Overview
Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country located in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. It is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and both Israel and Palestine (West Bank) to the west. The Jordan River, which flows into the Dead Sea, forms much of the country's western border within the Jordan Rift Valley. Jordan has a small coastline along the Red Sea in its southwest, separated from Egypt by the Gulf of Aqaba.
Amman serves as the country's capital and largest city, and is also the most populous city in the Levant. Jordan is a semi-arid country covering an area of 89,342 km² (34,495 sq mi) with a population of 11.5 million, making it the eleventh-most populous Arab country.
Geography and Climate
Jordan's terrain and climate are characterized by semi-arid conditions. The country's most distinctive geographical feature is the Jordan Rift Valley, which contains the Jordan River and the Dead Sea along its western border.
Population and Demographics
The dominant majority of Jordan's population, approximately 95%, is Sunni Muslim, with the remainder being mostly Arab Christian. From as early as 1948, Jordan has accepted refugees from multiple neighbouring countries in conflict. As of 2015, an estimated 2.1 million Palestinian refugees, most of whom hold Jordanian citizenship, as well as 1.4 million Syrian refugees, were residing in Jordan. The kingdom is also a refuge for thousands of Christian Iraqis fleeing persecution.
History
Ancient and Prehistoric Periods
Jordan has been inhabited by humans since the Paleolithic period. The oldest known evidence of hominid habitation in Jordan dates back at least 200,000 years. Jordan is a rich source of Paleolithic human remains, with scientists discovering evidence dating up to 20,000 years old. The world's oldest known evidence of bread-making was found at a 14,500-year-old Natufian site in Jordan's northeastern desert.
During the Neolithic period (10,000–4,500 BC), there was a transition from hunter-gatherer culture to established agricultural villages. 'Ain Ghazal, located in the eastern part of present-day Amman, is one of the largest known prehistoric settlements in the Near East, with dozens of plaster statues of the human form dating to 7250 BC or earlier.
Iron Age Kingdoms
During the Iron Age (1200–332 BC), three kingdoms developed in Transjordan: Ammon, Moab, and Edom. Ammon was located in the Amman plateau; Moab in the highlands east of the Dead Sea; and Edom in the area around Wadi Araba in the south. These kingdoms continually clashed with the neighbouring Hebrew kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
Classical Period
In the third century BC, the Arab Nabataeans established their kingdom centered in Petra, controlling much of the region's trade routes. The Greco-Roman period saw the establishment of several cities in Transjordan that comprised the Decapolis.
Islamic and Ottoman Periods
After the end of Byzantine rule, the region became part of the Islamic caliphates of the Rashidun, Umayyad, Abbasid, and the Ottoman Empire.
Modern Era
Following the 1916 Great Arab Revolt during World War I, former Ottoman Syria was partitioned, leading to the establishment of the Emirate of Transjordan in 1921, which became a British protectorate. In 1946, Jordan gained independence and became officially known as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Jordan captured and annexed the West Bank during the 1948 Palestine war until it was occupied by Israel in 1967. Jordan renounced its claim to the territory to the Palestinians in 1988 and signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994. Jordan was mostly unscathed by the violence that swept the region following the Arab Spring in 2010.
Government and Politics
The sovereign state is a semi-constitutional monarchy, though the king holds wide executive and legislative powers. Jordan is a founding member of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
Economy
Jordan is considered a lower middle income economy with a high Human Development Index, ranking 100th globally. The Jordanian economy, one of the smallest economies in the region, is attractive to foreign investors based upon a skilled workforce. Jordan is a major tourist destination and also attracts medical tourism with its well-developed health sector. However, a lack of natural resources, large flow of refugees, and regional turmoil have hampered economic growth.
Etymology
Jordan takes its name from the Jordan River, which forms much of the country's northwestern border. The river's name most plausibly derives from the Semitic word 'Yarad' (ירד; 'flow down' or 'descend'), referring to the river's declivity. The earliest use of the name is found in the ancient Egyptian Papyrus Anastasi I as Yārdon, probably dating to the reign of Ramesses II.
Much of the area that makes up modern Jordan was historically called Transjordan, meaning "across the Jordan," a term used to denote the lands east of the river.