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 has implemented modest political and economic reforms, including the passage of a new electoral law in early 2016 ahead of legislative elections held in September. The Islamic Action Front, which is the political arm of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood, returned to parliament with 15 seats after boycotting the previous two elections in 2010 and 2013.

Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia, between Israel (to the west) and Iraq

31 00 N, 36 00 E

Middle East

about three-quarters the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Indiana

26 km

mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)

mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates eastern and western banks of the Jordan River

highest point: Jabal Umm ad Dami 1,854 m

phosphates, potash, shale oil

arable land 2%; permanent crops 1%; permanent pasture 8.4%

964 sq km (2012)

population heavily concentrated in the west, and particularly the northwest, in and around the capital of Amman; a sizeable, but smaller population is located in the southwest along the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba

droughts; periodic earthquakes

limited natural freshwater resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

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

8,185,384

Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%

Arabic (official), English (widely understood among upper and middle classes)

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 <0.1, folk religionist <0.1, unaffiliated <0.1, other <0.1 (2010 est.)

0.83% (2016 est.)

25.5 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)

3.8 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)

-13.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)

population heavily concentrated in the west, and particularly the northwest, in and around the capital of Amman; a sizeable, but smaller population is located in the southwest along the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba

AMMAN (capital) 1.155 million (2015)

24.7

58 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

3.18 children born/woman (2016 est.)

61.2% (2012)

7.5% of GDP (2014)

2.56 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

1.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)

urban: 97.8% of population

rural: 92.3% of population

total: 96.9% of population

urban: 2.2% of population

rural: 7.7% of population

total: 3.1% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 98.6% of population

rural: 98.9% of population

total: 98.6% of population

urban: 1.4% of population

rural: 1.1% of population

total: 1.4% of population (2015 est.)

NA

NA

NA

28.1% (2014)

3% (2012)

NA

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); 'Ajlun, Al 'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, Al'Asimah, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Ma'daba

25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)

Independence Day, 25 May (1946)

previous 1928 (preindependence); latest initially adopted 28 November 1947, revised and ratified 1 January 1952; amended several times, last in 2016 (2016)

mixed system developed from codes instituted by the Ottoman Empire (based on French law), British common law, and Islamic law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

18 years of age; universal

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

Muslim Center Party [Haitham ALAMAERAH]

Nation

National Congress Party [Raheeh GHARAYBEH, general secretary]

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 Homeland (Hizb Al-Watan)

The People

Unified Front

United Front

Voice of the Nation; qtgan

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

ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, CICA, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, 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, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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

eagle; national colors: black, white, green, red

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 and underemployment, budget and current account deficits, and government debt.

King ABDALLAH, during the first decade of the 2000s, implemented significant economic reforms, such as expanding foreign trade and privatizing state-owned companies that attracted foreign investment and contributed to average annual economic growth of 8% for 2004 through 2008. The global economic slowdown and regional turmoil contributed to slower growth from 2010 to 2014 - with growth averaging 2.8% per year - and hurt export-oriented sectors, construction, and tourism. Through 2014, Jordan's finances were strained by a series of natural gas pipeline attacks in Egypt, disrupting natural gas exports to Jordan, and led Jordan to rely on more expensive diesel imports, primarily from Saudi Arabia, to generate electricity.

To diversify its energy mix, Jordan has secured several contracts for liquefied natural gas and is currently exploring nuclear power generation, exploitation of abundant oil shale reserves and renewable technologies, as well as the import of Israeli offshore gas. In August 2015, Jordan completed a $2.1 billion, three-year IMF Stand-By Arrangement, which the government had entered to help correct budgetary and balance of payments imbalances. Jordan plans to expand on its fiscal reform measures enacted over the previous few years with a follow-on IMF agreement in 2016 to boost government revenues, reduce the budget deficit, and manage its burgeoning debt, brought on in part by an influx of over 650,000 Syrian refugees since 2011, which put additional pressure on expenditures.

$82.73 billion (2015 est.)

$80.71 billion (2014 est.)

$78.28 billion (2013 est.)

$37.62 billion (2015 est.)

2.5% (2015 est.)

3.1% (2014 est.)

2.8% (2013 est.)

$12,100 (2015 est.)

$12,100 (2014 est.)

$12,000 (2013 est.)

15.8% of GDP (2015 est.)

18.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

16.8% of GDP (2013 est.)

citrus, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, strawberries, stone fruits; sheep, poultry, dairy

tourism, information technology, clothing, fertilizers, potash, phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, inorganic chemicals, light manufacturing

2.2% (2015 est.)

2.055 million (2015 est.)

13.1% (2015 est.)

11.9% (2014 est.)

14.2% (2002 est.)

39.7 (2007)

36.4 (1997)

22.1% of GDP (2015 est.)

-6.8% of GDP (2015 est.)

85.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

80.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

calendar year

-0.9% (2015 est.)

2.9% (2014 est.)

0.3% (31 December 2010)

4.75% (31 December 2009)

8.24% (31 December 2015 est.)

8.84% (31 December 2014 est.)

$13.92 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$13 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$43.64 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$41.18 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$39.57 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$38.04 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$27 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$27.18 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$30.86 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

-$3.299 billion (2015 est.)

-$2.362 billion (2014 est.)

$7.829 billion (2015 est.)

$8.385 billion (2014 est.)

textiles, fertilizers, potash, phosphates, vegetables, pharmaceuticals

US 21%, Saudi Arabia 16.5%, Iraq 10.3%, India 8.7%, UAE 4.8%, Kuwait 4.4% (2015)

$18.04 billion (2015 est.)

$20.35 billion (2014 est.)

crude oil, refined petroleum products, machinery, transport equipment, iron, cereals

Saudi Arabia 15.4%, China 12.8%, US 6.2%, Germany 4.7%, UAE 4.2% (2015)

$16.57 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$16.04 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$25.16 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$24.26 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$29.96 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$28.71 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$609.3 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$608.3 million (31 December 2014 est.)

Jordanian dinars (JOD) per US dollar -

0.71 (2015 est.)

0.71 (2014 est.)

0.71 (2013 est.)

0.709 (2012 est.)

0.709 (2011 est.)

17 billion kWh (2014 est.)

16 billion kWh (2014 est.)

64 million kWh (2014 est.)

400 million kWh (2014 est.)

4.2 million kW (2014 est.)

99.6% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

0.3% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

0.1% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

22 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

62,220 bbl/day (2013 est.)

1 million bbl (1 January 2016 es)

67,760 bbl/day (2013 est.)

146,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

70,890 bbl/day (2013 est.)

199 million cu m (2014 est.)

499 million cu m (2014 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

300 million cu m (2014 est.)

6.031 billion cu m (1 January 2016 es)

19 million Mt (2013 est.)

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)

.jo

JY (2016)

18 (2013)

1 (2012)

gas 473 km; oil 49 km (2013)

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)

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)

4.65% of GDP (2012)

4.64% of GDP (2011)

4.65% of GDP (2010)

2004 Agreement settles border dispute with Syria pending demarcation