617181920212223 the AFESD24 the Arab Parliament25 the AIDMO the AMF26 the IMF2728 the International Criminal Court29 the UNHRC30 the GAFTA the GCC31 the ESCWA32 the ENP333435 and the United Nations.36 Jordan enjoys "advanced status" with the European Union.37 Part of a series on Jordan Geography

Climate   Governorates   Nahias Cities   The Mediterranean Dead Sea   Red Sea   River Jordan Nature reserves   Extreme points History

Nabataeans   Hashemites Islamic Empire   Ottoman Empire Arab Revolt   Sykes-Picot Mandate for Palestine   Transjordan PLO   Black September 2011 protests Arab-Israeli conflict

1948 War   1967 War   1973 War IsraelJordan peace treaty Economy

International rankings Globalization Agriculture   Defense industry Tourism   Petra world heritage site Oil shale   Renewable energy Atomic energy   Water supply Demographics   Culture Religion   Islam Christianity   Catholicism Freedom of religion Arabic language Art   Cinema   Cuisine Music   Sports   Scouts and Guides Holidays   Famous Jordanians Health  Education Hospitals   Medical education Universities   University of Jordan Education and Research Ministry Government and Politics Constitution   Kings Prime Ministers   Cabinet Parliament   Political parties   Elections Law enforcement   Central Bank Foreign affairs   Human rights Armed Forces Land Force   Air Force   Naval Force Special Forces   Maintenance Corps Intelligence Department His Majesty's Special Security Design and Development Bureau Military ranks   Arab Legion Transportation Airports   Railways Royal Jordanian Airlines Aqaba seaport Communications Newspapers   Internet JRTV   ATV Index   Outline Jordan portal - history - Contents 1 Etymology 2 Geography 2.1 Climate 3 History of Jordan 3.1 Ancient history 3.2 Classic antiquity 3.3 Muslim empires 3.4 Modern history 3.4.1 The Great Arab Revolt 3.4.2 British protectorate of Transjordan 3.4.3 Independence 3.5 Post-independence history 3.5.1 1948 Arab-Israeli war 3.5.2 Federation of Iraq and Jordan 3.5.3 1967 War with Israel 3.5.4 1973 Arab-Israeli war 3.5.5 1990-1991 Gulf war 3.5.6 Peace treaty with Israel 3.5.7 Protests during the Arab Spring 4 Government 4.1 Kings 4.2 Parliament 4.3 Constitution 4.4 Legal system and legislation 4.5 Police 4.6 Foreign relations 4.7 Military 4.8 Peacekeeping abroad 5 Politics 5.1 Political parties 6 Human rights 7 Demographics 7.1 Genetics 7.2 Language 7.3 Religion 7.4 Health 7.5 Quality of life 7.6 Education 7.6.1 School education 7.6.2 Higher education 8 Economy 8.1 Agriculture 8.2 Natural resources 8.3 Currency and exchange rates 8.4 Tourism 8.4.1 Medical tourism 8.4.2 Nature reserves 8.5 Transportation 8.6 Defence industry 8.7 Influence of the Southwest Asian conflict 8.7.1 Opportunity cost of the conflict 9 Culture 10 Globalization 11 See also 12 References 13 Further reading 14 External links Etymology The kingdom is named after the river Jordan. The name "Jordan" derives from Arabic and other Semitic languages and has multiple meanings (Ancient Arabic meaning "Steep/Slope" from the root Ard the Canaanite root Arda the Aramaic Yarden meaning "down-flowing" or "one who descends" in Hebrew the root Yrd. Geography Main article: Geography of Jordan Spring in an Amman suburb Ajloun mountains Snow in Amman Wadi Rum in Aqaba Governorate Dana Biosphere Reserve View from Mahis towards the Jordan valley The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth and about nine times saltier than ocean water The Roman Oval Piazza in the ancient city of Jerash Jordan lies between latitudes 29 and 34 N and longitudes 35 and 40 E (a small area lies west of 35). It consists of arid plateau in the east irrigated by oasis and seasonal water streams with highland area in the west of arable land and Mediterranean evergreen forestry. The Great Rift Valley of the Jordan River separates Jordan the west bank and Israel. The highest point in the country is Jabal Umm al Dami it is 1854 m (6083 ft) above sea level its top is also covered with snow while the lowest is the Dead Sea 420 m (1378 ft). Jordan is part of a region considered to be "the cradle of civilization" the Levant region of the Fertile Crescent. Major cities include the capital Amman in the northwest Irbid Jerash and Zarqa in the north. Madaba Karak and Aqaba in the south. Climate Main article: Climate of Jordan The climate in Jordan is semi-dry in summer with average temperature in the mid 30C (mid 90F) and relatively cold in winter averaging around 13 C (55 F). The western part of the country receives greater precipitation during the winter season from November to March and snowfall in Amman (756 m (2480 ft) 1280 m (4199 ft) above sea-level) and Western Heights of 500 m (1640 ft). Excluding the rift valley the rest of the country is entirely above 300 m (984 ft)(SL).38 The major characteristic of the climate is humid from November to March and semi dry weather for the rest of the year. With hot dry summers and cool winters during which practically all of the precipitation occurs the country has a Mediterranean-style climate. In general the farther inland from the Mediterranean a given part of the country lies the greater are the seasonal contrasts in temperature and the less rainfall. Atmospheric pressures during the summer months are relatively uniform whereas the winter months bring a succession of marked low pressure areas and accompanying cold fronts. These cyclonic disturbances generally move eastward from over the Mediterranean Sea several times a month and result in sporadic precipitation. Most of the land receives less than 620 mm (24.4 in) of rain a year and may be classified as a semi dry region. Where the ground rises to form the highlands east of the Jordan Valley precipitation increases to around 300 mm (11.8 in) in the south and 500 mm (19.7 in) or more in the north. The Jordan Valley forms a narrow climatic zone that annually receives up to 900 mm (35.4 in) of rain in the northern reaches; rain dwindles to less than 120 mm (4.7 in) at the head of the Dead Sea. The country's long summer reaches a peak during August. January is usually the coldest month. The fairly wide ranges of temperature during a twenty-four-hour period are greatest during the summer months and have a tendency to increase with higher elevation. Daytime temperatures during the summer months frequently exceed 29 C (84.2 F) and average about 32 C (89.6 F). In contrast the winter monthsSeptember to Marchbring moderately cool and sometimes very cold weather averaging about 3.2 C (37.8 F). Except in the rift depression frost is fairly common during the winter it may take the form of snow at the higher elevations of the north western highlands. Usually it snows a couple of times in the winter. For a month or so before and after the summer dry season hot dry air from the desert drawn by low pressure produces strong winds from the south or southeast that sometimes reach gale force. Known in Western Asia by various names including the khamsin this dry sirocco-style wind is usually accompanied by great dust clouds. Its onset is heralded by a hazy sky a falling barometer and a drop in relative humidity to about 10%. Within a few hours there may be a 10 C (18.0 F) to 15 C (27.0 F) rise in temperature. These windstorms ordinarily last a day or so cause much discomfort and destroy crops by desiccating them. The shamal comes from the north or northwest generally at intervals between June and September. Steady during daytime hours but becoming a breeze at night the shamal may blow for as long as nine days out of ten and then repeat the process. It originates as a dry continental mass of polar air that is warmed as it passes over the Eurasian landmass. History of Jordan The ancient city of Petra one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Main article: History of Jordan Ancient history Further information: Ancient history The Mesha stele as photographed circa 1891. The stele describes the wars of king Mesha of Moab against the Israelites. Jordan's roots as a sovereign independent kingdom go back to the ancient kingdoms of Nabatean Edom Ammon and Moab. The Nabatean kingdom (Arabic: Al-Anbt) was one of the most prominent states in the region. The amazing ruins of its capital Petra bear witness to their unique architecture civilization and prosperity. In 2007 Petra was selected as one of the new seven wonders of the world. The Nabatean were an ancient Arabic Semitic people who inhabited most of the populated region of modern Jordan. During its peak the Nabataean kingdom controlled regional and international trade routes of the ancient world by dominating a large area southwest of the fertile crescent which included the whole of modern Jordan in addition to the southern part of Syria in the north and the northern part of Arabian Peninsula in the south. As a result Nabatean enjoyed independence prosperity and wealth for hundreds of years until it was occupied by the Roman Empire which was still expanding in 100 CE. The Nabataeans developed the Arabic Script with their language as an intermediary between Aramaean and the ancient Classical Arabic which evolved into Modern Arabic. The Kingdom of Edom was another strong ancient kingdom based in the south of Jordan it controlled most of the populated region of modern Jordan. The writings of Mesha Stele recorded the glory of the King of Edom and the victories of the kingdom in its wars with the Israelites and other nations. In addition to Nabatean and Edom the Ammon and Moab kingdoms were also based in the area of modern Jordan. All are mentioned in several ancient maps Near Eastern documents ancient Greco-Roman artifacts and Christian and Jewish religious scriptures.39 Classic antiquity During the Greco-Roman period of influence a number of semi-independent city-states also developed in the region of Jordan under the umbrella of the Decapolis including: Gerasa (Jerash) Philadelphia (Amman) Raphana (Abila) Dion (Capitolias) Gadara (Umm Qays) and Pella (Irbid). Parts of Jordan were later incorporated into the Hasmonean kingdom with pastoralist Nabateans slowly establishing their own realm in the southern parts of the Transjordan. Following the establishment of Roman Empire at Syria and Judaea the country was incorporated into the client Judaea Kingdom of Herod and later the Iudaea Province. With the suppression of Jewish Revolts the eastern bank of Jordan was incorporated into the Syria Palaestina province while the eastern deserts fell under Parthian and later Persian Sassanid control. Muslim empires In the 7th century and for several centuries the region of today's Jordan became one of the heartlands of the Arabic Islamic Empire across its different Caliphates' stages including the Rashidun Empire Umayyad Empire and Abbasid Empire. During the Islamic era Jordan coined its current Arabic Islamic cultural identity. Several resources pointed that the Abbasid movement was started in region of Jordan before it took over the Umayyad empire. After the decline of the Abbasid It was ruled by several conflicting powers including the Mongols the Crusaders the Ayyubids and the Mamluks until it became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1516.40 Modern history Further information: Modern history The Great Arab Revolt Arab Soldiers in the Arab Army during the Arab Revolt of 19161918 Main article: Arab Revolt Adyghe (Circassian) horsemanship in Transjordan April 1921 During World War I the Jordanian tribes fought along with other tribes of Hijaz and Levant regions as part of the Arab Army of the Great Arab Revolt. The revolt was launched by Hashemites and led by Sherif Hussein of Mecca against the Ottoman Empire. It was supported by the Allies of World War I. The chronicle of the revolt was written by T. E. Lawrence who as a young British Army officer played a liaison role during the revolt. He published the chronicle in London 1922 under the title "Seven Pillars of Wisdom"41 which was the base for the iconic Hollywood movie "Lawrence of Arabia". The Great Arab Revolt was successful in liberating most of the territories of Hijaz and the Levant including the region of east of Jordan. However it failed to gain international recognition of the region as an independent state due mainly to the secret SykesPicot Agreement of 1916 and the Balfour Declaration of 1917.citation needed This was seen by the Hashemites and the Arabs as betrayal of the previous agreements with the British including the McMahonHussein Correspondence in 1915 in which the British stated their willingness to recognize the independence of the Arab state in Hijaz and the Levant. British protectorate of Transjordan A compromise was eventually reached; and in September 1922 the Council of the League of Nations recognized Transjordan as a state under the British Mandate for Palestine and the Transjordan memorandum. The Transjordan memorandum excluded the territories east of the River Jordan from all of the provisions of the mandate dealing with Jewish settlement.42 The country remained under British supervision until 1946. The Hashemite leadership met multiple difficulties upon assuming power in the region. The most serious threats to emir Abdullah's position in Transjordan were repeated Wahhabi incursions fron Najd into southern parts of his territory.43 The emir was powerless to repel those raids by himself thus the British maintained a military base with a small air force at Marka close to Amman.43 The British military force was the primary obsticle against the Ikhwan and was also used to help emir Abdullah with the suppression of local rebellions at Kura and later by Sultan Adwan in 1921 and 1923 respectively.43 Independence On May 25 1946 the United Nations approved the end of the British Mandate and recognized Jordan as an independent sovereign kingdom. The Parliament of Jordan proclaimed King Abdullah as the first King. Abdullah I continued to rule until a he was assassinated in 1951 as he was leaving the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Post-independence history Amman The Capital of Jordan Jordan became a founding member of the Arab League in 1945 and as an independent country it joined the United Nations in 1955. In 1957 it terminated the Anglo-Jordan treaty one year after the king sacked the British personnel serving in the Jordanian Army. This act of Arabization ensured the complete sovereignty of Jordan as a fully independent nation. 1948 Arab-Israeli war Jordanian parachute flares illuminate Jerusalem during the Arab-Israeli war in 1948 Main article: 1948 Arab-Israeli War After the end of the British mandate of Palestine during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war the Jordanian Army joined other Arab armies destroy the nascent State of Israel. Jordan eventually secured control of the area of Cisjordan now known as the West Bank which it continued to control in accordance with the 1949 Armistice Agreements and a political union formed in December 1948. The Second Arab-Palestinian Conference held in Jericho on December 1 1948 proclaimed Abdullah King of Palestine and called for a union of Arab Palestine with the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan.44 The Transjordanian Government agreed to the unification on December 7 1948 and on December 13 the Transjordanian parliament approved the creation of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The step of unification was ratified by a joint Jordanian National Assembly on April 24 1950. The Assembly was composed of 20 representatives each from the East and West Bank. The Act of Union contained a protective clause which persevered Arab rights in Palestine without prejudice to any final settlement.4546 Many legal scholars say the declaration of the Arab League and the Act of Union implied that Jordan's claim of sovereignty over the West Bank was provisional because it had always been subject to the emergence of the Palestinian state.4748 A political union was legally established by the series of proclamations decrees and parliamentary acts in December 1948. Abdullah thereupon took the title King of Jordan and he officially changed the country's name to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in April 1949. The 1950 Act of Union confirmed and ratified King Abdullah's actions. Following the annexation of the West Bank only the UK and Pakistan formally recognized the union. Thomas Kuttner notes that de facto recognition was granted most clearly evidenced by the maintaining of consulates in East Jerusalem by several countries including the United States.49 Joseph Weiler agreed and said that other states had engaged in activities statements and resolutions that would be inconsistent with non-recognition.50 The members of the Arab League granted de facto recognition while the United States had formally recognized the annexation except for Jerusalem.51 Federation of Iraq and Jordan With the developing Arab Cold War Jordan and Iraq united in 1958 to form the Arab Federation of Iraq and Jordan under the Hashemite crowns in Amman and Baghdad. A coup later that year would end the union with the execution of the Hashemite crown in Baghdad. The United Arab States consisting of Egypt Syria and Yemen quickly moved to antagonize Jordan's young King Hussein with Soviet support. King Hussein asked for British and American assistance. The RAF and the USAF were sent to patrol Jordanian airspace and British troops were deployed in Amman. In 1965 there was an exchange of land between Saudi Arabia and Jordan.52 Jordan gave up a large area of inland desert in return for a small piece of sea-shore near Aqaba. 1967 War with Israel Main article: 1967 Arab-Israeli War Jordan signed a military pact with Egypt in May 1967 and following an Israeli air attack on Egypt in June 1967 Egypt Jordan Syria and Iraq continued the Six Day War against Israel. During the war Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In 1988 Jordan renounced all claims to the territory now occupied by Israel but its 1994 treaty with Israel allowed for a continuing Jordanian role in Muslim and Christian holy places in Jerusalem. The severance of administrative ties with the West Bank halted the Jordanian government's paying of civil servants and public sector employees' salaries in the West Bank. The period following the 1967 war saw an upsurge in the activity and numbers of Arab Palestinian paramilitary elements (fedayeen) within the state of Jordan. These distinct armed militias were becoming a "state within a state" threatening Jordan's rule of law. King Hussein's armed forces targeted the fedayeen and open fighting erupted in June 1970. The battle in which Palestinian fighters from various Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) groups were expelled from Jordan is commonly known as Black September. The heaviest fighting occurred in northern Jordan and Amman. In the ensuing heavy fighting a Syrian tank force invaded northern Jordan to back the fedayeen fighters but subsequently retreated. King Hussein urgently asked the United States and Great Britain to intervene against Syria. Consequently Israel performed mock air strikes on the Syrian column at the Americans' request. Soon after Syrian President Nureddin al-Atassi ordered a hasty retreat from Jordanian soil.5354 By September 22 Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo arranged a cease-fire beginning the following day. However sporadic violence continued until Jordanian forces led by Habis Al-Majali with the help of Iraqi forces55 won a decisive victory over the fedayeen on July 1971 expelling them and ultimately the PLO's Yasser Arafat from Jordan. 1973 Arab-Israeli war Main article: 1973 Arab-Israeli War In 1973 allied Arab League forces attacked Israel in the Yom Kippur War and fighting occurred along the 1967 Jordan River cease-fire line. Jordan sent a brigade to Syria to attack Israeli units on Syrian territory but did not engage Israeli forces from Jordanian territory. At the Rabat summit conference in 1974 Jordan was now in a more secure position to agree along with the rest of the Arab League that the PLO was the "sole legitimate representative of the Arab Palestinian people" thereby relinquishing to that organization its role as representative of the West Bank. The Amman Agreement of February 11 1985 declared that the PLO and Jordan would pursue a proposed confederation between the state of Jordan and a Palestinian state.56 In 1988 King Hussein dissolved the Jordanian parliament and renounced Jordanian claims to the West Bank. The PLO assumed responsibility as the Provisional Government of Palestine and an independent state was declared.57 1990-1991 Gulf war Main article: First Gulf War Although Jordan did not directly participate in the Gulf War of 199091 following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait King Hussein was accused of supporting Saddam Hussein when he attempted to persuade Saddam Hussein to withdraw from Kuwait. As a result of the alleged support the United States and Arab countries cut off monetary aid to Jordan Thousands of Jordanians who had been working in Arab countries were forced to return to Jordan. In addition hundred of thousands of the Palestinians who used to work live and some even born in Kuwait. Furthermore millions of Iraqi refugees also fled to Jordan placing a strain on the country's social services. Peace treaty with Israel A handshake between Hussein I of Jordan and Yitzhak Rabin accompanied by Bill Clinton after signing the Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace October 26 1994 Main article: Israel-Jordan peace treaty In 1991 Jordan agreed along with Syria Lebanon and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to participate in direct peace negotiations with Israel at the Madrid Conference sponsored by the U.S. and the Soviet Union. It negotiated an end to hostilities with Israel and signed a declaration to that effect on 25 July 1994 (see Washington Declaration). As a result an Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty was concluded on 26 October 1994. King Hussein was later honored when his picture appeared on an Israeli postage stamp in recognition of the good relations he established with his neighbor. Since the signing of the peace treaty with Israel the United States not only contributes hundreds of millions of dollars in an annual foreign aid stipend to Jordan but also has allowed it to establish a free trade zone in which to manufacture goods that will enter the US without paying the usual import taxes as long as a percentage of the material used in them is purchased in Israel. King Hussein was treated for cancer in the U.S. for a long period of time. On his return to Jordan King Hussein changed the crown prince from his brother Prince Hasan to his eldest son Abdullah. He also released some political prisoners in Jordan. King Hussein died some time afterward in 1999. His son King Abdullah II succeeded him. Following the outbreak of fighting between Israel and Palestinians in the Second Intifada in September 2000 the Jordanian government offered its offices to both parties. Jordan has since sought to remain at peace with all of its neighbors. Particularly good relations have been maintained between the Jordanian royal family and Israel with the Jordanian government frequently dispersing rallies and jailing demonstrators protesting against Israeli actions. The government also censors anti-Israeli views from the Jordanian news media. The last major strain in Jordan's relations with Israel occurred in September 1997 when two Israeli agents entered Jordan using Canadian passports and poisoned Khaled Meshal a senior leader of the Palestinian group Hamas. Under threat of cutting off diplomatic relations King Hussein forced Israel to provide an antidote to the poison and to release dozens of Jordanians and Palestinians from its prisons including the spiritual leader of Hamas Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Sheikh Yassin was later assassinated by Israel in a targeted bombing in early 2004 in the Gaza Strip. On 9 November 2005 Jordan experienced three simultaneous terrorist bombings at hotels in Amman. At least 57 people died and 115 were wounded. "Al-Qaeda in Iraq" a group led by terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility. Recently Jordan has revoked the citizenship of thousands of Palestinians in an attempt to thwart any attempt by Israel of permanently re-settling West Bank Palestinians in Jordan. West Bank Palestinians with family in Jordan or with previous Jordanian citizenship would be issued yellow cards which guaranteed them all the rights of Jordanian citizenship. Palestinians working for the Palestinian Authority or the PLO were among those who have had their Jordanian passports taken from them in addition to anyone who did not serve in the Jordanian army. Palestinians living in Jordan with family in the West Bank would also be issued yellow cards. All other Palestinians wishing such Jordanian papers would be issued a green card which would facilitate travel into Jordan and give them temporary Jordanian passports in order to make travel easier. In addition no Palestinians from the Gaza Strip are given any such privileges because Jordanian authority never extended into the Gaza Strip.58 Protests during the Arab Spring Main article: 2011 Jordanian protests On 14 January 2011 protests took place in Jordan's capital Amman and at Ma'an Al Karak Salt and Irbid and other cities. The protests led by trade unionists and leftist parties came after Friday prayers and called for the government led by Prime Minister Samir Rifai to step down. They chanted anti-government slogans and called Rifai a "coward". One banner in the protest read "Jordan is not only for the rich. Bread is a red line. Beware of our starvation and fury" while protesters chanted "Down with Rifai's government. Unify yourselves because the government wants to eat your flesh. Raise fuel prices to fill your pocket with millions." Tawfiq al-Batoush a former head of the Karak municipality said: "We are protesting the policies of the government high prices and repeated taxation that made the Jordanian people revolt."59 The Muslim Brotherhood and 14 trade unions said they would hold a sit-down protest outside parliament the next day to "denounce government economic policies". Parallels were drawn with the Tunisian protests.60 The Jordanian government reversed a fuel price rise following the protest.61 Al Jazeera stated that protests are expected to continue for several weeks because of increasing food prices.61 On 21 January 5000 people in Amman took part in the largest protest so far.62 On 1 February the Royal Palace announced that King Abdullah dismissed the government as a consequence of the street protests and asked Marouf al-Bakhit a former army general to form a new Cabinet.63 King Abdullah told Bakhit his authority will be to "take quick concrete and practical steps to launch a genuine political reform process". The reforms should put Jordan on the path "to strengthen democracy" and provide Jordanians with the "dignified life they deserve" the monarch said.64 On 25 February 10000 protestors took to the streets of Amman to demand the right of voting the prime minister and the dissolving of the parliament. Government Main article: Government of Jordan The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a constitutional monarchy with representative government. The reigning monarch is the chief executive and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The king exercises his executive authority through the prime ministers and the Council of Ministers or cabinet. The cabinet meanwhile is responsible before the democratically elected House of Deputies which along with the House of Notables (Senate) constitutes the legislative branch of the government. The judicial branch is an independent branch of the government. Kings See also: List of Kings of Jordan and Line of succession to the Jordanian throne King Abdullah II Jordanian Head of State. King Abdullah I ruled Jordan after independence from Britain. After the assassination of King Abdullah I in 1951 his son King Talal ruled briefly. King Talal's major accomplishment was the Jordanian constitution. King Talal was removed from the throne in 1952 due to mental illness. At that time his son Hussein was too young to rule and hence a committee ruled over Jordan. After Hussein reached 18 he ruled Jordan as king from 1953 to 1999 surviving a number of challenges to his rule drawing on the loyalty of his military and serving as a symbol of unity and stability in Jordan. King Hussein ended martial law in 1991 and legalized political parties in 1992. In 1989 and 1993 Jordan held free and fair parliamentary elections. Controversial changes in the election law led Islamist parties to boycott the 1997 elections. King Abdullah II succeeded his father Hussein following the latter's death in February 1999. Abdullah moved quickly to reaffirm Jordan's peace treaty with Israel and its relations with the United States. Abdullah during the first year in power refocused the government's agenda on economic reform. Queen Rania of Jordan Jordan's continuing structural economic difficulties burgeoning population and more open political environment led to the emergence of a variety of political parties. Moving toward greater independence Jordan's parliament has investigated corruption charges against several regime figures and has become the major forum in which differing political views including those of political Islamists are expressed. While the King remains the ultimate authority in Jordan the parliament plays an important role. Parliament Main article: Parliament of Jordan The 1952 Constitution provided for the establishment of the bicameral National Assembly of Jordan (Majlis al-Umma). The Parliament consists of two Chambers: The Chamber of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab) and the Senate (Majlis al-Aayan; literally Assembly of Notables). The Senate has 60 Senators all of whom are directly appointed by the King65 while the Chamber of Deputies/House of Representatives has 120 elected members representing 12 constituencies. Of the 120 members of the Lower Chamber 12 seats are reserved for women 9 seats are reserved for Christian candidates 9 seats are reserved for Bedouin candidates and 3 seats are reserved for Jordanians of Chechen or Circassian descent. The Constitution ensures that the Senate cannot be more than half the size of the Chamber of Deputies. The constitution does not provide a strong system of checks and balances within which the Jordanian Parliament can assert its role in relationship to the monarch. During the suspension of Parliament between 2001 and 2003 the scope of King Abdullah II's power was demonstrated with the passing of 110 temporary laws. Two of such laws dealt with election law and were seen to reduce the power of Parliament.6667 Senators have terms of four years and are appointed by the King and can be reappointed. Prospective Senators must be at least forty years old and have held senior positions in either the government or military. Appointed Senators have included former Prime Ministers and Members of the Chamber of Deputies. Deputies are elected to also serve a four year term. Candidates must be older than thirty-five cannot have blood ties to the King and must not have any financial interests in government contracts.68 Constitution Jordan is a constitutional monarchy based on the constitution promulgated on 8 January 1952. Executive authority is vested in the king and his council of ministers. The king signs and executes all laws. His veto power may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of both houses of the National Assembly. He appoints and may dismiss all judges by decree approves amendments to the constitution declares war and commands the armed forces. Cabinet decisions court judgments and the national currency are issued in his name. The council of ministers led by a prime minister is appointed by the king who may dismiss other cabinet members at the prime minister's request. The cabinet is accountable to the Chamber of Deputies on matters of general policy and can be forced to resign by a 50% or more of vote of "no confidence" by that body. The constitution provides for three categories of courts: civil religious and special. Administratively Jordan is divided into twelve governorates each headed by a governor appointed by the king. They are the sole authorities for all government departments and development projects in their respective areas. Legal system and legislation Jordan's legal system is based on French code law system via the Egyptian civil laws while Islamic law is limited to civic status legislation for Muslims. Religious minority civic status is regulated by respective religious courts. Judicial review of legislative acts occurs in a special High Tribunal. It has not accepted International Court of Justice jurisdiction. Jordan has multi-party politics. There are over 30 political parties in the Jordan from a wide range of positions ranging from extreme left (Jordanian Communist Party) to extreme right (Islamic Action Front). Article 97 of Jordan's constitution guarantees the independence of the judicial branch clearly stating that judges are 'subject to no authority but that of the law.' While the king must approve the appointment and dismissal of judges in practice these are supervised by the Higher Judicial Council. The Jordanian legal system draws upon civil traditions as well as Islamic law and custom. Article 99 of the Constitution divides the courts into three categories: civil religious and special. The civil courts deal with civil and criminal matters in accordance with the law and they have jurisdiction over all persons in all matters civil and criminal including cases brought against the government. The civil courts include Magistrate Courts Courts of First Instance Courts of Appeal High Administrative Courts and the Supreme Court. The religious courts include sharia (Islamic law) courts and the tribunals of other religious communities namely those of the Christian minority. Religious courts have primary and appellate courts and deal only with matters involving personal law such as marriage divorce inheritance and child custody. Sharia courts also have jurisdiction over matters pertaining to the Islamic waqfs. In cases involving parties of different religions regular courts have jurisdiction.69 Despite being traditionally dominated by men the number of women involved as lawyers in the Jordan legal system has been increasing. As of mid-2006 Jordan had 1284 female lawyers out of a total number of 6915 and 35 female judges from a total of 630. In Jordan between 15 and 20 women are murdered annually in the name of "honour" and at least eight such killings have been reported in 2008 according to Jordanian authorities. In 2007 17 such murders were recorded. Despite popular beliefs these are not legal nor limited to any one community but have frequently been hard to seek justice for.citation needed Police Main article: Law enforcement in Jordan A female police officer in Amman Jordan ranked 14th in the world 1st in the region in terms of police services' reliability in the Global Competitiveness Report. Jordan also ranked 9th in the world and 1st in the region in terms of prevention of organized crime making it one of the safest countries in the world.70 Foreign relations Main article: Foreign relations of Jordan King Abdullah II on a visit to The Pentagon. Jordan has consistently followed a pro-Western foreign policy and traditionally has had close relations with the United States and the United Kingdom. These relations were damaged by Jordan's neutrality and maintaining relations with Iraq during the first Gulf War even though it was negotiating a peace settlement to end the conflict. Jordan has a well earned reputation for usually following a pragmatic and non-confrontational foreign policy leading to good relations with its neighbours. Jordan has always been a mediator during times of high tension. During the 1970s King Hussein negotiated with Iran to halt the military buildup to annex the small Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain. In the 1990s King Hussein also tried to mediate the conflict between the United States and Iraq and tried to bring an end to hostilities while still condemning the Iraqi annexation of Kuwait. Jordan has historically been at the forefront of negotiating peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. King Abdullah II is the mediator between Israel and the Arab League's negotiations for peace and normalization of bilateral ties. Following the Gulf War Jordan largely restored its relations with Western countries through its participation in the Southwest Asia peace process and enforcement of UN sanctions against Iraq. Relations between Jordan and the Persian Gulf countries improved substantially after King Hussein's death. Following the fall of the Iraqi regime Jordan has played a pivotal role in supporting the restoration of stability and security to Iraq. The Government of Jordan signed a memorandum of understanding with the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq to facilitate the training of up to 30000 Iraqi police cadets at a Jordanian facility. Jordan signed a non-belligerency agreement with Israel (the Washington Declaration) in Washington D.C. on 25 July 1994. King Hussein and Yitzhak Rabin negotiated this treaty. Jordan and Israel signed a historic peace treaty on 26 October 1994 witnessed by President Bill Clinton accompanied by U.S. Secretary Warren Christopher. The U.S. has participated with Jordan and Israel in trilateral development discussions in which key issues have been water-sharing and security; cooperation on Jordan Rift Valley development; infrastructure projects; and trade finance and banking issues. Former Russian president Vladimir Putin visiting the Baptism Site Bethany Beyond the Jordan in the Jordan Valley in 2007 Jordan and Israel had generally close relations even before the signing of the 1994 Peace Treaty. On more than one occasion Jordan warned Israel of an impending attack by Syria and Egypt. Also during the Black September conflict in Jordan Israel warned Syria that any Syrian intervention on the side of the PLO against the Jordanian monarchy would result in an Israeli attack. Israel and Jordan along with Lebanon were already negotiating a peace treaty as early as the 1950s but a string of assassinations including Jordanian and Lebanese ambassadors and the King of Jordan himself stopped such an attempt at peace. However this friendship has been damaged several times due to the worsening situation in the Palestinian territories and the slow peace process with the Palestinians. In Israel in 2009 several Likud lawmakers proposed a bill that called for a Palestinian state on both sides of the Jordan River presuming that Jordan should be the alternative homeland for the Palestinians. Later following similar remarks by the Israeli Speaker of the Knesset twenty Jordanian lawmakers proposed a bill in the Jordanian Parliament in which the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan would be frozen. The Israeli Foreign Ministry disavowed the original proposal.7172 Jordan's relations with the United States have traditionally been close. However the relationship between the two countries reached new heights during the reign of King Abdullah II. The Jordanian General Intelligence Department is reportedly the CIA's closest partner after Britain's MI6. Also the release classified U.S. cables on Wikileaks proved the depth of US-Jordan relations. Over 4000 military cables were sent from Amman the fifth most popular origin of U.S. military cables worldwide higher than from London or Tel Aviv. Regionally only Ankara and Baghdad surpassed Amman. Jordan provides extensive strategic and logistic support to U.S. military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. However the leaked military cables show that America had kept Jordan's involvement in the War on Terror quiet whether it be its rendition program or Jordan's leading of counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Jordan also participates in the multilateral peace talks. Jordan belongs to the UN and several of its specialized and related agencies including the World Trade Organization (WTO) the International Meteorological Organization (IMO) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Jordan also is a member of the World Bank International Monetary Fund (IMF) Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Nonaligned Movement (NAM) and Arab League. Military Main article: Jordanian Armed Forces Jordanian troops in a military parade in Amman Six USAF F-16 fighters in Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Azraq. JAF F-16's can be seen to the right. Jordanian Special Forces Jordan has a strong defensive army with strong support and aid from the United States the United Kingdom and France. This is due to its critical position between Israel and the West Bank Syria Iraq and Saudi Arabia with very close proximity to Lebanon and Egypt. The development of the special forces has been particularly significant enhancing the capability of the forces to react rapidly to threats to state security as well as training special forces from the region and beyond.7374 Main article: Royal Jordanian Land Force The Royal Special Forces is a unit of the armed forces of Jordan. The Commander was Brigadier-General His Royal Highness Prince Abdullah (now King Abdullah II of Jordan) 19931996. In 2007 these forces received training from Blackwater Worldwide.75 The Royal Naval Force is the Naval entity of the Jordanian Armed Forces. The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) (Arabic: transliterated: Silah al-Jaw Almalaki al-Urduni) is the aviation branch of the Jordanian Armed Forces and includes the Royal Jordanian Air Defence. Peacekeeping abroad There are about 50000 Jordanian troops working with the United Nations in peacekeeping missions across the world. These soldiers provide everything from military defense training of native police medical help and charity. Jordan ranks third internationally in taking part in UN peacekeeping missions.76 Jordan has dispatched several field hospitals to conflict zones and areas affected by natural disasters across the world such as Iraq the West Bank Lebanon Afghanistan Haiti Indonesia Congo Liberia Ethiopia Eritrea Sierra Leone and Pakistan. The Kingdom's field hospitals extended aid to more than one million people in Iraq some one million in the West Bank and 55000 in Lebanon. According to the military there are Jordanian peacekeeping forces in Asia Africa Europe and Latin America. Jordanian Armed Forces field hospital in Afghanistan has since 2002 provided assistance to some 750000 persons and has significantly reduced the suffering of people residing in areas where the hospital operates.In some missions the number of Jordanian troops was the second largest the sources said.77 Jordan also provides extensive training of security forces in Iraq78 the Palestinian territories79 and the GCC.80 Politics Main article: Politics of Jordan Jordan's most executive power is the King and it is a constitutional monarchy with a representative government. The King traditionally has held substantial power however the democratically elected Parliament holds significant influence and power in national governance. Political parties The reforms of 1989 legalized political parties and opposition movements. The result is over 30 political parties but the only political party that plays a role in the legislature is the Islamic Action Front (IAF). Political parties can be seen to represent four sections: Islamists leftists Arab nationalists and liberals. Some other political parties in Jordan including the Jordanian Arab Democratic Party Jordanian Socialist Party and Muslim Centre Party but these have little impact on the political process because of lack of organization and clear platforms on key domestic issues as well as differences and factions within these political parties. Human rights This section recently underwent a major revision or rewrite and may need further review. You can help Wikipedia by assisting in the revision. Main article: Human rights in Jordan Human rights in Jordan is a matter of concern for many in and outside of the country including international human rights groups. The 2010 Arab Democracy Index from the Arab Reform Initiative ranked Jordan first in the state of democratic reforms out of fifteen Arab countries.81 Jordan ranked 141 out of 196 countries worldwide earning "Not Free" status in Freedom House's 2011 Freedom of the Press 2011 report.82 Jordan had the 5th freest press of 19 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region. Civil liberties and political rights scored 5 and 6 respectively in Freedom House's Freedom in the World 2011 report where 1 is most free and 7 is least free. This earned Jordan "Not Free" status.83 Jordan ranked ahead of 6 behind 4 and the same as 8 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region. In the 2010 Press Freedom Index maintained by Reporters Without Borders Jordan ranked 120th out of 178 countries listed 5th out of the 20 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region. Jordan's score was 37 on a scale from 0 (most free) to 105 (least free).84 Jordan ranked 6th among the 19 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region and 50th out of 178 countries worldwide in the 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) issued by Transparency International.85 Jordan's 2010 CPI score was 4.7 on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean). Jordan ratified the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in February 200586 and has been a regional leader in spearheading efforts to promote the UNCAC and its implementation.70 Areas where the government of Jordan was praised in its human rights efforts were in its protection of minority groups and freedom of religion. Christians are well integrated in Jordanian society and they are members of the country's political and economic elite. Christians have established good relations with the royal family and many hold senior positions in the military. Jordanian Christians are equally represented in the Parliament.87 Areas of concern with respect to human rights in Jordan include:888990 limitations on the right of citizens to change their government peacefully; a newly drafted electoral law that perpetuates significant under representation of urban areas and citizens of Palestinian origin in leadership positions; cases of arbitrary deprivation of life torture poor prison conditions impunity arbitrary arrest and denial of due process through administrative detention and prolonged detention; breaches of fair trial standards and external interference in judicial decisions; infringements on privacy rights; limited freedoms of speech and press and government interference in the media and threats of fines and detention that encourage self-censorship; restricted freedoms of assembly and association; legal and societal discrimination and harassment of women remain a concern although there have been significant improvements in recent years; legal and societal discrimination and harassment of religious minorities and converts from Islam are a concern although Jordan is widely acknowledged as being a strong supporter of religious freedoms; legal and societal discrimination of members of the lesbian gay bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community; loss of Jordanian nationality by some citizens of Palestinian origin; restricted labor rights; and abuse of foreign domestic workers. In response to domestic and regional unrest in February 2011 King Abdallah replaced his prime minister and formed a National Dialogue Commission with a reform mandate. The King told the new prime minister to "take quick concrete and practical steps to launch a genuine political reform process" "to strengthen democracy" and provide Jordanians with the "dignified life they deserve."91 The King called for an "immediate revision" of laws governing politics and public freedoms.92 Initial reports say that this effort has started well but much work remains to be done.93 Demographics Main article: Demographics of Jordan Graph showing the population of Jordan from 1960 to 2005. Amman Ajloun Aqaba Irbid Ar Ramtha Jerash Ruwaished Mafraq Karak Tafilah Ma'an Shoubak Wadi Rum Petra Madaba Deir Alla Salt Zarqa Azraq Cities in Jordan The Jordan National Census for the year 2004 was released on October 1 of the same year According to the census Jordan had a population of 5100981. The census estimated that there are another 190000 who were not counted. National growth rate was 2.5% (at maximum) compared to 3.3% of the 1994 census. Males made up 51.5% of Jordan's population (2628717) while females constituted 2472264 (48.5%). Jordanian citizens made up 93% of the population (4750463) non-Jordanian citizens made up 7% (349933). However it is estimated that most of those who did not turn in their forms were immigrants from neighboring countries There were 946000 households in Jordan in 2004 with an average of 5.3 persons/household (compared to 6 persons/household for the census of 1994).94 The next census is scheduled to take place in 2014. Jordan's Arab population mainly consists of Jordanians Palestinians and Iraqis. In addition there are sizable immigrant communities from Egypt Syria and Lebanon residing in Jordan. Of the non-Arab population which comprises 2% to 5% of Jordan's population most are Circassians Chechens Armenians Turkmans and Romanis all of which have maintained separate ethnic identities but have integrated into mainstream Jordanian culture.9596 Since the Iraq War many Christians (Assyrians/Chaldeans) from Iraq have settled permanently or temporarily in Jordan. During the years 20042007 Jordan saw a rapid increase in its population due to the heavy migration of Iraqi refugees an independent census carried in 2007 estimated that there are 700000 Iraqis residing in Jordan other estimates put them as high as one million Iraqis.97 Estimates put the population of Jordan slightly over 6300000 as of the year 200998 (increasing from 5100000 in 2004). UNRWA indicates that as many as 1951603 persons are registered as Palestinian refugees in 2008 99 mostly as Jordanian citizens. 338000 of which reside in UNRWA administered refugee camps scattered across Jordan.100 There are is no exact number detailing the extent of migrant workers in Jordan however they are believed to form between 20-30% of the labor force in Jordan.. The population of migrant workers including domestic workers in Jordan are believed to be as high as one million. Many are Egyptians who number at around 500000 laborers and the remaining workers are mostly from Syria India Pakistan Vietnam and Nepal. Jordan is home to one of the world's largest population of migrant domestic workers according to the Human Rights Watch. Domestic workers in Jordan number around 300000 according to estimates and they mainly come from the countries of Indonesia the Philippines and Sri Lanka. Furthermore there are thousands of foreign women working in nightclubs and bars across Jordan mostly from Eastern Europe and North Africa.101102103 Genetics Jordan Having always been at the crossroads of civilizations has the genetic remnants of these civilizations in the genetic make up of modern-day Jordanians recent genetic studies have shown strong genetic links between the modern Jordanian people and the core populations of the Levant and the fertile crescent. A study published by Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza found that the Jordanians have the closest genetics to the ancient Arameans i.e. Syriacs among all other nations in the west of Asia but also linking to the ancient tribes of Arabia and Yemen.104 accordly the study showed that Syrians Lebanese Palestinians and Jordanians and populations in Northern Egypt Eastern Cyprus the Greek Isles South Western Turkey and East and North Eastern Iraq were from the same Genetic pool which includes Phoenician Canaanite and in other studies the ancient Israelites Sumerian Babylonian Hittite Ancient Egyptian Ancient Greek Roman and general Southern European and Mediterranean gene pool with a trace from Ancient Persia Slavic and Crusaders gene pools.105 Language The official language is Arabic. English though without an official status is widely spoken throughout the country and is the de facto language of commerce and banking as well as a co-official status in the education sector. The spoken language is Jordanian Levantine. Modern Standard Arabic and English are obligatory learning at public and most private schools with French being an important elective and Spanish is slowly spreading. Radio Jordan offers radio services in Arabic Englishand French. Armenian as well as Caucasian languages like Circassian and Chechen are understood and spoken by their small communities residing in Jordan with several schools teaching them. Religion Main article: Religion in Jordan Religion in Jordan95 Religion Percent Sunni Muslims   92% Christian   6% Other   2% The Abu Darweesh Mosque was built in 1961 by the Circassian community which came to settle in Amman A Greek Orthodox church in Amman Islam is the predominant religion in Jordan and it is the majority religion among both Arabs and non-Arabs. It is the official religion of the country and approximately 92% of the population is Muslim by religion primarily of the Sunni branch of Islam. Islamic and Christian studies are offered to students but are not mandatory and do not factor into the University entry school exams. Jordan is an advocate for religious freedom in the region and the world. Jordan has an indigenous Christian minority. Christians are a religious minority both among the Arab and non-Arab segment. Christians of all ethnic backgrounds permanently residing in Jordan form approximately 6% of the population and are allocated respective seats in parliament (The Department of Statistics released no information about the religion distribution from the census of 2004). Christians made up 30% of the Jordanian population in 1950.106 However emigration to Europe Canada and the United States and lower birth rates compared to Muslims has significantly decreased the ratio of the Christian population106 coupled with the fact that the majority of people that have come to Jordan as refugees were Muslim. Indigenous Jordanians of the Christians faith are like their counterpart indigenous Jordanians of the Muslim faith an Arab people in language culture and identity. Jordanian Arab Christians hold services in the Arabic language and share the culture of Jordan and share the broader Levantine Arab identity. Most Jordanian Christians belong to the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem. The remainder include members of the Syriac Orthodox Church Latin Rite Catholic Church Melkite Greek Catholic Church Syriac Catholic Church Assyrian Church of the East Ancient Church of the East and Anglican Communion. Among the Christian non-Arab population significant part is made up of Armenians in Jordan; the Armenian Apostolic Church and Armenian Catholic Church (and some in other churches). Others include expatriate Christians in Jordan from various countries as evinced for example by some Catholic masses held in English French Italian Spanish Tagalog and Sinhala. With Protestant services in English (4 Churches) Tagalog Tamil and German. Many Iraqi Christians have recently moved to Jordan with the turmoil in neighboring Iraq and they are composed mostly of Iraqi Assyrian Christians. Other religious minorities groups in Jordan include adherents to the Druze and Bah' Faith. The Druze are mainly located in the Eastern Oasis Town of Azraq some villages on the Syrian border and the city of Zarka while the Village of Adassiyeh bordering the Jordan Valley is home to Jordan's Bah' community. According to the 2010 Legatum Prosperity Index less than half of Jordanians regularly attend religious services a moderate percentage in comparison to industrialized countries. However this rate is the lowest in the Arab countries.107 Health Main article: Health in Jordan Jordan has quite an advanced health care system although services remain highly concentrated in Amman. Government figures have put total health spending in 2002 at some 7.5% of Gross domestic product (GDP) while international health organizations place the figure even higher at approximately 9.3% of GDP. The country's health care system is divided between public and private institutions. In the public sector the Ministry of Health operates 1245 primary health-care centers and 27 hospitals accounting for 37% of all hospital beds in the country; the military's Royal Medical Services runs 11 hospitals providing 24% of all beds; and the Jordan University Hospital accounts for 3% of total beds in the country. The private sector provides 36% of all hospital beds distributed among 56 hospitals. In 1 June 2007 Jordan Hospital (as the biggest private hospital) was the first general specialty hospital who gets the international accreditation JCAHO. Treatment cost in Jordanian hospitals is less than in other countries.108 According to 2003 estimates the rate of prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) was less than 0.1%. According to a United Nations Development Program report Jordan has been considered malaria-free since 2001; cases of tuberculosis declined by half during the 1990s but tuberculosis remains an issue and an area needing improvement. Jordan experienced a brief outbreak of bird flu in March 2006. Noncommunicable diseases such as cancer also are a major health issue in Jordan. Childhood immunization rates have increased steadily over the past 15 years; by 2002 immunizations and vaccines reached more than 95% of children under five.108 About 86% of Jordanians had medical insurance in 2009 the Jordanian government plans to reach 100% in 2011. The King Hussein Cancer Center is the only specialized cancer treatment facility in the Middle East. It is one of the top cancer treatment facilities in the world. Jordan was ranked by the World Bank to be the number one health care services provider in the region and among the top 5 in the world. In 2008 250000 patients sought treatment in the Kingdom including Iraqis Palestinians Sudanese Syrians GCC citizens Americans Canadians and Egyptians. Jordan earned almost $1 billion dollars in medical tourism revenues according to the World Bank. According to the CIA World Factbook the life expectancy in Jordan is 78.55 years the second highest in the region (after Israel). There were 203 physicians per 100000 people in the years 20002004 a proportion comparable to many developed countries and higher than most of the developing world.109 Water and sanitation available to only 10% of the population in 1950 now reach 99% of Jordanians. Electricity now also reaches 99% of the population as compared to less than 10% in 1955.110 See: Medical education in Jordan. Quality of life Jordan is consistently ranked as having a superior quality of life in comparison to the region and developing countries as a whole. Jordan has one of the highest standards of living in the developing world with a highly educated population with access to advanced healthcare services in urban and rural areas. Jordan ranked as having the 11th highest standard of living in the developing world and the second highest standard of living in the Arab and Muslim World as measured by the Human Poverty Index-2. Jordan is a noticeably clean country with an extremely low crime rate by both regional and international standards.111 Decades of political stability and security and strict law enforcement make Jordan one of the top 10 countries worldwide in security.70 In the 2010 Newsweek "World's Best Countries" list Jordan ranked as the third best Arab country to live in (53rd worldwide) after Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.112 In addition Jordan is one of the most liberal countries in the Middle East.113 In the 2010 Human Development Index Jordan was placed in the "high human development" bracket and came 7th among Arab countries behind the oil-producing nations and one place behind Tunisia. In the HDI index score excluding income Jordan came in second in the Arab world higher than most of the affluent Persian Gulf states showing the huge emphasis the Jordanian government has placed on human capital in its development process.114 The 2010 Quality of Life Index prepared by International Living Magazine ranked Jordan as having almost the highest quality of life in the Middle East and North Africa Region. To produce this annual Index International Living considers for each of these countries nine categories: Cost of Living Culture and Leisure Economy Environment Freedom Health Infrastructure Safety and Risk and Climate. Jordan ranked second in the MENA with 55.0 points after Israel and followed by Kuwait with 54.47 points Morocco with 54.45 points and Lebanon with 54.3 points.115 Only 3.5 percent of Jordanians earn less than $2 a day one of the lowest rates in the developing world and the lowest among the Arab states according to the UN Human Development Report. Furthermore Jordan hosts one of the largest immigrant populations in the world with more than 40% of its residents being born in another country a rate even higher than the United States according to a 2005 UN Report. Access to adequate food and shelter in Jordan is the sixth highest rate in the world and a relatively high 72%* of Jordanians are satisfied with their living standards. Despite high levels of perceived corruption in politics and business Jordanians have relatively high confidence in the government. Over eight in 10 people approve of their government which is the 13th highest level in the 2010 Legatum Prosperity Index. Levels of support for the countrys policies to preserve the environment and address poverty are also among the top 25 nations. Jordanians are highly enthusiastic about their other civil institutions: 96% support the military the seventh highest rate overall and 70% have confidence in the judiciary the 25th highest rate. Jordanians also enjoy high levels of safety in their personal lives. In a 2009 survey just 2.8%* of respondents said they had been assaulted in the last 12 months and less than 7%* had experienced theft: these figures are the 21st and 10th lowest in the world respectively. Jordan is also among the top ten countries whose citizens feel safest walking the streets at night.116 Jordan spends 4.2% of its GDP to guarantee the well being of its citizens- more than any other country in the region. Life expectancy and public health levels in Jordan are comparable to the West with 88% of the population on medical insurance one of the highest rates in the world. The remaining 12% are covered under Royal makruma.117 Also the Social Security Corporation (SSC) is working to increase social security subscribers across the Kingdom with public sector workers currently covered and working to include private sector employees as well. After employees in the Kingdom receive coverage the SSC is now expanding to include Jordanian expatriates in the Persian Gulf states and students housewives business owners and the unemployed. The Social Security Corporation plans to have 85% of the population covered under the social security umbrella by the end of 2011.118119 In 2008 the Jordanian government launched the "Decent Housing for a Decent Living" project aimed at giving poor people and even Palestinian refugees the chance at owning their own house. Approximately 120000 affordable housing units will be constructed within the next 5 years and an additional 100000 housing units can be built if the need arises.120 Jordan was ranked as the 19th most expensive country in the world to live in 2010.121 Despite these positive indicators Jordan remains marred by chronic high unemployment rates 11.9% in the fourth quarter of 2010.122 Also an estimated 13.3% of citizens live under the poverty line of 680 dinars per month ($960).123 Currently there are over 700000 highly skilled college graduates working temporarily in GCC nations like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. These white-collar workers send home more than three billion dollars in remittances to Jordan each year a vital part of the Jordanian economy. High cost of living and lower wages push thousands of fresh college graduates to seek their fortunes in the oil-rich gulf. Several aspects of Jordan's quality of life include: Good health infrastructure see: Health in Jordan Relatively open socio-political environment see: Politics of Jordan and Human rights in Jordan Reliable infrastructure see: Communications in Jordan and Transport in Jordan A moderate climate see: Climate of Jordan and Geography of Jordan A growing economy see: Economy of Jordan Diverse ethnic and religious background see: Demographics of Jordan Political stability see: History of Jordan Education Main article: Education in Jordan Jordan has given great attention to education in particular. The literacy rate in Jordan is 93%. In addition the role played by a good education system has been significant in the development of Jordan from a predominantly agrarian to an industrialized nation. Jordan's education system ranks number one in the Arab World and is one of the highest in the developing world.124 UNESCO ranked Jordan's education system 18th worldwide for providing gender equality in education.125 20.5% of Jordan's total government expenditures goes to education compared to 2.5% in Turkey and 3.86% in Syria.126127128 Jordan is world-renowned for its highly educated population.129130 Jordan is among the region's highest spenders on education investing more than 20.4% of its GDP to enable a labor force tailored to meet the demands of the modern market.117 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Report in 2003 ranked Jordanian students scores to be 22 points above international average in science and mathematics. It also ranked Jordan as having the highest average science scores in the MENA region including Israel and Turkey. Jordan also had one of the highest average scores in mathematics in the region.128 Jordan ranked 14th out of 110 countries for the number of engineers and scientists according to the Global Competitiveness Report 20042005 (WEF). Jordan has a higher proportion of university graduates in technological fields than any other country in the region. There are over 200000 Jordanian students enrolled in universities each year. An additional 20000 Jordanians pursue higher education abroad primarily in Western countries like the United States and Great Britain.131 There is a primary school enrollment rate of 98.2% in Jordan. Secondary school enrollment has increased from 63% to 97% of high school aged students in Jordan and between 79% and 85% of high school students in Jordan move on to higher education an extremely high rate for a middle income nation.132 In scientific research generally Jordan is ranked number one in the region. Nature Journal reported Jordan having the highest number of researchers per million people among all the 57 countries members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC);the average of OIC countries is 500 researchers per million people. In Jordan there are 2000 researchers per million people higher than Israel and the United Kingdom.133 School education The illiteracy rate in Jordan was 6.9% in 2010 one of the lowest in the region.134 See also: Tawjihi and List of private schools in Jordan School education in Jordan could be categorized into two sections: Secondary education which consists of two years of school study for students who have completed the 10-year basic cycle. It comprises two major tracks: Secondary education which can either be academic or vocational. At the end of the two-year period students sit for the general secondary examination (Tawjihi) in the appropriate branch and those who pass are awarded the Tawjihi (General Secondary Education Certificate). The academic stream qualifies students for university entrance whereas the vocational or technical type qualifies for entrance to Community colleges or universities or the job market provided they pass the two additional subjects. Vocational secondary education which provides intensive vocational training and apprenticeship and leads to the award of a Certificate (not the Tawjihi). This type of education is provided by the Vocational Training Corporation under the control of the Ministry of Labour / Technical and Vocational Education and Training Higher Council. After completing the 8 9 or 10 years of basic education Jordanians are free to choose any foreign secondary education program instead of the Tawjihi examinations (8 for IGCSE 10 for SAT and IB). Such programmes are usually offered by private schools. These programmes include: IGCSE SAT International Baccalaureate Private schools in Jordan also offer IGCSE examinations. About 25% of school-aged students in Jordan are enrolled in private schools. The following is a list of the most prominent private schools in the kingdom: Amman Academy: which offers Tawjihi and International Baccalaureate (IGCSE examinations are no longer administered). The International School of Choueifat which only offers external examinations and which is known as one of the toughest schools world wide whose students take honors world wide in external examinations. College De La Salle which is a school with only male students no females. Amman Baccalurate School which only offers IB. Modern Montessori School which only offers IB. Amman National School which supplies both tawjihi and externals. Amman Baptist school which offers both tawjihi and externals. Kings Academy which only gives American Externals. The National Orthodox School which give both externals and tawjihi. Upon graduation the ministry of Higher Education through a system similar to UK tariff points transforms the grades/marks of these foreign educational programmes into the same marks used in grading Tawjihi students. This system is controversial both as to the conversion process and the number of places allocated to non-Tawjihi applicants. Higher education See also: List of universities in Jordan Medical Faculties Complex at Jordan University of Science and Technology. Access to higher education is open to holders of the General Secondary Education Certificate or Tawjihi who can then apply to private community colleges public community colleges or universities (public and private) the admission to public universities is very competitive. The kingdom has 10 public and 16 private universities in addition to some 54 community colleges of which 14 are public 24 private and others affiliated with the Jordan Armed Forces the Civil Defence Department the ministry of health and UNRWA.135 The first university established in the kingdom was the University of Jordan.136 A United Nations-supported research nuclear reactor and a synchrotron-light scientific facility (International Centre for Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science Applications in the Middle East) are currently being built on campus of Jordan University of Science and Technology and the Hashemite University to establish the first nuclear facilities for academic research in the kingdom.137138 All post-secondary education is the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Economy Main article: Economy of Jordan A graphic rendering of the planned Abdali Urban Regeneration Project in Amman The Four Seasons hotel in Amman Jordan's capital. Jordan is a small country with limited natural resources. The country is currently exploring ways to expand its limited water supply and use its existing water resources more efficiently including through the good regional cooperation it has with Israel. The country depends on external sources for the majority of its energy requirements. During the 1990s its crude petroleum needs were met through imports from Iraq and neighboring countries. Since early 2003 oil has been provided by some Gulf Cooperation Council member countries. In addition the Arab Gas Pipeline from Egypt to the southern port city of Aqaba was completed in 2003. The government plans to extend this pipeline north to the Amman area and beyond. Since King Abdullah II's accession to the throne in 1999 liberal economic policies have been introduced which has resulted in a boom lasting for a decade continuing even through 2009. Jordan is the 4th freest economy in the Middle East and North Africa beating traditionally free economies like Israel the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. Jordan's developed and modern banking sector is becoming the investment destination of choice due to its conservative bank policies that helped Jordan escape the worst of the global financial crisis of 2009. With instability across the region in Iraq and Lebanon Jordan is emerging as the "business capital of the Levant" and "the next Beirut". Jordan's economy has been growing at an annual rate of 7% for a decade. Jordan's economy is undergoing a major shift from an aid-dependent rentier economy to one of the most robust open and competitive economies in the region. In recent years there has been shift to knowledge-intensive industries i.e ICT and a rapidly growing trade sector benefiting from regional instability. Jordan has more free trade agreements than any other Arab country. Jordan has FTA's with the United States Canada Singapore Malaysia the European Union Tunisia Algeria Libya Iraq Turkey and Syria. More FTA's are planned with the Palestinian Authority the GCC Lebanon and Pakistan. Jordan is a member of the Greater Arab Free Trade Agreement the Euro-Mediterranean free trade agreement and the Agadir Agreement. Increased investment and exports are the main sources of Jordan's growth. Continued close integration into the European Union and GCC markets will reap vast economic rewards for the Kingdom in the coming years. The main obstacles to Jordan's economy are scarce water supplies complete reliance on oil imports for energy and regional instability. Rapid privatization of previously state-controlled industries and liberalization of the economy is spurring unprecedented growth in Jordan's urban centers like Amman and especially Aqaba. Jordan has six special economic zones that attract significant amount of investment amounting in the billions: Aqaba Mafraq Ma'an Ajloun the Dead Sea and Irbid. Jordan also has a plethora of industrial zones producing goods in the textile aerospace defense ICT pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors. The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States139 that went into effect in December 2001 will phase out duties on nearly all goods and services by 2010. The agreement also provides for more open markets in communications construction finance health transportation and services as well as strict application of international standards for the protection of intellectual property. In 1996 Jordan and the United States signed a civil aviation agreement that provides for open skies between the two countries and a U.S.-Jordan treaty for the protection and encouragement of bilateral investment entered into force in 2003. Jordan has been a member of the World Trade Organization since 2000.140 Many Iraqi and Palestinian businesses maintain important offices in Jordan. Due to the instability in these two regions many Iraqis and Palestinians work out of Jordan. With Jordan becoming known as the gateway to Iraq and the Palestinian territories and for its free trade policies Amman and the Kingdom of Jordan as a whole has the potential to monopolize business and trade in the Levant. In the 2000 Competitive Industrial Performance (CIP) Index Jordan ranked as the third most industrialized economy in the Middle East and North Africa behind Turkey and Kuwait. Jordan was in the upper bracket of nations scored by the CIP index. In the 2009 Global Trade Enabling Report Jordan ranked 4th in the Arab World behind the UAE Bahrain and Qatar. The report analyzes the country's market access the country's transport and communications infrastructure border administration and the business environment of the country141 Textile and clothing exports from Jordan to the United States shot up 2000% from 2000 to 2005 following introduction of the FTA. According to the National Labor Committee a U.S.-based NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) Jordan has experienced sharp increases in sweatshop conditions in its export-oriented manufacturing sector.142 Jordanian exports in 2006 The proportion of skilled workers in Jordan is among the highest in the region.143 The services sector dominates the Jordanian economy. Tourism is a rapidly growing industry in Jordan with revenues over one billion. Industries such as pharmaceuticals are emerging as very profitable products in Jordan. The Real Estate economy and construction sectors continue to flourish with mass amounts of investments pouring in from the Persian Gulf and Europe. Foreign Direct Investment is in the billions. The stock market capitalization of Jordan is worth nearly $40 billion. Jordan is classified by the World Bank as a "lower middle income country." The per-capita GDP was approximately US$5100 for 2007 and 14.5% of the economically active population on average was unemployed in 2003. Education and literacy rates and measures of social well-being are very high compared to other countries with similar incomes. Jordan's population growth rate is high but has declined in recent years to approximately 2.8% currently. One of the most important factors in the government's efforts to improve the well-being of its citizens is the macroeconomic stability that has been achieved since the 1990s. However unemployment rates remain high with the official figure standing at 12.5% and the unofficial around 30%. Rates of price inflation are low at 2.3% in 2003 and the currency has been stable with an exchange rate fixed to the U.S. dollar since 1995. Jordan is pinning its hopes on tourism future uranium and oil shale exports trade and ICT for future economic growth. Amman was ranked as the Arab World's most expensive city in 2006 by the Economist Intelligence Unit beating Dubai. In 2009 Amman ranked as the 4th most expensive city in the Arab World behind Dubai Abu Dhabi and Beirut. Jordan is an importer of low skilled and semi-skilled laborers from Egypt South Asia Indonesia Syria and the Philippines. There are a range of estimates of the size of the migrant workforce in Jordan from conservative estimates of 300000 foreign workers to almost 700000 foreigners working in Jordan. They constitute about 20-30% of the labor force in Jordan and they are consistently cited when discussing Jordan's chronic unemployment problem.132 These migrant workers often work in construction the textile factories in Jordan's Qualified Industrial Zones municipal maintenance services and as domestic workers. Recently these migrant workers were incorporated into the Kingdom's labor laws giving them a wide range of benefits and rights and access to legal protection the first Arab country to do so.144 In relation to the population size Jordan is also one of the largest suppliers of skilled labour and human capital in the world. An estimated 600000 Jordanians or one fourth of the labour force are earning their living in foreign countries working primarily in high paying white-collar jobs. Between 1968 and 2003 the accumulated net number of emmigrants amounted to over 1.1 million persons. Most of the skilled labor that left Jordan emigrated on a temporary basis to the oil producing Persian Gulf states. Since the mid 1970s migrants remittances are Jordans most important source of foreign exchange and a decisive factor in the countrys economic development and the rising standard of living of the population.101 Jordan has several large-scale global corporations despite its small size. Some of these include Arab Bank Aramex Maktoob and Kurdi Group. Since 2009 there are 2 Jordanian companies listed in the Forbes Global 2000 list Arab Bank (Rank 708) and Arab Potash (Rank 1964). In addition Jordan has several billionaires as well like Ziad Manasir and Eyhab Jumean. Agriculture Olive Farms in the north of Jordan (soufJerash) Main article: Agriculture in Jordan Agriculture in Jordan contributed substantially to the economy at the time of Jordan's independence but it subsequently suffered a decades-long steady decline. In the early 1950s agriculture constituted almost 40 percent of GNP; on the eve of the June 1967 War it was 17 percent.145 By the mid-1980s agriculture's share of GNP in Jordan was only about 6 percent.145 The main irrigated area in Jordan is focused in fertile lands of Jordan Valley. However other non-irrigated lands which depends on the seasonal rain are also available. Most of these lands are in the northern region in the provinces of Jerash Ajloun and Irbid. A farm in the mountains of Ajloun Yet some other lands are also available in the mid-western regions of Karak and Madaba. Recently some desert land in the east of Mafraq have witnessed a large scale of irrigation projects however the sustainability of these projects is still in doubt due to their intensive dependent on groundwater. Jordan is a producer of a wide variety of agricultural products which covers most of the local market and sell its exports to its neighbouring countries the Gulf and Europe which are including citruses fruits and vegetables e.g. olives as will as other products including Orange lemon apple grapes figs peaches pears plums apples apricots almonds and cherries etc. Natural resources See also: Oil shale in Jordan and Water supply and sanitation in Jordan Although Jordan is a generally resource-poor country Jordan does contain significant deposits of both oil shale and sources of uranium; these potential sources of indigenous energy have been the focus of renewed interest in recent years. Jordan however is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world and considerable water is required to develop these resources particularly oil shale. There are very limited resources of timber and forestry products and timbering is strictly limited by Jordan's environmentalists. Phosphate mines at the south of the kingdom enable Jordan to be one of the largest producers and exporters of this mineral in the world.146147148149150 Potassium salt natural gas and stone are the most important other substances extracted. Phosphates are carried by rail from the mines to the port of Aqaba where it is shipped via cargo ship to other ports. Jordan has one of the largest uranium reserves in the world. Jordan's reserves account for 2% of the world's total uranium. It's estimated that Jordan can extract 80000 tons of uranium from its uranic ores and the country's phosphate reserves also contain some 100000 tons of uranium. Jordan plans that by 2035 60% of the country's total energy consumption will be from nuclear energy. 4 nuclear power plants are planned to be built in Jordan with the first one to be operational in 2017. Since the beginning of 2010 the government of Jordan has been seeking approval from the U.S. for producing nuclear fuel from Jordan's uranium for use in nuclear power plants that Jordan plans to build. Jordan is not required to obtain U.S. approval since as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Jordan has every right to produce nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes. However in view of the U.S.-led sanctions against Iran over Iran's nuclear program despite Iran being a signatory of the NPT Jordan is first seeking US approval to avoid a fate similar to that of Iran. The government of Israel not a signatory of the NPT has made clear to Washington its objection to Jordan's nuclear energy program. According to Haaretz Jordan learned that the US position is essentially the Israeli position and the U.S. has rejected Jordan's request for approval.151 Natural gas was discovered in Jordan in 1987 and the estimated size of the reserve discovered was about 230 billion cubic feet and quantities are very modest compared with its neighbours. It was the development of the Risha field in the Eastern Desert beside the Iraqi border and the field produces nearly 30 million cubic feet of gas a day to be sent to a nearby power plant to produce nearly 10% of the Jordan's Electric needs.152 Despite the fact that reserves of crude oil are non-commercial Jordan possesses one of the world's richest stockpiles of oil shale where there are huge quantities that could be commercially exploited in the central and northern regions west of the country. The extent the World Energy Council reserves Jordan approximately 40 billion tons which established it as the second richest state in rock oil reserves after Canada (estimated) and first at the world's level of proven discoveries at a rate of extraction of oil up to between 8% and 12% of content and could be the production of 4 billion tons of oil from the current reserve which puts the quality of Jordanian oil on the one hand extraction on an equal footing with their counterparts in western Colorado in the United States which its estimated amount may rise to 20 billion tons. The moisture content and ash within is relatively low. And the total thermal value is 7.5 megajoules/kg and the content of ointments reach 9% of the weight of the organic content.153 Jordan recently signed a deal with Royal Dutch Shell to extract and exploit shale oil reserves in central Jordan. It is expected Jordan will produce its first commercial quantities of oil in the year 2020 with an estimated production of 50000 barrels of oil a day 35 per cent of the Kingdom's energy consumption in "less than 10 years". Previous NRA studies have revealed that 40 billion tonnes of oil shale exist in 21 sites concentrated near the Yarmouk River Buweida Beit Ras Rweished Karak Madaba and Maan. A switch to power plants operated by oil shale has the potential to reduce Jordan's energy bill by at least 4050 per cent according to the National Electric Power Company.154 Currency and exchange rates The official currency in Jordan is the Jordanian dinar and divides into 100 qirsh (also called piastres) or 1000 fils. In 1949 banknotes were issued by the government in denominations of 500 fils 1 5 10 dinar. From 1959 the Central Bank of Jordan took over note production. 20 dinar notes were introduced in 1977 followed by 50 dinar in 1999. dinar notes were replaced by coins in 1999. Coins were introduced in 1949 in denominations of 1 5 10 20 50 and 100 fils. The first issue of 1 fils were mistakenly minted with the denomination given as "1 fil". 20 fils coins were minted until 1965 with 25 fils introduced in 1968 and dinar coins in 1970. The 1 fils coin was last minted in 1985. In 1996 smaller dinar coins were introduced alongside and 1 dinar coins. Since October 23 1995 the dinar has been officially pegged to the IMF's Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). In practice it is fixed at 1 U.S. dollar 0.709 dinar which translates to approximately 1 dinar 1.41044 dollars.155156 The Central Bank buys U.S. dollars at 0.708 dinar and sell U.S. dollars at 0.7125 dinarExchangers buys U.S. dollars at 0.708 and sell U.S. dollars at 0.709.157 Tourism Main article: Tourism in Jordan The Roman temple of Hercules in ancient Philadelphia (Amman) The treasury as seen from al-Siq An Arabian Desert castle in Azraq The Corinthian columns are a popular tourist attraction in Jerash. The Brazen Serpent statue on Mount Nebo (Jordan) Tourism is a very important sector of the Jordanian economy contributing between 10% and 12% to the country's Gross National Product in 2006. In addition to the country's political stability the geography offered makes Jordan an attractive tourism destination. In 2010 there were 4.6 million overnight visitors to Jordan. The result was $3.4 billion in tourism revenues.158159 Opodo and Travel Guides named Jordan as the Top Emerging Destination for 2009. Jordan's major tourist activities include numerous ancient places its unique desert castles and unspoiled natural locations to its cultural and religious sites. Jordan also offers a variety of nightlife options with nightclubs discothques bars and raves in Amman Irbid Aqaba and in 4 and 5-star hotels across the kingdom including in the Dead Sea and Petra areas. However Jordan's best options for nightlife and clubbing are in West Amman. More traditional nightlife options like shisha lounges and late-night street cafes are available around Jordan. In addition Jordan has played host to numerous raves and concerts like the Petra Prana Festival in 2007 which celebrated Petra's win as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World with world-renowned DJ's like Tiesto and Sarah Main. Also the annual Distant Heat festival held in Wadi Rum and Aqaba which was ranked as one of the world's top 10 raves brings local regional and international DJ's to play nonstop for two whole days. The best known tourist attractions include: Ancient sightseeing Petra in Wadi Musa the home of the Nabateans is a complete city carved in a mountain. The huge rocks are colorful mostly pink and the entrance to the ancient city is through a 1.25 km narrow gorge in the mountaincalled the Siq. In the city are various structures all (except 2) are carved into rock including al Khazneh  known as the Treasury  which has been designated as one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World" by the for-profit New Open World Corporation. Other major sites of interest in Petra include the Monastery the Roman theater the Royal Tombs the High Place of Sacrifice. Petra was rediscovered for the western world by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812. Umm Qais a town located on the site of the ruined HellenisticRoman city of Gadara amongst the few in the Hellenistic world to have black basalt facades . Roman ruins at Umm Qais. Ajlun famous for the Ajlun Castle called in Arabic Al-Rabad Castle. Jerash famous for its ancient Roman architecture with colonnaded streets Corinthian arches outdoor Roman Theaters and the Oval Plaza. Outside Jerash proper the countryside is amongst the most scenic in the country with ancient olive groves and oak and pine woodlands. Wakalat Street Amman Jordan's cosmopolitan capital contains the Roman theater in addition to several museums where one may find remains of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Amman is one of the world's oldest cities however the city is surprisingly modern and very prosperous. It is considered to be one of the most westernized cities in the Arab World.160 Jordan's capital city boasts plenty of historical sites a thriving nightlife scene a rapidly growing culinary scene with restaurants serving a plethora of international dishes including anything from regional dishes to Western dishes and even Asian cuisine like sushi a plethora of modern shopping malls and cultural events from around the world. The city has become a favourite destination among affluent Arab vacationers in recent years due to its rather temperate climate its unique Eastern and Western cultural blend and its liberal atmosphere.161162 Discothques music bars and shisha lounges have sprouted across Amman changing the city's old image as the conservative capital of the kingdom. Jordan's young population is helping shape this new burgeoning nightlife scene turning this once "staid" capital into one of the region's most vibrant clubbing destinations. It has drastically changed so much that partying is becoming a cultural lifestyle for Jordanians. Driving expensive cars and sporting the latest fashions many of these young affluent Jordanians gather almost every night at the chic new spots. Furthermore Amman has developed one of the Middle East's very few homosexual partying scenes that is mostly concentrated around liberal affluent hangouts like Books@Cafe and Club Fame attesting to the rapid opening and westernization of Jordanian society over the past decade.163164 The main centers for clubbing in the city are Abdun Jabal Amman and Sweifieh Amman's unofficial red light district. Amman along with Abu Dhabi and Jeddah had the highest hotel occupancy rates in the region in 2009.165 Al Karak is built around an important Crusader castle from around the times of Salah al-Din "Crac des Moabites" now known as Al-Karak Castle. Religious sites Madaba well known for its Byzantine mosaics as well as important religious sites such as: The "terra Santa" Madaba Map of the Holyland. The River Jordan Bethany Beyond the Jordan the biblical Bethabara where Jesus of Nazareth was baptized by John the Baptist. Mount Nebo where Moses was said to have gone to get a view of the Promised Land before he died. Seaside excavated remains of Bethabara Jordan where John the Baptist is believed to have conducted his ministry. The Dead Sea  It is the lowest point on earth 402 meters below sea level166 and becomes 1 meter lower each year. It is the only depository of River Jordan and was part of the biblical kingdoms of Midianites and later the Moabites. The Dead Sea area is home to numerous world-class resorts such as the Kempinski and Marriott. In addition there are water parks a public beach and international restaurants. The ultra-chic destination in the area however is the O-Beach which is home to cabanas bars international restaurants and a beach club. World's lowest (dry) point Jordan 1971 Aqaba is a town on the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba with numerous shopping centers hotels and access to various water sports and protected coral reefs and marine life. It has the ruins of the mediaeval town of Ayla and other Edomite ruins. Aqaba also has a vibrant nightlife scene especially on holiday weekends when hordes of wealthy Jordanians visit the coastal city. Numerous raves and concerts are held by international DJ's and artists at the major resorts and beach clubs. Aqaba is seeing nearly $20 billion worth of developments centered on tourism and real estate projects transforming the city into a "new Dubai". Other sites File:Wadi rum.jpg Mount Rum known as Seven Pillars of Wisdom by Lawrence of Arabia as-Salt was the administrative capital east of the river Jordan during the Ottoman era. It still boasts architecture from the 17th century upwards and is famous for its old vineyards. It is considered today as the most ancient of the urban centers east of the river Jordan. Wadi Rum is a desert full of mountains and hills located south of Jordan. It is popular for its sights in addition to a variety of sports that are practiced there such as rock-climbing. It is also known for its association with Lawrence of Arabia. Fuheis a town about 20 minutes north-west of Amman known for its traditional 18th and 19th century churches and turn of the century provincial Jordanian architecture. Mahis with important religious sites and wonderful landscape. Shoubak with its Crusader Castle "Crac de Montreal" Marking both the eastern and southern frontier of Crusader expansion. Muwakir (Arabic for Machaerus) was the hilltop stronghold of Herod the Great. Upon Herod's death his son Herod Antipas inhabited the fortress and ordered John the Baptist to be beheaded there and where the fabled Salom daughter of Herodias is said to have danced the famous Dance of the Seven Veils thus asking for John the Baptists' head. Medical tourism Jordan has been an established medical tourism destination in the Middle East since the 1970s. A study conducted by Jordan's Private Hospitals Association (PHA) found that 210100 patients from 48 countries received treatment in the kingdom in 2008 compared to 190000 in 2007 bringing over $1 billion in revenue. It is the region's top medical tourism destination as rated by the World Bank and fifth in the world overall.167168169 There are about 60 private health care institutions in the kingdom four of which have been accredited by US-based Joint Commission International which is considered the gold standard for international accreditation in the healthcare industry. Also most of Jordan's doctors speak proficient English and many have been trained or are affiliated with top US hospitals such as the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins. Although Jordan's medical institutions are of high standards its costs are relatively low compared to the developed world but relatively high for the developing world. Healthcare costs in Jordan typically are just one-tenth of the price of treatments in the USA and less than a third of the cost of medical services in the UK. Other features that make Jordan a popular healthcare destination are sight-seeing attractions such as Petra and the Dead Sea. The most common procedures requested by patients from the USA and UK at the hospital are plastic surgery in-vitro fertilization and orthopaedic care. Regional Patients travelling to Jordan usually seek cardiac surgery vascular surgery neurosurgery and cancer-related procedures. The main barrier to further growth for Jordan's medical tourism industry is visa restrictions placed on some countries due to the fear of permanent illegal settlement in Jordan. Jordan's main focus of attention in its marketing effort are the ex-Soviet states Europe and America.170 Top institutions that work in this industry include JORDICURE for medical tourism King Hussein Cancer Center Khalidi Hospital Jordan Hospital and the Specialty Hospital among others. Nature reserves Main article: List of nature reserves in Jordan Jordan has a number of nature reserves including: Dana Biosphere Reserve The Azraq Wetland Reserve The Shaumari Wildlife Reserve The Mujib Nature Reserve Transportation Main article: Transport in Jordan A Royal Jordanian Airbus A310-300 Being that Jordan is a transit country for goods and services to the Palestinian territories and Iraq Jordan maintains a well-developed transportation infrastructure. There are three commercial airports all receiving and sending international commercial flights two of them in Amman and the third is located in the city of Aqaba. The largest airport in the country is Queen Alia International Airport in Amman that serves as the hub of the regional airline Royal Jordanian. The airport is currently under significant expansion in a bid to make it the hub for the Levant. Marka International Airport was the country's main airport before it was replaced by Queen Alia Airport but it still serves several regional routes. King Hussein International Airport serves Aqaba with connections to Amman and several regional and international cities. Jordan has a well-developed road infrastructure with 7999 kilometres of paved highways. A National Rail System was approved by the Jordanian Government which will connect all major cities and towns by passenger and cargo rail. There are two lines to be constructed. The North-South Line passing through Mafraq Zarqa Amman Maan and Aqaba with international connections to Syria and Saudi Arabia. The East-West Line will run from Mafraq Irbid and Azraq with international connections to Iraq and possibly Israel. The national rail system will be completed by 2013. These routes are planned to be electrified. There are also plans for a light rail system operating between Amman and Zarqa and a funicular and a three line metro system for Amman. A phosphate train at Ram station Two connected but non-contiguously operated sections of the Hedjaz Railway exist: from Amman in Jordan to Syria as the "Hedjaz Jordan Railway." from phosphate mines near Ma'an to the Gulf of Aqaba as the "Aqaba Railway." Jordan shares the longest common borders with the West Bank there are two border crossings between Jordan and Israel in the Bisan merge (King Hussein Bridge) in the north in the Wadi Araba in the south. The Port of Aqaba is Jordan's sole outlet to the sea. It handles all cargo bound to Jordan Iraqand in some cases the West Bank. The Main Port is being relocated further south and being expanded. An Abu Dhabi consortium will handle the $5 billion dollar deal. The project is set to be completed in 2013. Defence industry Jordan is a recent entrant to the domestic defense industry with the establishment of King Abdullah Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) in 1999. The defense industrial initiative is intended to jumpstart industrialization across a range of sectors. With the Jordanian defense expenditures at 8.7% of GDP the Jordanian authorities created the defense industry to utilize defense budget spending power and to assist in economic growth without placing additional demands on the national budget. Jordan also hosts SOFEX the worlds fastest growing and regions only special operations and homeland security exhibition and conference.171 Jordan is a regional and international provider of advanced military goods and services.172 A KADDB Industrial Park was opened in September 2009 in Mafraq. It is an integral industrial free zone specialized in defense industries and vehicles and machinery manufacturing. By 2015 the park is expected to provide around 15000 job opportunities whereas the investment volume is expected to reach JD500 million.173 Influence of the Southwest Asian conflict The ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict the Persian Gulf War and other conflicts in Southwest Asia have made huge impacts on the economy of Jordan. The fact that Jordan has peace with the surrounding countries combined with its stability has made it a preference for many Palestinians Lebanese and Persian Gulf immigrants and refugees. Though this may have resulted in a more active economy it has also damaged it by substantially decreasing the amount of resources each person is entitled to. Jordan has a law that states that any Palestinian may immigrate and obtain Jordanian citizenship but must remit his/her Palestinian claim. Palestinians are not allowed to purchase land unless they give up their Palestinian citizenship. In November 2005 King Abdullah called for a "war on extremism" in the wake of three suicide bombings in Amman. Opportunity cost of the conflict A report174 by Strategic Foresight Group has calculated the opportunity cost of conflict for the Middle East from 1991 to 2010 at a whopping $12 trillion (12000000000000). Jordan's share in this is almost $84 billion. Every Jordanian family will also have the opportunity to increase their annual income by more than $1250 if peace is established in the region and the Arab-Israeli boycott is lifted in full. The report175 also outlines how an extremely significant cost to Jordan is that the country is host to millions of refugees who make up 40% of their population and are a drain on 7% of the GDP. Jordan also spends over 5% of its GDP on defense and has one of the highest numbers of military personnel in the region 23500 military personnel per million people. Culture Main article: Culture of Jordan A large plate of mezes in Petra Jordan. Prince Ali bin Al Hussein Vice President of the FIFA. The culture of Jordan as in its spoken language values beliefs ethnicities is Arab as the Kingdom is in the heart of Southwest Asia. Although many people from different regions of the world have come to settle in Jordan Europeans like the (Circassians and the Chechens) or the Armenians they have long been assimilated in the society and added their richness to the society that subsequently developed. Jordan has a very diverse cultural scene with many different artists religious sects and ethnic groups residing in the small country because of Jordan's reputation for stability and tolerance. Despite that Jordan music cinema and other forms of entertainment are influenced by other countries most specifically other Arab countries like Lebanon and Egypt as well as by the West primarily the United States. However there has been a rise of home-grown songs music art movies and television but they pale in comparison to the amount imported from abroad. Mansaf the national dish of Jordan.176 See: Music of Jordan Sports in Jordan Cuisine of Jordan Art in Jordan Public holidays in Jordan Globalization In the 2007 A.T. Kearney Globalization Index Jordan was ranked as the 9th most globalized nation in the world. The 2010 AOF Index of Globalization ranked Jordan as the most globalized country in the Middle East and North Africa region as well.177 Jordan ranked in the top 10 for the economic social and political components of the index. Jordan scored high on the trade tables with high investment rates large amounts of expatriate remittances and a liberal trade regime. Jordan also had one of the most political engagements organization and treaty memberships in the world. High technology penetration rates and its fast growing ICT industry earned Jordan high marks in the technology connectivity rankings. For example Jordan has a 101% mobile penetration rate and a 40% internet penetration rate.178179 Furthermore 52% of Jordanians 15 years old and above own a desktop computer and another 15 per cent own a laptop at home.179 Also Jordan has one of the highest levels of peacekeeping troop contributions of all U.N. member states.180 Jordan ranked as the 9th best outsourcing destination worldwide. Amman was ranked as the one of the "Top 10 Aspirants" cities in this ranking have a good chance in making the top 50 outsourcing cities in the next ranking. The report said that Jordan had one of the region's most favourable business climates a well-educated population solid capabilities in the ICT industry and Jordan was home to numerous outsourcing companies that compete successfully internationally.181 See also Jordan portal Southwest Asia portal Outline of Jordan Index of Jordan-related articles International rankings Jund al-Urdunn one of the five districts of Syria during the period of the Arab Caliphates v d e Jordan Geography Governorates  Nahias  Cities  The Mediterranean  Dead Sea  Red Sea  River Jordan  Nature reserves  Extreme points History Nabataeans  Hashemites  Islamic Empire  Ottoman Empire  Arab Revolt  Sykes-Picot Agreement  British Mandate for Palestine  Transjordan  Arab-Israeli conflict  1948 Arab-Israeli War  1967 Arab-Israeli War  1973 Arab-Israeli War  IsraelJordan peace treaty  Palestine Liberation Organization  Black September  2011 Jordanian protests Economy International rankings  Globalization  Agriculture  Defense industry  Tourism  Petra world heritage site  Oil shale  Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation  Jordan Atomic Energy Commission  Water supply and sanitation in Jordan Demographics and Culture Religion  Islam  Christianity  Catholicism  Freedom of religion  Arabic language  Art  Cinema  Cuisine  Music  Sports  Boy Scouts and Girl Guides  Public holidays Health and Education Hospitals  Private Hospitals Association  Medical education  Universities  University of Jordan  Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Government and politics Constitution  Kings  Prime Ministers  Cabinet  Parliament  Political parties  Elections  Law enforcement  Central Bank  Foreign affairs  Human rights Military Royal Jordanian Land Force  Royal Jordanian Air Force  Royal Naval Force  Royal Special Forces  Royal Maintenance Corps  General Intelligence Directorate  His Majesty's Special Security  King Abdullah Design and Development Bureau  Jordanian military ranks  Arab Legion Transportation Airports  Railways  Royal Jordanian Airlines  Aqaba seaport Communications Newspapers  Internet  JRTV  ATV People King Abdullah I  King Talal  King Hussein  King Abdullah II  Queen Rania Portal  Index  Outline References http://www.ethnologue.com/showcountry.aspnamejordan "Population: Jordan". 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The Jordan Times. November 22 2009. http://www.jordantimes.com/index.phpnews21795. Retrieved 2010-11-10.  a b Hani Hazaimeh (June 13 2010). "Domestic Internet penetration increases in 2010". The Jordan Times. http://www.jordantimes.com/news27413. Retrieved 2010-11-10.  "Hong kong jordan and estonia debut among the top 10 in expanded ranking of the world's most globalized countries News & media". Atkearney.com. 2007-10-22. http://www.atkearney.com/index.php/News-media/hong-kong-jordan-and-estonia-debut-among-the-top-10-in-expanded-ranking-of-the-worlds-most-globalized-countries.html. Retrieved 2010-06-15.  "Survey: Global Investment House after last year's drop". Menafn.com. 2010-03-21. http://www.menafn.com/qnnewsstorys.aspStoryId1093280320. Retrieved 2010-06-15.  Further reading El-Anis Imad. Jordan and the United States: The Political Economy of Trade and Economic Reform in the Middle East (I.B. Tauris distributed by Palgrave Macmillan; 2011) 320 pages; case studies of trade in textiles pharmaceuticals and financial services. Robins Philip. A History of Jordan (2004) Salibi Kamal S. The Modern History of Jordan (1998) Teller Matthew. The Rough Guide to Jordan (4th ed. 2009) External links Find more about Jordan on Wikipedia's sister projects: Definitions from Wiktionary Images and media from Commons Learning resources from Wikiversity News stories from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Government of Jordan official website Jordan entry at The World Factbook Jordan web resources provided by GovPubs at the University of ColoradoBoulder Libraries Jordan at the Open Directory Project Wikimedia Atlas of Jordan Jordan travel guide from Wikitravel  Israel  Syria  Iraq  West Bank  Saudi Arabia    Jordan      Israel Gulf of Aqaba  Saudi Arabia  Saudi Arabia  Geographic locale v d eCountries and dependencies of Asia Sovereign states Afghanistan  Armenia  Azerbaijan  Bahrain  Bangladesh  Bhutan  Brunei  Burma (Myanmar)  Cambodia  People's Republic of China  Cyprus  Egypt  Georgia  India  Indonesia  Iran  Iraq  Israel  Japan  Jordan  Kazakhstan  North Korea  South Korea  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 Yemen 1 excluding Southern Sudan    2 Aramaic and Hebrew v d eBritish Empire and Commonwealth of Nations Legend Current territory     Former territory * now a Commonwealth Realm     now a member of the Commonwealth of Nations Europe  18th century 17081757  Minorca since 1713  Gibraltar 17631782  Minorca 17981802  Minorca 19th century 18001964  Malta 18071890  Heligoland 18091864  Ionian Islands 20th century 1921-1937  Irish Free State North America  17th century 15831907  Newfoundland 16071776  Virginia since 1619  Bermuda 16201691  Plymouth Colony 16291691  Massachusetts Bay Colony 16321776  Maryland 16361776  Connecticut 16361776  Rhode Island 16371662  New Haven Colony 16631712  Carolina 16641776  New York 16651674 and 1702-1776  New Jersey 16701870  Rupert's Land 16741702  East Jersey 16741702  West Jersey 16801776  New Hampshire 16811776  Pennsylvania 16861689  Dominion of New England 16911776  Massachusetts 18th century 17011776  Delaware 17121776  North Carolina 17121776  South Carolina 17131867  Nova Scotia 17331776  Georgia 17631873  Prince Edward Island 17631791  Quebec 17631783  East Florida 17631783  West Florida 17841867  New Brunswick 17911841  Lower Canada 17911841  Upper Canada 19th century 18181846  Columbia District / Oregon Country1 18411867  Province of Canada 18491866  Vancouver Island 18531863  Colony of the Queen Charlotte Islands 18581866  British Columbia 18591870  North-Western Territory 18621863  Stikine Territory 18661871  Vancouver Island and British Columbia 18671931  *Dominion of Canada2 20th century 19071949  Dominion of Newfoundland3 1Occupied jointly with the United States 2In 1931 Canada and other British dominions obtained self-government through the Statute of Westminster. see Canada's name. 3Gave up self-rule in 1934 but remained a de jure Dominion until it joined Canada in 1949. Latin America and the Caribbean  17th century 16051979  *Saint Lucia 16231883  Saint Kitts (*Saint Kitts & Nevis) 16241966  *Barbados 16251650  Saint Croix 16271979  *St. Vincent and the Grenadines 16281883  Nevis (*Saint Kitts & Nevis) 16291641  St. Andrew and Providence Islands4 since 1632  Montserrat 16321860  Antigua (*Antigua & Barbuda) 16431860  Bay Islands since 1650  Anguilla 16511667  Willoughbyland (Suriname) 16551850  Mosquito Coast (protectorate) 16551962  *Jamaica since 1666  British Virgin Islands since 1670  Cayman Islands 16701973  *Bahamas 16701688  St. Andrew and Providence Islands4 16711816  Leeward Islands 18th century 17621974  *Grenada 17631978  Dominica since 1799  Turks and Caicos Islands 19th century 18311966  British Guiana (Guyana) 18331960  Windward Islands 18331960  Leeward Islands 18601981  *Antigua and Barbuda 18711964  British Honduras (*Belize) 18821983  *St. Kitts and Nevis 18891962  Trinidad and Tobago 20th century 19581962  West Indies Federation 4Now the San Andrs y Providencia Department of Colombia Africa  18th century 17921961  Sierra Leone 17951803  Cape Colony 19th century 18061910  Cape Colony 18101968  Mauritius 18161965  Gambia 18561910  Natal 18681966  Basutoland (Lesotho) 18741957  Gold Coast (Ghana) 18821922  Egypt 18841966  Bechuanaland (Botswana) 18841960  British Somaliland 18871897  Zululand 18881894  Matabeleland 18901965  Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) 5 18901962  Uganda 18901963  Zanzibar (Tanzania) 18911964  Nyasaland (Malawi) 18911907  British Central Africa Protectorate 18931968  Swaziland 18951920  East Africa Protectorate 18991956  Anglo-Egyptian Sudan 20th century 19001914  Northern Nigeria 19001914  Southern Nigeria 19001910  Orange River Colony 19001910  Transvaal Colony 19061954  Nigeria Colony 19101931  South Africa 19111964  Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) 19141954  Nigeria Colony and Protectorate 19151931  South West Africa (Namibia) 19191960  Cameroons (Cameroon) 6 19201963  Kenya 19221961  Tanganyika (Tanzania) 6 19541960  Nigeria 19791980  Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) 5 5Southern Rhodesia issued a Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965 (as Rhodesia) and returned to British control in 1979. 6League of Nations mandate Asia  17th Century 1685-1824  Bencoolen (Sumatra) 18th century 17021705  Cn o 17571947  Bengal (West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh) 17621764  Philippines 17951948  Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 17961965  Maldives 19th century 18191826  British Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore) 18261946  Straits Settlements 18391967  Colony of Aden 18391842  Afghanistan 18411997  Hong Kong 18411941  Kingdom of Sarawak (Malaysia) 18581947  British India (India Pakistan and Bangladesh Burma) 18791919  Afghanistan 18821963  British North Borneo (Malaysia) 18851946  Unfederated Malay States 18881984  Sultanate of Brunei 18881946  Sultanate of Sulu 18911971  Muscat and Oman protectorate 18921971  Trucial States protectorate 18951946  Federated Malay States 18981930  Weihai Garrison 18781960  Cyprus 20th century 19181961  Kuwait protectorate 19201932  Iraq6 19211946  Transjordan6 19231948  Palestine6 19451946  South Vietnam 19461948  Malayan Union 19461963  Sarawak (Malaysia) 19481957  Federation of Malaya (Malaysia) since 1960  Akrotiri and Dhekelia (before as part of Cyprus) since 1965  British Indian Ocean Territory 6League of Nations mandate Oceania  18th century 17881901  New South Wales 19th century 18031901  Van Diemen's Land/Tasmania 18071863  Auckland Islands7 18241980  New Hebrides (Vanuatu) 18241901  Queensland 18291901  Swan River Colony/Western Australia 18361901  South Australia since 1838  Pitcairn Islands 18411907  Colony of New Zealand 18511901  Victoria 18741970  Fiji8 18771976  British Western Pacific Territories 18841949  Territory of Papua 18881965  Cook Islands7 18891948  Union Islands (Tokelau)7 18921979  Gilbert and Ellice Islands9 18931978  British Solomon Islands10 20th century 19001970  Tonga (protected state) 19001974  Niue7 19011942  *Commonwealth of Australia 19071953  *Dominion of New Zealand 19191942  Nauru 19451968  Nauru 19191949  Territory of New Guinea 19491975  Territory of Papua and New Guinea11 7Now part of the *Realm of New Zealand 8Suspended member 9Now Kiribati and *Tuvalu 10Now the *Solomon Islands 11Now *Papua New Guinea Antarctica and South Atlantic  17th century since 1659  St. Helena12 19th century since 1815  Ascension Island12 since 1816  Tristan da Cunha12 since 1833  Falkland Islands13 20th century since 1908  British Antarctic Territory14 since 1908  South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands13 14 12Since 2009 part of Saint Helena Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; Ascension Island (1922) and Tristan da Cunha (1938) were previously dependencies of St Helena 13Occupied by Argentina during the Falklands War of AprilJune 1982 14Both claimed in 1908; territories formed in 1962 (British Antarctic Territory) and 1985 (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands)