Jordan

Jordan, formally referred to as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a nation of considerable historical relevance and modern significance in the Southern Levant area of West Asia. Located at the intersection of ancient civilizations, Jordan’s strategic position has influenced its extensive cultural history and intricate geopolitical environment. Jordan, with a population of over 11.5 million, ranks as the eleventh-most populous Arab nation, with its capital and main city, Amman, functioning as a dynamic center of political, economic, and cultural activity in the Levant.

Geographic location of the kingdom presents both opportunities and challenges. Bound to the north by Syria, to the east by Iraq, to the south by Saudi Arabia, and to the west by Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, Jordan finds itself in the midst of one of the most politically explosive areas on earth. Jordan has always been an important player in regional politics and a mediator in many disputes because of this special location. The Jordan River, which empties into the Dead Sea, defines the western boundary of the nation and forms a naturally occurring barrier of great historical and religious importance. Separated from Egypt by the Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan’s modest but strategically significant coastline along the Red Sea stretches southwest. Though little, Jordan’s proximity to the sea offers him a necessary economic lifeblood as well as a portal for foreign commerce.

From the Paleolithic era, the ground that makes up modern-day Jordan has been occupied, evidence of the emergence and collapse of many civilizations. Three major kingdoms in Transjordan—Ammon, Moab, and Edom— emerged toward the close of the Bronze Age. These beings interacted with and sometimes clashed with surrounding powers, therefore playing vital parts in the ancient history of the area. The Arab Nabataeans founded their extraordinary empire at Petra, a city whose water conduit system and rock-cut architecture still stun both researchers and tourists in the third century BC. The next millennium witnessed a series of civilizations, each leaving their imprint on Jordan’s architectural and cultural scene: the Assyrians, Babylonians, Romans, Byzantines, and many Islamic dynasties including the Rashidun, Umayyad, and Abbasid caliphates.

Following World War I and the Great Arab Revolt of 1916 against Ottoman control, Jordan’s contemporary state started to take form. European powers’ division of the Greater Syria area resulted in the founding of the Emirate of Transjordan in 1921, which grew to be a British protectorate. This era prepared the ground for the modern Jordanian state, which came to be recognized as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan formally in 1946 following the country’s independence. Significant regional wars and political events characterized the next decades, notably Jordan’s participation in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, in which it seized and claimed the West Bank. Until Israel seized this area during the Six-Day War in 1967, Jordanians controlled it. Jordan surrendered its claim to the West Bank in favor of the Palestinians in 1988, a choice that changed the national identity and regional role of the nation in line with the changing political reality of the area.

Jordan’s geopolitical importance was highlighted even more when it signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, therefore ranking it only as the second Arab state to formally open diplomatic contacts with Israel. Though divisive among some parts of the Jordanian populace, this treaty has been a pillar of Jordan’s foreign policy and helped the country to be a moderate voice in regional matters.

Jordan’s semi-arid climate and varied terrain define its physical geography. Covering 89,342 square kilometers, the nation offers a range of geography from the rich Jordan Valley in the west to the vast desert areas in the east. Geographical variety offers development, agriculture, and water management both possibilities and problems. Jordan has always struggled with the limited natural resources, especially water, which calls for creative methods of resource control and management.

Modern Jordan’s position as a shelter for displaced people from surrounding war areas defines it most. From the flood of Palestinian refugees upon the founding of Israel in 1948, the nation has long embraced displaced people. An estimated 2.1 million Palestinian refugees live in Jordan as of 2015; most of them are Jordanian citizens. The demographic composition and cultural scene of Jordanian society have been significantly changed by Palestinians’ assimilation into it. More recently, with about 1.4 million Syrians seeking protection in Jordan as of 2015, the Syrian civil war has resulted in yet another major surge of refugees. The monarchy has also given thousands of Iraqi Christians escaping persecution in their own country sanctuary. From a humanitarian standpoint, Jordan’s open-door policy toward refugees is admirable; yet, it has severely taxed the nation’s infrastructure, resources, and social services.

With about 95% of the people following this faith, Jordan’s religious makeup is mostly Sunni Muslim. Arab Christians make up the majority of the remaining population; they have always been significant members of Jordanian society and remain rather well-integrated into the country’s social and political scene. Together with the monarchy’s assertion of lineage from the Prophet Muhammad, this theological homogeneity has helped to create a somewhat stable social environment in an area sometimes marked by sectarian conflicts.

Politically, Jordan is a constitutional monarchy whereby the king exercises great legislative and administrative authority. This style of government has given the nation some stability and let it negotiate the choppy seas of regional politics somewhat well. Though not without its detractors, Jordan’s political system has helped the nation to strike a careful balance between modernity and traditional values, therefore promoting a culture that is both conservative in many aspects and receptive to worldwide influences.

Jordan has positioned itself internationally as a major participant in regional organizations and worldwide projects. Jordan, who first joined the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, has always aimed to encourage Arab and Muslim countries’ collaboration and communication. Often emphasizing mediation of conflicts and support of peaceful solutions to regional problems, the nation’s diplomatic initiatives have

Economically, Jordan has great difficulty. Though ranked 99th worldwide with a low Human Development Index (lower middle income economy), the nation struggles with limited natural resources, high unemployment rates, and the financial cost of supporting significant refugee populations. Jordan has tried to use its strategic position and trained workforce, nevertheless, to draw international capital and grow industries such as information technology, pharmaceuticals, and tourism. Though one of the smallest in the area, the Jordanian economy has showed fortitude against regional unrest and world economic swings.

Especially tourism has been a pillar of Jordan’s economic plan. Millions of people visit the nation’s rich historical sites—including the ancient city of Petra, the Roman remains of Jerash, and the biblical sites Mount Nebo and the Baptism Site of Jesus at Al-Maghtas—annually. Along with offering a major source of foreign money, the growth of the travel industry has given Jordanians many job possibilities.