Jordan

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Jordan

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyyah/Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Area 89,206 sq km/34,442 sq mi (excluding the West Bank 5,879 sq km/2,269 sq mi) Capital Amman Language Arabic (official), English Religion over 90% Sunni Muslim (official religion), small communities of Christians and Shiite Muslims Time difference GMT +2 Major holidays 1 January, 1, 25 May, 10 June, 11 August, 14 November, 25 December; variable: Eid-ul-Adha (4 days), first day of Ramadan, end of Ramadan (4 days), New Year (Muslim), Prophet's Birthday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Zarqa, Irbid, Saet, Ma'an Major ports Aqaba Physical features desert plateau in east; Rift Valley separates east and west banks of River Jordan Airports three international airports and 16 other airports; total passengers carried: 1.4 million (2003 est) Railways total length: 788 km/490 mi; total passenger journeys: 45,000 (2001) Roads total road network: 7,364 km/4,576 mi, of which 100% paved (2003 est); passenger cars: 98.6 per 1,000 people (2003 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state King Abdullah ibn Hussein from 1999 Head of government Marouf al-Bakhit from 2005 Political system emergent democracy Political executive parliamentary Administrative divisions 12 governorates Political parties independent groups loyal to the king predominate; of the 21 parties registered since 1992, the most significant is the Islamic Action Front (IAF), Islamic fundamentalist Death penalty retained and used for ordinary crimes Armed forces 100,500; plus 35,000 reservists and paramilitary forces of 10,000 (2006 est) Conscription military service is voluntary Defence spend (% GDP) 7.5 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 4.6 (2001 est) Health spend (% GDP) 4.2 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency Jordanian dinar GDP (US$) 12.9 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 6 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 13.5 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 5,280 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 6.3% (2006 est) Unemployment 12.5% (2004) Labour force 3.6% agriculture, 21.8% industry, 74.6% services (2004) Foreign debt (US$) 8.9 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners USA, China, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Germany, India Resources phosphates, potash, shale Industries mining and quarrying, petroleum refining, chemical products, alcoholic drinks, food products, phosphate, cement, potash, tourism Exports manufactured goods, phosphate, potash, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food and live animals, cement. Principal market: USA 26.8% (2005) Imports machinery and transport equipment, crude petroleum and petroleum products, food and live animals, basic manufactures. Principal source: USA 8.4% (2005) Arable land 3.3% (2006 est) Agricultural products wheat, barley, maize, tobacco, vegetables, fruits, nuts; livestock rearing (sheep and goats)


POPULATION

Population 5,837,400 (2006 est) Population growth rate 2.1% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 65 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 79 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 37%, 15–59 58%, 60+ 5% (2005 est) Ethnic groups majority of Arab descent (98%); small Circassian, Armenian, and Kurdish minorities Life expectancy 71 (men); 74 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 27 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 10 Literacy rate 96% (men); 86% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 20.5 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 1.7 (2003 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) <0.1 (2005 est) AIDS deaths <500 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 91 (urban); 91 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 11.4 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 28.9 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 372 (2001 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 190 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 5.3 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 11.2 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

13th century BC Oldest known ‘states’ of Jordan, including Gideon, Ammon, Moab, and Edom, established. c. 1000 BC East Jordan was part of kingdom of Israel, under David and Solomon. 4th century BC Southeast Jordan occupied by the independent Arabic-speaking Nabataeans. 64 BC Conquered by the Romans and became part of the province of Arabia. AD 636 Became largely Muslim after the Byzantine forces of Emperor Heraclius were defeated by Arab armies at battle of Yarmuk, in northern Jordan. 1099–1187 Part of Latin Kingdom established by Crusaders in Jerusalem. from early 16th century Part of Turkish Ottoman Empire, administered from Damascus. 1920 Trans-Jordan (the area east of the River Jordan) and Palestine (which includes the West Bank) placed under British administration by League of Nations mandate. 1923 Trans-Jordan separated from Palestine and recognized by Britain as a substantially independent state under the rule of Emir Abdullah ibn Hussein, a member of the Hashemite dynasty of Arabia. 1946 Trans-Jordan achieved independence from Britain, with Abd Allah as king; name changed to Jordan. 1948 British mandate for Palestine expired, leading to fighting between Arabs and Jews, who each claimed the area. 1950 Jordan annexed West Bank; 400,000 Palestinian refugees flooded into Jordan, putting pressure on the economy. 1952 Partially democratic constitution introduced. 1958 Jordan and Iraq formed Arab Federation that ended when Iraqi monarchy was deposed. 1967 Israel defeated Egypt, Syria, and Jordan in Arab–Israeli Six-Day War, and captured and occupied the West Bank, including Arab Jerusalem. Martial law imposed. 1970–71 Jordanians moved against increasingly radicalized Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which had launched guerrilla raids on Israel from Jordanian territory, resulting in bloody civil war, before the PLO leadership fled abroad. 1976 Political parties banned and elections postponed until further notice. 1980 Jordan emerged as important ally of Iraq in its war against Iran, an ally of Syria, with whom Jordan's relations were tense. 1984 Women voted for first time; parliament recalled. 1985 King Hussein ibn Tal Abdulla el Hashim and PLO leader Yassir Arafat put forward a framework for Middle East peace settlement. There was a secret meeting between Hussein and the Israeli prime minister. 1988 Hussein announced willingness to cease administering West Bank, passing responsibility to PLO; parliament suspended. 1989 Riots over price increases of up to 50% following fall in oil revenues. In first parliamentary elections for 23 years Muslim Brotherhood won 25 of 80 seats but were exiled from government. 1990 Hussein unsuccessfully tried to mediate after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. Huge refugee problems as thousands fled to Jordan from Kuwait and Iraq. 1991 24 years of martial law ended; ban on political parties lifted; Jordan remained neutral during Gulf War involving Iraq. 1993 Candidates loyal to Hussein won majority in parliamentary elections; several leading Islamic fundamentalists lost their seats. 1994 Economic cooperation pact signed with PLO. Peace treaty signed with Israel, ending 46-year-old state of war. 1999 King Hussein died; eldest son, Abdullah, succeeded him. Ali Abu al-Ragheb appointed prime minister. In May, Abdullah held talks with Yassir Arafat prior to Israeli peace negotiations. 2002 In first assassination of Western embassy official in Jordan, US diplomat Lawrence Foley shot dead by lone assailant in Amman. 2003 In elections, non-partisan candidates loyal to King Abdullah II won majority in lower house. Fundamentalist Islamic Action Front, together with other Islamist sympathizers, took 24 seats. King retained power to veto bills and rule by decree. 2004 King Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad officially launched Wahdah Dam project. Eight Islamic militants sentenced to death for 2002 murder of US diplomat. Cars filled with explosives seized by authorities and several suspects arrested; said to have ties with al-Qaeda; believed to be planning chemical bomb attack in Amman. 2005 Jordan's ambassador to Israel returned there after being recalled in 2000 following Palestinian uprising. Government resigned after reports of king's dissatisfaction with pace of reforms; new cabinet, led by Prime Minister Adnan Badran, sworn in. Day of mourning declared after suicide bomb attacks at three hotels in Amman killed 56 people, mainly Jordanians. Al-Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility. 2006 King Abdullah criticized USA and Israel over fighting in Lebanon. Armed man opened fire on tourists at Roman amphitheatre in Amman; British man killed. 2007 First local elections held since 1999 did not go smoothly as main opposition party, Islamist Action Front, withdrew after accusing government of vote-rigging.


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