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<\/a>What is now Jordan has been inhabited by humans since the Paleolithic<\/a> period. Three stable kingdoms emerged there at the end of the Bronze Age<\/a>: Ammon<\/a>, Moab<\/a> and Edom<\/a>. Later rulers include the Nabataean Kingdom<\/a>, the Roman Empire,<\/a> and the Ottoman Empire<\/a>. After the Great Arab Revolt<\/a> against the Ottomans in 1916 during World War I, the Ottoman Empire was partitioned by Britain and France<\/a>. The Emirate of Transjordan was established in 1921<\/a> by the Hashemite<\/a>, then Emir, Abdullah I<\/a>, and the emirate became a British protectorate. In 1946, Jordan became an independent state officially known as the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan, but was renamed in 1949 to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan after the country captured the West Bank during the 1948 Arab\u2013Israeli War<\/a> and annexed it until it was lost to Israel in 1967. Jordan renounced its claim to the territory in 1988, and became one of two Arab states to sign a peace treaty<\/a> with Israel in 1994. Jordan is a founding member of the Arab League<\/a> and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation<\/a>. The sovereign state is a constitutional monarchy, but the king holds wide executive and legislative powers.<\/p>\n Jordan is a relatively small, semi-arid, almost landlocked country with an area of 89,342 km2 (34,495 sq mi) and a population numbering 10 million, making it the 11th-most populous Arab country. Sunni Islam<\/a>, practiced by around 95% of the population, is the dominant religion and coexists with an indigenous Christian minority. Jordan has been repeatedly referred to as an “oasis of stability” in a turbulent region. It has been mostly unscathed by the violence that swept the region following the Arab Spring<\/a> in 2010. From as early as 1948, Jordan has accepted refugees from multiple neighboring countries in conflict. An estimated 2.1 million Palestinian and 1.4 million Syrian refugees are present in Jordan as of a 2015 census. The kingdom is also a refuge to thousands of Iraqi Christians fleeing persecution by ISIL<\/a>. While Jordan continues to accept refugees, the recent large influx from Syria placed substantial strain on national resources and infrastructure.<\/p>\n Jordan is classified as a country of “high human development” with an “upper middle income” economy. The Jordanian economy, one of the smallest economies in the region, is attractive to foreign investors based upon a skilled workforce. The country is a major tourist destination, also attracting medical tourism due to its well developed health sector. Nonetheless, a lack of natural resources, large flow of refugees and regional turmoil have hampered economic growth.<\/p>\n The oldest evidence of hominid habitation in Jordan dates back at least 200,000 years. Jordan is rich in Paleolithic (up to 20,000 years ago) remains due to its location within the Levant where expansions of hominids out of Africa converged. Past lakeshore environments attracted different hominids, and several remains of tools have been found from this period. The world’s oldest evidence of bread-making was found in a 14,500 years old Natufian<\/a> site in Jordan’s northeastern desert. The transition from hunter-gatherer to establishing populous agricultural villages occurred during the Neolithic period (10,000\u20134,500 BC). ‘Ain Ghazal<\/a>, one such village located in today’s eastern Amman, is one of the largest known prehistoric settlements in the Near East. Dozens of plaster statues of the human form<\/a> dating to 7250 BC or earlier were uncovered there and they are among the oldest ever found.<\/p>\n Other than the usual Chalcolithic<\/a> (4500\u20133600 BC) villages such as Tulaylet Ghassul<\/a> in the Jordan Valley<\/a>, a series of circular stone enclosures in the eastern basalt desert\u2212whose purpose remains uncertain\u2013have baffled archaeologists.<\/p>\n Fortified towns and urban centers first emerged in the southern Levant early on in the Bronze Age (3600\u20131200 BC). Wadi Feynan<\/a> became a regional center for copper extraction, which was exploited on a large-scale to produce bronze. Trade and movement of people in the Middle East peaked, spreading and refining civilizations. Villages in Transjordan expanded rapidly in areas with reliable water resources and agricultural land. Ancient Egyptians expanded towards the Levant and controlled both banks of the Jordan River. During the Iron Age (1200\u2013332 BC)<\/a> after the withdrawal of the Egyptians, Transjordan was home to Ammon, Edom and Moab. They spoke Semitic languages of the Canaanite<\/a> group, and are considered to be tribal kingdoms rather than states. Ammon was located in the Amman plateau; Moab in the highlands east of the Dead Sea; and Edom in the area around Wadi Araba down south.<\/p>\n The Transjordanian kingdoms of Ammon, Edom and Moab were in continuous conflict with the neighboring Hebrew kingdoms of Israel<\/a> and Judah<\/a>, centered west of the Jordan River. One record of this is the Mesha Stele<\/a> erected by the Moabite king Mesha<\/a> in 840 BC on which he lauds himself for the building projects that he initiated in Moab and commemorates his glory and victory against the Israelites<\/a>.<\/p>\n The stele constitutes one of the most important direct accounts of Biblical history. Around 700 BC, the kingdoms benefited from trade between Syria and Arabia when the Assyrian Empire<\/a> increasingly controlled the Levant. Babylonians<\/a> took over the empire after its disintegration in 627 BC. Although the kingdoms supported the Babylonians against Judah in the 597 BC sack of Jerusalem<\/a>, they rebelled against them a decade later. The kingdoms were reduced to vassals, which they remained under the Persian<\/a> and Hellenic Empires<\/a>. By the beginning of Roman rule around 63 BC, the kingdoms of Ammon, Edom and Moab had lost their distinct identities, and were assimilated into the Roman culture.<\/p>\n Alexander the Great’s<\/a> conquest<\/a> of the Persian Empire in 332 BC introduced Hellenistic culture to the Middle East. After Alexander’s death in 323 BC, the empire split among his generals, and in the end much of Transjordan was disputed between the Ptolemies<\/a> based in Egypt and the Seleucids<\/a> based in Syria. The Nabataeans<\/a>, nomadic Arabs based south of Edom, managed to establish an independent kingdom in 169 BC by exploiting the struggle between the two Greek powers. The Nabataean Kingdom<\/a> controlled much of the trade routes of the region, and it stretched south along the Red Sea coast into the Hejaz<\/a> desert, up to as far north as Damascus<\/a>, which it controlled for a short period (85\u201371) BC. The Nabataeans massed a fortune from their control of the trade routes, often drawing the envy of their neighbors. Petra<\/a>, Nabataea’s barren capital, flourished in the 1st century AD, driven by its extensive water irrigation systems and agriculture. The Nabataeans were also talented stone carvers, building their most elaborate structure, Al-Khazneh<\/a>, in the first century AD. It is believed to be the mausoleum of the Arab Nabataean King Aretas IV<\/a>.<\/p>\n Roman legions under Pompey conquered much of the Levant<\/a> in 63 BC, inaugurating a period of Roman rule that lasted four centuries. In 106 AD, Emperor Trajan<\/a> annexed Nabataea unopposed, and rebuilt the King’s Highway<\/a> which became known as the Via Traiana Nova road<\/a>. The Romans gave the Greek cities of Transjordan\u2013Philadelphia (Amman), Gerasa (Jerash<\/a>), Gedara (Umm Qays<\/a>), Pella<\/a> (Tabaqat Fahl) and Arbila (Irbid<\/a>)\u2013and other Hellenistic cities in Palestine and southern Syria, a level of autonomy by forming the Decapolis<\/a>, a ten-city league. Jerash is one of the best preserved Roman cities in the East; it was even visited by Emperor Hadrian<\/a> during his journey to Palestine.<\/p>\n In 324 AD, the Roman Empire split, and the Eastern Roman Empire\u2013later known as the Byzantine Empire<\/a>\u2013continued to control or influence the region until 636 AD. Christianity had become legal within the empire in 313 AD after Emperor Constantine<\/a> converted to Christianity. The Edict of Thessalonka<\/a> made Christianity the official state religion in 380 AD. Transjordan prospered during the Byzantine era, and Christian churches were built everywhere. The Aqaba Church<\/a> in Ayla<\/a> was built during this era, it is considered to be the world’s first purpose built Christian church. Umm ar-Rasas<\/a> in southern Amman contains at least 16 Byzantine churches. Meanwhile, Petra’s importance declined as sea trade routes emerged, and after a 363 earthquake<\/a> destroyed many structures, it declined further, eventually being abandoned. The Sassanian Empire<\/a> in the east became the Byzantines’ rivals, and frequent confrontations<\/a> sometimes led to the Sassanids controlling some parts of the region, including Transjordan.<\/p>\n In 629 AD, during the Battle of Mu’tah<\/a> in what is today Al-Karak<\/a>, the Byzantines and their Arab Christian clients, the Ghassanids<\/a>, staved off an attack by a Muslim Rashidun<\/a> force that marched northwards towards the Levant from the Hejaz (in modern-day Saudi Arabia). The Byzantines however were defeated by the Muslims in 636 AD at the decisive Battle of Yarmouk just north of Transjordan. Transjordan was an essential territory for the conquest of Damascus. The first, or Rashidun, caliphate was followed by that of the Ummayads<\/a> (661\u2013750). Under the Umayyad Caliphate, several desert castles<\/a> were constructed in Transjordan, including: Qasr Al-Mshatta<\/a> and Qasr Al-Hallabat<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Abbasid Caliphate’s<\/a> campaign to take over the Umayyad’s began in Transjordan. A powerful 749 AD earthquake<\/a> is thought to have contributed to the Umayyads defeat to the Abbasids, who moved the caliphate’s capital from Damascus to Baghdad<\/a>. During Abbasid rule (750\u2013969), several Arab tribes moved northwards and settled in the Levant. As had happened during the Roman era, growth of maritime trade diminished Transjordan’s central position, and the area became increasingly impoverished. After the decline of the Abbasids, Transjordan was ruled by the Fatimid Caliphate (969\u20131070)<\/a>, then by the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem (1115\u20131187).<\/a><\/p>\n The Crusaders constructed several Crusader castles as part of the Lordship of Oultrejordain<\/a>, including those of Montreal<\/a> and Al-Karak. The Ayyubids built the Ajloun Castle<\/a> and rebuilt older castles, to be used as military outposts against the Crusaders. During the Battle of Hattin (1187)<\/a> near Lake Tiberias<\/a> just north of Transjordan, the Crusaders lost to Saladin<\/a>, the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty (1187\u20131260)<\/a>. Villages in Transjordan under the Ayyubids became important stops for Muslim pilgrims going to Mecca<\/a> who travelled along the route that connected Syria to the Hejaz. Several of the Ayyubid castles were used and expanded by the Mamluks<\/a> (1260\u20131516), who divided Transjordan between the provinces of Karak and Damascus. During the next century Transjordan experienced Mongol attacks, but the Mongols were ultimately repelled by the Mamluks after the Battle of Ain Jalut (1260)<\/a>.<\/p>\n In 1516, the Ottoman Caliphate’s forces conquered<\/a> Mamluk territory. Agricultural villages in Transjordan witnessed a period of relative prosperity in the 16th century, but were later abandoned. Transjordan was of marginal importance to the Ottoman authorities. As a result, Ottoman presence was virtually absent and reduced to annual tax collection visits. More Arab Bedouin<\/a> tribes moved into Transjordan from Syria and the Hejaz during the first three centuries of Ottoman rule, including the Adwan, the Bani Sakhr<\/a> and the Howeitat<\/a>. These tribes laid claims to different parts of the region, and with the absence of a meaningful Ottoman authority, Transjordan slid into a state of anarchy that continued till the 19th century. This led to a short-lived occupation by the Wahhabi forces (1803\u20131812)<\/a>, an ultra-orthodox Islamic movement that emerged in Najd<\/a> (in modern-day Saudi Arabia). Ibrahim Pasha<\/a>, son of the governor of the Egypt Eyalet<\/a> under the request of the Ottoman sultan, rooted out the Wahhabis<\/a> by 1818. In 1833 Ibrahim Pasha turned on the Ottomans and established his rule over the Levant. His oppressive policies led to the unsuccessful peasants’ revolt<\/a> in Palestine in 1834. Transjordanian cities of Al-Salt<\/a> and Al-Karak<\/a> were destroyed by Ibrahim Pasha’s forces for harboring a peasants’ revolt leader<\/a>. Egyptian rule was forcibly ended in 1841<\/a>, with Ottoman rule restored.<\/p>\n Only after Ibrahim Pasha’s campaign did the Ottoman Empire try to solidify its presence in the Syria Vilayet<\/a>, which Transjordan was part of. A series of tax and land reforms (Tanzimat) in 1864 brought some prosperity back to agriculture and to abandoned villages; the end of virtually autonomy predictably provoked a backlash in other areas of Transjordan. Muslim Circassians<\/a> and Chechens<\/a>, fleeing Russian persecution<\/a>, sought refuge in the Levant. In Transjordan and with Ottoman support, Circassians first settled in the long-abandoned vicinity of Amman in 1867, and later in the surrounding villages. After having established its administration, conscription and heavy taxation policies by the Ottoman authorities led to revolts in the areas it controlled. Transjordan’s tribes in particular revolted during the Shoubak<\/a> (1905) and the Karak Revolts<\/a> (1910), which were brutally suppressed. The construction of the Hejaz Railway<\/a> in 1908\u2013stretching across the length of Transjordan and linking Mecca with Istanbul<\/a> helped the population economically, as Transjordan became a stopover for pilgrims. However, increasing policies of Turkification and centralization adopted by the Ottoman Empire disenchanted the Arabs of the Levant.<\/p>\n Four centuries of stagnation during Ottoman rule came to an end during World War I by the 1916 Arab Revolt, driven by long-term resentment towards the Ottoman authorities and growing Arab nationalism. The revolt was led by Sharif Hussein of Mecca<\/a>, and his sons Abdullah<\/a>, Faisal<\/a> and Ali<\/a>, members of the Hashemite family of the Hejaz, descendants of the Prophet Muhammad. Locally, the revolt garnered the support of the Transjordanian tribes, including Bedouins, Circassians and Christians. The Allies of World War I, including Britain and France, whose imperial interests converged with the Arabist cause, offered support. The revolt started on 5 June 1916 from Medina<\/a> and pushed northwards until the fighting reached Transjordan in the Battle of Aqaba<\/a> on 6 July 1917. The revolt reached its climax when Faisal entered Damascus in October 1918, and established an Arab-led military administration in OETA East<\/a>, later declared as the Arab Kingdom of Syria<\/a>, both of which Transjordan was part of. During this period, the southernmost region of the country, including Ma’an<\/a> and Aqaba, was also claimed<\/a> by the neighboring Kingdom of Hejaz.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The nascent Hashemite Kingdom over Greater Syria<\/a> was forced to surrender to French troops on 24 July 1920 during the Battle of Maysalun<\/a>; the French occupied only the northern part of the Syrian Kingdom, leaving Transjordan in a period of interregnum<\/a>. Arab aspirations failed to gain international recognition, due mainly to the secret 1916 Sykes\u2013Picot Agreement<\/a>, which divided the region into French and British spheres of influence, and the 1917 Balfour Declaration<\/a>, which promised Palestine to Jews. This was seen by the Hashemites and the Arabs as a betrayal of their previous agreements with the British, including the 1915 McMahon\u2013Hussein Correspondence<\/a>, in which the British stated their willingness to recognize the independence of a unified Arab state stretching from Aleppo<\/a> to Aden<\/a> under the rule of the Hashemites.<\/p>\n The British High Commissioner, Herbert Samuel<\/a>, travelled to Transjordan on 21 August 1920 to meet with Al-Salt’s residents.<\/p>\n He there declared to a crowd of six hundred Transjordanian notables that the British government would aid the establishment of local governments in Transjordan, which is to be kept separate from that of Palestine. The second meeting took place in Umm Qais on 2 September, where the British government representative Major Fitzroy Somerset<\/a> received a petition that demanded: an independent Arab government in Transjordan to be led by an Arab prince (emir); land sale in Transjordan to Jews be stopped as well as the prevention of Jewish immigration there; that Britiain establish and fund a national army; and that free trade be maintained between Transjordan and the rest of the region.<\/p>\n Abdullah, the second son of Sharif Hussein, arrived from Hejaz by train in Ma’an<\/a> in southern Transjordan on 21 November 1920 to redeem the Greater Syrian Kingdom his brother had lost. Transjordan then was in disarray, widely considered to be ungovernable with its dysfunctional local governments. Abdullah gained the trust of Transjordan’s tribal leaders before scrambling to convince them of the benefits of an organized government. Abdullah’s successes drew the envy of the British, even when it was in their interest. The British reluctantly accepted Abdullah as ruler of Transjordan after having given him a six-month trial. In March 1921, the British decided to add Transjordan to their Mandate for Palestine<\/a>, in which they would implement their “Sharifian Solution<\/a>” policy without applying the provisions of the mandate dealing with Jewish settlement. On 11 April 1921, the Emirate of Transjordan<\/a> was established with Abdullah as Emir.<\/p>\n In September 1922, the Council of the League of Nations<\/a> recognized Transjordan as a state under the terms of the Transjordan memorandum<\/a>. Transjordan remained a British mandate until 1946, but it had been granted a greater level of autonomy than the region west of the Jordan River. Multiple difficulties emerged upon the assumption of power in the region by the Hashemite leadership. In Transjordan, small local rebellions at Kura<\/a> in 1921 and 1923 were suppressed by the Emir’s forces with the help of the British. Wahhabis from Najd regained strength and repeatedly raided the southern parts of his territory<\/a> in (1922\u20131924), seriously threatening the Emir’s position. The Emir was unable to repel those raids without the aid of the local Bedouin tribes and the British, who maintained a military base with a small RAF detachment close to Amman.<\/p>\n The Treaty of London<\/a>, signed by the British Government and the Emir of Transjordan on 22 March 1946, recognized the independence of Transjordan upon ratification by both countries’ parliaments. On 25 May 1946, the day that the treaty was ratified by the Transjordan parliament, Transjordan was raised to the status of a kingdom under the name of the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan, with Abdullah as its first king. The name was shortened to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on 26 April 1949. 25 May is now celebrated as the nation’s Independence Day, a public holiday. Jordan became a member of the United Nations on 14 December 1955.<\/p>\n On 15 May 1948, as part of the 1948 Arab\u2013Israeli War, Jordan intervened in Palestine together with many other Arab states. Following the war, Jordan controlled the West Bank and on 24 April 1950 Jordan formally annexed these territories<\/a> after the Jericho conference<\/a>. In response, some Arab countries demanded Jordan’s expulsion from the Arab League. On 12 June 1950, the Arab League declared that the annexation was a temporary, practical measure and that Jordan was holding the territory as a “trustee” pending a future settlement. King Abdullah was assassinated at the Al-Aqsa Mosque<\/a> in 1951 by a Palestinian militant, amid rumors he intended to sign a peace treaty with Israel.<\/p>\n Abdullah was succeeded by his son Talal<\/a>, who would soon abdicate due to illness in favor of his eldest son Hussein<\/a>. Talal established the country’s modern constitution in 1952.<\/p>\n Hussein ascended to the throne in 1953 at the age of 17. Jordan witnessed great political uncertainty in the following period. The 1950s were a period of political upheaval, as Nasserism<\/a> and Pan-Arabism<\/a> swept the Arab World. On 1 March 1956, King Hussein Arabized the command of the Army<\/a> by dismissing a number of senior British officers, an act made to remove remaining foreign influence in the country. In 1958, Jordan and neighboring Hashemite Iraq formed the Arab Federation<\/a> as a response to the formation of the rival United Arab Republic<\/a> between Nasser’s Egypt and Syria. The union lasted only six months, being dissolved after Iraqi King Faisal II<\/a> (Hussein’s cousin) was deposed by a bloody military coup on 14 July 1958.<\/p>\n Jordan signed a military pact with Egypt just before Israel launched a preemptive strike on Egypt to begin the Six-Day War<\/a> in June 1967, where Jordan and Syria joined the war. The Arab states were defeated and Jordan lost control of the West Bank<\/a> to Israel. The War of Attrition with Israel followed, which included the 1968 Battle of Karameh<\/a> where the combined forces of the Jordanian Armed Forces and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) repelled an Israeli attack on the Karameh camp<\/a> on the Jordanian border with the West Bank. Despite the fact that the Palestinians had limited involvement against the Israeli forces, the events at Karameh gained wide recognition and acclaim in the Arab world. As a result, the time period following the battle witnessed an upsurge of support for Palestinian paramilitary elements (the fedayeen<\/a>) within Jordan from other Arab countries. The fedayeen activities soon became a threat to Jordan’s rule of law. In September 1970, the Jordanian army targeted the fedayeen and the resultant fighting led to the expulsion of Palestinian fighters from various PLO groups into Lebanon<\/a>, in a conflict that became known as Black September<\/a>.<\/p>\n In 1973, Egypt and Syria waged the Yom Kippur War<\/a> on Israel, and fighting occurred along the 1967 Jordan River<\/a> cease-fire line. Jordan sent a brigade to Syria to attack Israeli units on Syrian territory but did not engage Israeli forces from Jordanian territory. At the Rabat summit conference<\/a> in 1974, in the aftermath of the Yom-Kippur War, Jordan agreed, along with the rest of the Arab League, that the PLO was the “sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people”. Subsequently, Jordan renounced its claims to the West Bank in 1988.<\/p>\n At the 1991 Madrid Conference<\/a>, Jordan agreed to negotiate a peace treaty sponsored by the US and the Soviet Union. The Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace<\/a> was signed on 26 October 1994. In 1997, in retribution for a bombing<\/a>, Israeli agents entered Jordan using Canadian passports and poisoned Khaled Meshal<\/a>, a senior Hamas<\/a> leader living in Jordan. Bowing to intense international pressure, Israel provided an antidote to the poison and released dozens of political prisoners, including Sheikh Ahmed Yassin<\/a>, after King Hussein<\/a> threatened to annul the peace treaty.<\/p>\n On 7 February 1999, Abdullah II<\/a> ascended the throne upon the death of his father Hussein, who had ruled for nearly 50 years. Abdullah embarked on economic liberalisation when he assumed the throne, and his reforms led to an economic boom which continued until 2008. Abdullah II has been credited with increasing foreign investment, improving public-private partnerships and providing the foundation for Aqaba’s free-trade zone and Jordan’s flourishing information and communication technology (ICT) sector. He also set up five other special economic zones. However, during the following years Jordan’s economy experienced hardship as it dealt with the effects of the Great Recession<\/a> and spillover from the Arab Spring.<\/p>\n Al-Qaeda<\/a> under Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s<\/a> leadership launched coordinated explosions in three hotel lobbies in Amman on 9 November 2005<\/a>, resulting in 60 deaths and 115 injured. The bombings, which targeted civilians, caused widespread outrage among Jordanians. The attack is considered to be a rare event in the country, and Jordan’s internal security was dramatically improved afterwards. No major terrorist attacks have occurred since then. Abdullah and Jordan are viewed with contempt by Islamic extremists for the country’s peace treaty with Israel and its relationship with the West.<\/p>\n The Arab Spring were large-scale protests that erupted in the Arab World in 2011, demanding economic and political reforms. Many of these protests tore down regimes in some Arab nations, leading to instability that ended with violent civil wars. In Jordan, in response to domestic unrest<\/a>, Abdullah replaced his prime minister and introduced a number of reforms including: reforming the Constitution, and laws governing public freedoms and elections. Proportional representation was re-introduced to the Jordanian parliament in the 2016 general election, a move which he said would eventually lead to establishing parliamentary governments. Jordan was left largely unscathed from the violence that swept the region despite an influx of 1.4 million Syrian refugees into the natural resources-lacking country and the emergence of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).<\/p>\n Jordan sits strategically at the crossroads of the continents of Asia, Africa and Europe, in the Levant area of the Fertile Crescent<\/a>, a cradle of civilization. It is 89,341 square kilometres (34,495 sq mi) large, and 400 kilometres (250 mi) long between its northernmost and southernmost points; Umm Qais and Aqaba respectively. The east is an arid plateau irrigated by oases and seasonal water streams. Major cities are overwhelmingly located on the north-western part of the kingdom due to its fertile soils and relatively abundant rainfall. These include Irbid, Jerash and Zarqa<\/a> in the northwest, the capital Amman and Al-Salt in the central west, and Madaba, Al-Karak and Aqaba in the southwest. Major towns in the eastern part of the country are the oasis towns of Azraq<\/a> and Ruwaished<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the west, a highland area of arable land and Mediterranean evergreen forestry drops suddenly into the Jordan Rift Valley<\/a>. The rift valley contains the Jordan River and the Dead Sea, which separates Jordan from Israel. Jordan has a 26 kilometres (16 mi) shoreline on the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea, but is otherwise landlocked. The Yarmouk River<\/a>, an eastern tributary of the Jordan, forms part of the boundary between Jordan and Syria (including the occupied Golan Heights<\/a>) to the north. The other boundaries are formed by several international and local agreements and do not follow well-defined natural features. The highest point is Jabal Umm al Dami<\/a>, at 1,854 m (6,083 ft) above sea level, while the lowest is the Dead Sea \u2212420 m (\u22121,378 ft), the lowest land point on earth.<\/p>\n Jordan is classified by the World Bank as an “upper-middle income” country. However, approximately 14.4% of the population lives below the national poverty line on a longterm basis (as of 2010), while almost a third fell below the national poverty line during some time of the year\u2014known as transient poverty. The economy, which has a GDP of $39.453 billion (as of 2016), grew at an average rate of 8% per annum between 2004 and 2008, and around 2.6% 2010 onwards. GDP per capita rose by 351% in the 1970s, declined 30% in the 1980s, and rose 36% in the 1990s\u2014currently $9,406 per capita by purchasing power parity. The Jordanian economy is one of the smallest economies in the region, and the country’s populace suffers from relatively high rates of unemployment and poverty.<\/p>\n Jordan’s economy is relatively well diversified. Trade and finance combined account for nearly one-third of GDP; transportation and communication, public utilities, and construction account for one-fifth, and mining and manufacturing constitute nearly another fifth. Net official development assistance to Jordan in 2009 totaled US$761 million; according to the government, approximately two-thirds of this was allocated as grants, of which half was direct budget support.<\/p>\n The official currency is the Jordanian dinar<\/a>, which is pegged to the IMF’s special drawing rights (SDRs)<\/a>, equivalent to an exchange rate of 1 US$ \u2261 0.709 dinar, or approximately 1 dinar \u2261 1.41044 dollars. In 2000, Jordan joined the World Trade Organization and signed the Jordan\u2013United States Free Trade Agreement<\/a>, thus becoming the first Arab country to establish a free trade agreement with the United States. Jordan enjoys advanced status with the EU, which has facilitated greater access to export to European markets. Due to slow domestic growth, high energy and food subsidies and a bloated public-sector workforce, Jordan usually runs annual budget deficits.<\/p>\n The Great Recession and the turmoil caused by the Arab Spring have depressed Jordan’s GDP growth, damaging trade, industry, construction and tourism. Tourist arrivals have dropped sharply since 2011. Since 2011, the natural gas pipeline<\/a> in Sinai supplying Jordan from Egypt was attacked 32 times by Islamic State affiliates. Jordan incurred billions of dollars in losses because it had to substitute more expensive heavy-fuel oils to generate electricity. In November 2012, the government cut subsidies on fuel, increasing its price. The decision, which was later revoked, caused large scale protests to break out across the country.<\/p>\n The proportion of well-educated and skilled workers in Jordan is among the highest in the region in sectors such as ICT and industry, due to a relatively modern educational system. This has attracted large foreign investments to Jordan and has enabled the country to export its workforce to Persian Gulf countries<\/a>. Flows of remittances to Jordan grew rapidly, particularly during the end of the 1970s and 1980s, and remains an important source of external funding. Remittances from Jordanian expatriates were $3.8 billion in 2015, a notable rise in the amount of transfers compared to 2014 where remittances reached over $3.66 billion listing Jordan as fourth largest recipient in the region.<\/p>\n Jordan is ranked as having the 35th best infrastructure in the world, one of the highest rankings in the developing world, according to the 2010 World Economic Forum’s Index of Economic Competitiveness. This high infrastructural development is necessitated by its role as a transit country for goods and services to Palestine and Iraq. Palestinians use Jordan as a transit country due to the Israeli restrictions and Iraqis use Jordan due to the instability in Iraq.<\/p>\n According to data from the Jordanian Ministry of Public Works and Housing, as of 2011, the Jordanian road network consisted of 2,878 km (1,788 mi) of main roads; 2,592 km (1,611 mi) of rural roads and 1,733 km (1,077 mi) of side roads. The Hejaz Railway built during the Ottoman Empire which extended from Damascus to Mecca will act as a base for future railway expansion plans. Currently, the railway has little civilian activity; it is primarily used for transporting goods. A national railway project is currently undergoing studies and seeking funding sources.<\/p>\n Jordan has three commercial airports, all receiving and dispatching international flights. Two are in Amman and the third is in Aqaba, King Hussein International Airport<\/a>. Amman Civil Airport<\/a> serves several regional routes and charter flights while Queen Alia International Airport<\/a> is the major international airport in Jordan and is the hub for Royal Jordanian Airlines<\/a>, the flag carrier. Queen Alia International Airport expansion was completed in 2013 with new terminals costing $700 million, to handle over 16 million passengers annually. It is now considered a state-of-the-art airport and was awarded ‘the best airport by region: Middle East’ for 2014 and 2015 by Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey, the world’s leading airport passenger satisfaction benchmark program.<\/p>\n The Port of Aqaba<\/a> is the only port in Jordan. In 2006, the port was ranked as being the “Best Container Terminal” in the Middle East by Lloyd’s List<\/a>. The port was chosen due to it being a transit cargo port for other neighboring countries, its location between four countries and three continents, being an exclusive gateway for the local market and for the improvements it has recently witnessed.<\/p>\n The flag of Jordan, officially adopted on 16 April 1928, is based on the 1917 flag of the Arab Revolt<\/a> against the Ottoman Empire<\/a> during World War I<\/a>. The flag consists of horizontal black, white, and green bands that are connected by a red chevron. The colors stand are the Pan-Arab Colors<\/a>, representing the Abbasid<\/a> (black band), Umayyad<\/a> (white band), and Fatimid<\/a> (green band) caliphates. The red chevron is for the Hashemite dynasty<\/a>, and the Arab Revolt.<\/p>\n In addition to the bands and chevron, a white star with seven points is featured on the hoist side of the red chevron. The star stands for the unity of the Arab people<\/a>. Its seven-pointed star refers to the seven verses of Al-Fatiha<\/a>. The seven points represent faith in one God, humanity, humility, national spirit, virtue, social justice, and aspiration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The flag of Jordan, officially adopted on 16 April 1928, is based on the 1917 flag of the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The flag consists of horizontal black, white, and green bands that are connected by a red chevron. The colors stand are the Pan-Arab Colors, representing the Abbasid (black band), Umayyad (white band), and Fatimid (green band) caliphates. The red chevron is for the Hashemite dynasty, and the Arab Revolt.<\/p>\n In addition to the bands and chevron, a white star with seven points is featured on the hoist side of the red chevron. The star stands for the unity of the Arab people. Its seven-pointed star refers to the seven verses of Al-Fatiha. The seven points represent faith in one God, humanity, humility, national spirit, virtue, social justice, and aspiration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6683,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[36,59,5,6,7,49,18,141,20,60],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6395"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6395"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6395\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/Jordan-and-Israel-Bronze-Age-252x300.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/Jordanian-Refugee-Camp-300x198.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>History:<\/h2>\n
Ancient Period:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/The-Ain-Ghazal-Statues-c.-7250-BC-of-Amman-300x201.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/The-Mesha-Stele-263x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Classical Period:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/Al-Khazneh-in-Petra-201x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/The-Oval-Forum-of-Jerash-300x224.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Islamic Era:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/The-Karak-Castle-Copy-300x201.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/The-Ajloun-Castle-Copy-300x155.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/Ibrahim-Pasha-202x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Modern Era:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/Sharif-Hussein-210x300.jpeg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/Al-Salt-residents-gather-on-20-August-1920-during-the-British-High-Commissioners-visit-to-Transjordan.-300x215.jpg\" "\\"\\""){kind=spacer}
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/Abdullah-King-of-Jordan-264x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Post-Independence:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/King-Abdullah-I-of-Jordan-Declaring-Independence-25-May-1946-300x259.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/Talal-I-of-Jordan-197x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/King-Hussein-on-21-March-1968-checking-an-abandoned-Israeli-tank-in-the-aftermath-of-the-Battle-of-Karameh.-300x205.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/Signing-of-the-Israel-Jordan-Peace-Treaty-300x169.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/King-Abdullah-II-of-Jordan-216x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Geography:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/Topographic-Map-of-Jordan-295x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Economy:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/Treemap-of-Jordan-Exports-300x235.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/Jordanian-Dinar-225x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Transportation:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/Road-Map-of-Jordan-272x300.gif\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/10\/Queen-Alia-International-Airport-300x214.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Flag of Jordan:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/09\/Flag-of-Jordan-300x150.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>