Jordan

About Jordan

Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, (Arabic: الأردنّ‎ al-Urdunn) is a country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern part of the Syrian Desert down to the Gulf of Aqaba. It shares borders with Syria to the north, Iraq to the north-east, Israel and the disputed Palestinian territories to the west, and Saudi Arabia to the east and south. It shares control of the Dead Sea with Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and the coastline of the Gulf of Aqaba with Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Much of Jordan is covered by desert land, particularly the Arabian Desert, however the north-western area, with the sacred Jordan River is regarded as part of the Fertile Crescent.

The capital city, Amman, is in the north-west. Jordan has a rich history, its location in the central Middle East has long made it a prized possession. During its long history, Jordan has seen numerous civilisations, including ancient eastern civilisations the Sumerian, Akkadian, Israelite, Babylonian, Assyrian, Mesopotamian and Persian empires. Jordan was for a time part of Pharaonic Egypt and spawned the native Nabatean civilisation who left rich archaeological remains at Petra. Untill the year 70 A.D. with the destruction of the Second Jewish Commonwealth, the land was part of the Kingdom of Israel. Cultures from the west also left their mark such as the Macedonian, Roman and Byzantine empires. Since the seventh century the area has been under Muslim and Arab cultures, with the exception of a brief period under British rule.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a constitutional monarchy with representative government. The reigning monarch is the head of state, 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 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.