Jordan
Hashemite Kingdom of JordanAl Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah
constitutional monarchy
Jordan as the 2014 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 165 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations awarded Britain the mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain demarcated a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in the early 1920s. The area gained its independence in 1946 and thereafter became The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The country's long-time ruler, King HUSSEIN (1953-99), successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population.
Jordan lost the West Bank to Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. King HUSSEIN in 1988 permanently relinquished Jordanian claims to the West Bank; in 1994 he signed a peace treaty with Israel. King ABDALLAH II, King HUSSEIN's eldest son, assumed the throne following his father's death in 1999. He implemented modest political and economic reforms, but in the wake of the "Arab Revolution" across the Middle East, Jordanians continue to press for further political liberalization, government reforms, and economic improvements. In January 2014, Jordan assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2014-15 term.
Geography
Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia, between Israel (to the west) and Iraq
20 fieldsLand useshare of 89,342 sq km
Terrain
mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 0.94 cu km/yr (31%/4%/65%)
- per capita:
- 166 cu m/yr (2005)
Environment - current issues
- limited natural freshwater resources;
- deforestation;
- overgrazing;
- soil erosion;
- desertification
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank
People and Society
35 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2014 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2014 est.)
Male · female
Religions
Muslim 97.2% (official; predominantly Sunni), Christian 2.2% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), Buddhist 0.4%, Hindu 0.1%, Jewish <.1, folk religion <.1, unaffiliated <.1, other <.1 (2010 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.95 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)
Government
Constitutional monarchy; King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Prime Minister Abdullah NSOUR (since 11 October 2012)
21 fieldsChamber of Deputies, 142 seats, elected 23 January 2013one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
- conventional short form:
- Jordan
- local long form:
- Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah
- local short form:
- Al Urdun
- former:
- Transjordan
Capital
- name:
- Amman
- geographic coordinates:
- 31 57 N, 35 56 E
- time difference:
- UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- daylight saving time:
- +1hr, begins last Friday in March; ends last Friday in October
Administrative divisions
- 12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah);
- 'Ajlun, Al 'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba
Constitution
- previous 1928 (preindependence);
- latest initially adopted 28 November 1947, revised and ratified 1 January 1952;
- amended several times, last in 2011 (2012)
Legal system
mixed legal system of civil law and Islamic religious law; judicial review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Crown Prince HUSSEIN (born 28 June 1994), eldest son of King ABDALLAH II
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Abdullah NSOUR (since 11 October 2012)
- cabinet:
- ; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the monarch;
- note - a new cabinet was sworn in 21 August 2013 and includes 13 new ministers, enlarging the government as part of promised reforms
- elections:
- the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch
Legislative branch
bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the Senate, also called the House of Notables or Majlis al-Ayan (60 seats; members appointed by the monarch to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies, also called the House of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwaab (150 seats; 123 members elected using the single, non-transferable vote system in multi-member districts, and 27 seats elected using a closed national list system based on proportional representation; all legislators serve four-year terms);
note - the new electoral law enacted in July 2012 allocated an additional 10 seats (6 seats added to the number reserved for women, bringing the total to 15; 2 additional seats for Amman; and 1 seat each for the cities of Zarqa and Irbid; unchanged are 9 seats reserved for Christian candidates, 9 for Bedouin candidates, and 3 for Jordanians of Chechen or Circassian descent
- elections:
- Chamber of Deputies - last held on 23 January 2013 (next election 2017);
- note - the King dissolved the previous Chamber of Deputies in November 2012, midway through the parliamentary term
- election results:
- Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - 27 elected on closed national list to include: Islamic Centrist Party 3, Nation 2, National Union 2, Stronger Jordan 2, Ahl al-Himma 1, Al-Bayyan 1, Citizenship 1, Construction 1, Cooperation 1, Dawn 1, Dignity 1, Free Voice 1, Labor and Trade 1, National Accord Youth Block 1, National Action 1, National Current 1 (member resigned in February 2013), National Unity 1, Nobel Jerusalem 1, Salvation 1, The People 1, Unified Front 1, Voice of Nation 1;
- other 123;
- note - the IAF boycotted the election
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (consists of 7 judges including the chief justice; 7-judge panels for important cases and 5 judge panels for most appeals cases)
- judge selection and term of office:
- chief justice appointed by the king;
- other judges nominated by the Higher Judicial Council and approved by the king;
- judge tenure NA
- subordinate courts:
- courts of appeal;
- magistrate courts;
- courts of first instance;
- religious courts;
- State Security Court
Political parties and leaders
- Ahl al-Himma
- Al-Bayyan
- Al-Hayah Jordanian Party [Zahier AMR]
- Arab Ba'ath Socialist Party [Akram al-HIMSI]
- Ba'ath Arab Progressive Party [Fuad DABBOUR]
- Citizenship
- Construction
- Cooperation
- Dawn
- Democratic People's Party [Ablah ABU ULBAH]
- Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'id DIAB]
- Dignity
- Du'a Party [Muhammed ABU BAKR]
- Free Voice
- Islamic Action Front or IAF [Hamzah MANSOUR]
- Islamic Centrist Party [Muhammad al-HAJ]
- Jordanian Communist Party [Munir HAMARNAH]
- Jordanian National Party [Muna ABU BAKR]
- Jordanian United Front [Amjad al-MAJALI]
- Labor and Trade
- Nation
- National Accord Youth Block
- National Action
- National Constitution Party [Ahmad al-SHUNAQ]
- National Current Party [Abd al-Hadi al-MAJALI]
- National Movement for Direct Democracy [Muhammad al-QAQ]
- National Union
- National Unity
- Nobel Jerusalem
- Risalah Party [Hazem QASHOU]
- Salvation
- Stronger Jordan
- The Direct Democratic Nationalists Movement Party [Nash'at KHALIFAH]
- The People
- Unified Front
- United Front
- Voice of the Nation
Political pressure groups and leaders
- 15 April Movement [Mohammad SUNEID, chairman]
- 24 March Movement [Mu'az al-KHAWALIDAH, Abdel Rahman HASANEIN, spokespersons]
- 1952 Constitution Movement
- Anti-Normalization Committee [Hamzah MANSOUR, chairman]
- Economic and Social Association of Retired Servicemen and Veterans or ESARSV [Abdulsalam al-HASSANAT, chairman]
- Group of 36
- Higher Coordination Committee of Opposition Parties [Said DIAB]
- Higher National Committee for Military Retirees or HNCMR [Ali al-HABASHNEH, chairman]
- Hirak
- Jordan Bar Association [Saleh al-ARMUTI, chairman]
- Jordanian Campaign for Change or Jayin
- Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood [Dr. Hamam SAID, controller general]
- Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]
- National Front for Reform or NFR [Ahmad OBEIDAT, chairman]
- Popular Gathering for Reform
- Professional Associations Council [Abd al-Hadi al-FALAHAT, chairman]
- Sons of Jordan
International organization participation
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, CICA, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Alia Hatough BOURAN (since 14 September 2010)
- chancery:
- 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 966-2664
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 966-3110
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Stuart E. JONES (since 21 July 2011)
- embassy:
- Abdoun, Al-Umawyeen St., Amman
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; Unit 70200, Box 5, DPO AE 09892-0200
- telephone:
- [962] (6) 590-6000
- FAX:
- [962] (6) 592-0163
Flag description
- three equal horizontal bands of black (top), representing the Abbassid Caliphate, white, representing the Ummayyad Caliphate, and green, representing the Fatimid Caliphate;
- a red isosceles triangle on the hoist side, representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, and bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran;
- the seven points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations;
- design is based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I
Economy
Jordan's economy is among the smallest in the Middle East, with insufficient supplies of water, oil, and other natural resources underlying the government's heavy reliance on foreign assistance.
41 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2013 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP
Economy - overview
Jordan's economy is among the smallest in the Middle East, with insufficient supplies of water, oil, and other natural resources underlying the government's heavy reliance on foreign assistance. Other economic challenges for the government include chronic high rates of poverty, unemployment, inflation, and a large budget deficit.
Since assuming the throne in 1999, King ABDALLAH has implemented significant economic reforms, such as opening the trade regime, privatizing state-owned companies, and eliminating some fuel subsidies, which in the last decade spurred economic growth by attracting foreign investment and creating some jobs.
The global economic slowdown and regional turmoil, however, have depressed Jordan's GDP growth, impacting export-oriented sectors, construction, and tourism. In 2011 and 2012, the government approved two economic relief packages and a budgetary supplement, meant to improve the living conditions for the middle and poor classes.
Jordan's finances have also been strained by a series of natural gas pipeline attacks in Egypt, causing Jordan to substitute more expensive diesel imports, primarily from Saudi Arabia, to generate electricity. Jordan is currently exploring nuclear power generation in addition to the exploitation of abundant oil shale reserves and renewable technologies to forestall energy shortfalls.
In 2012, to correct budgetary and balance of payments imbalances, Jordan entered into a $2.1 billion, multiple year International Monetary Fund Stand-By Arrangement. Jordan's financial sector has been relatively isolated from the international financial crisis because of its limited exposure to overseas capital markets.
In 2013, Jordan depended heavily on foreign assistance to finance the budget deficit, as the influx of about 600,000 Syrian refugees put additional pressure on expenditures.
Gross national saving
29.1% of GDP (2013 est.) · 24.7% of GDP (2012 est.) · 28.5% of GDP (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Agriculture - products
citrus, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, strawberries, stone fruits; sheep, poultry, dairy
Industries
clothing, fertilizers, potash, phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, inorganic chemicals, light manufacturing, tourism
Unemployment rate
14% (2013 est.) · 12.5% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 133 note: official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30%
Distribution of family income - Gini index
39.7 (2007) · 36.4 (1997) country comparison to the world: 60
Public debt
79.1% of GDP (2013 est.) · 75.5% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 28 note: data cover central government debt, and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
Commercial bank prime lending rate
8.9% (31 December 2013 est.) · 8.95% (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Stock of narrow money
$10.68 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $10.17 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
Stock of broad money
$37.19 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $35.18 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 73
Stock of domestic credit
$38.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $35.39 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 64
Current account balance
-$4.766 billion (2013 est.) · -$5.37 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 166
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$11.83 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $8.829 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Debt - external
$22.04 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $19.67 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 80
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$26.69 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $24.78 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 65
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
$549 million (31 December 2013 est.) · $509 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Exchange rates
Jordanian dinars (JOD) per US dollar - 0.709 (2013 est.) · 0.709 (2012 est.) · 0.71 (2010 est.) · 0.709 (2009) · 0.709 (2008)
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 3.138 million kW(2010 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
6.031 billion cu m (1 January 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 90
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- service has improved recently with increased use of digital switching equipment;
- microwave radio relay transmission and coaxial and fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk lines;
- growing mobile-cellular usage in both urban and rural areas is reducing use of fixed-line services
- domestic:
- 1995 telecommunications law opened all non-fixed-line services to private competition;
- in 2005, monopoly over fixed-line services terminated and the entire telecommunications sector was opened to competition;
- currently multiple mobile-cellular providers with subscribership reaching 115 per 100 persons in 2011
- international:
- country code - 962;
- landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) FEA and FLAG Falcon submarine cable networks;
- satellite earth stations - 33 (3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals);
- fiber-optic cable to Saudi Arabia and microwave radio relay link with Egypt and Syria;
- participant in Medarabtel (2011)
Broadcast media
- radio and TV dominated by the government-owned Jordan Radio and Television Corporation (JRTV) that operates a main network, a sports network, a film network, and a satellite channel;
- first independent TV broadcaster aired in 2007;
- international satellite TV and Israeli and Syrian TV broadcasts are available;
- roughly 30 radio stations with JRTV operating the main government-owned station;
- transmissions of multiple international radio broadcasters are available (2007)
Transportation
9 fieldsMerchant marine, 12 ships by typeone square, one ship
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Military
6 fieldsMilitary branches
- Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF):
- Royal Jordanian Land Force (RJLF), Royal Jordanian Navy, Royal Jordanian Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Malakiya al-Urduniya, RJAF), Special Operations Command (Socom);
- Public Security Directorate (normally falls under Ministry of Interior, but comes under JAF in wartime or crisis) (2013)
Military service age and obligation
- 17 years of age for voluntary male military service;
- initial service term 2 years, with option to reenlist for 18 years;
- conscription at age 18 suspended in 1999;
- women not subject to conscription, but can volunteer to serve in noncombat military positions in the Royal Jordanian Arab Army Women's Corps and RJAF (2013)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 1,674,260
- females age 16-49:
- 1,611,315 (2010 est.)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsRefugees and internally displaced persons
- refugees (country of origin):
- 55,509 (Iraq) (2013);
- 2,070,973 (Palestinian refugees (UNRWA));
- 597,328 (Syria) (2014)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Jordan.” The World Factbook 2014. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/jordan/2014.