COUNTRY DATA: JORDAN : Information from the CIA World Factbook INTRODUCTION Following world war 1 and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the UK received a mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain separated out a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in the early 1920 s, and the area gained its independence in 1946; it adopted the name of Jordan in 1950. The country s long-time ruler was King HUSSEIN (1953-99). A pragmatic leader, he successfully navigated competing pressures from 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 war and barely managed to defeat Palestinian rebels who attempted to overthrow the monarchy in 1970. King HUSSEIN in 1988 permanently relinquished Jordanian claims to the West Bank. In 1989, he reinstituted parliamentary elections and initiated a gradual political liberalization; political parties were legalized in 1922. In 1994, he signed a peace treaty with Israel. King ABDULLAH 11, the son of King HUSSEIN, assumed the throne following his father s death in February 1999. Since, then he had consolidated the power and undertaken an aggressive economic reform program. Jordan acceded to the World Trade Organization in 2000, and began to participate in the European Free Trade Organization in 2001. In 2003, Jordan staunchly supported the Coalition ouster of Saddam in Iraq and following the outbreak of insurgent violence in Iraq, absorbed thousands of displaced Iraqis. Municipal elections were held in July 2007 under a system in which 20% of seats in all municipal councils were reserved by quota for women. Parliamentary elections were held in November 2010 and saw independent pro-government candidates win the vast majority of seats. GEOGRAPHY Location Area Climate Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia total: 89,324 sq km Land: 88,802 sq km Water: 540 sq km country comparison to the world: 111 mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April) Natural Resources phosphates, potash, shale oil Total Renewable Water Resources Freshwater Withdrawal Natural Hazards 0.9 cu km (1997) total: 1.01 cu km/yr Per capita: 177 cu m/yr (2000) droughts; periodic earthquakes Environmental limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Issues PEOPLE Population 6,407,085 (July 2010 est.) Country comparison to the world: 102 Ethnic Groups Arab 98%< Circassian 1%, Armenian 1% Religions Languages Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several small Shia Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.) Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes Literacy Rate total population: 89.9% Major Infectious Diseases male: 95.1% Female: 84.7% (2003 est.) GOVERNMENT Type Independence Constitution Legal System constitutional monarchy 25 May 1946 (from the League of Nations mandate under British administration) 1 January 1952; amended many times based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction ECONOMY Agricultural Products Industries Import commodities citrus, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, strawberries, stone fruits; sheep, poultry, dairy clothing, fertilizers, potash, phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, inorganic chemicals, light manufacturing, tourim crude oil, machinery, transport equipment, iron, cereals Import Partners Saudi Arabia 17.3%, China 10.95%, US 6.94%, Germany 6.29%, Egypt 6.1% (2009) Export Commodities clothing, fertilizers, potash, phosphates, vegetables, pharmaceuticals Export Partners US 17.13%, Iraq 17%, India 13.59%, Saudi Arabia 10.56%, Syria 4.18%, UAE 4.09% Per Capita GDP $5,300 (2010 est.)
$5,200 (2009 est.) $5,200 (2008 est.) Population below poverty line 14.2% (2002) *CITATIONS: All information included above is extracted from the CIA World Factbook except where noted.
Country Data: Information from Human Development Report COUNTRY: JORDAN General Life Expectancy at Birth (in years) Average number of years in School (in years) 73.1 years 8.6 years Gross National Income Per Capita (In US Dollars) $5,956 Gender Inequality Female Seats in Parliament (%) 8.5% Population with at least a Secondary Education Female (% 0f 25 and older) 57.6% Population with at least a Secondary Education Male (% 0f 25 and older) 73.8% Labor Force Participation Female (%) 24.7% Labor Force Participation Male (%) 78.3% Births Attended by Skilled Health Professionals (%) 99% Poverty Population surviving on $1.25 per day (%) <2% Empowerment Number of Journalists Imprisoned 0 Corruption Victims (% of people who face a bribe situation in the last year) 5% Political Engagement (% percent of people who voiced opinion to public officials) 14%
Sustainability Fossil Fuels as Primary Energy Source (%) 98% Renewable Resources as Primary Energy Source (%) 2% Population without Access to Water (%) 4% Population Without Access to Sanitation Services (%) 2% Population affected by natural disasters (% between 2000-2009) <.01% Human Security Number of Refugees leaving this country 1,900 Number of Internally Displaced People in This Country -- Prevalence of Undernourishment (%) <5% Demographic Urban Residents (% of total Population) 78.5% Health HIV Prevalence in Female Youth (% ages 15-24) -- HIV Prevalence in Male Youth (% ages 15-24) -- HIV Prevalence in Adults (% ages 15-49) -- Other Official Development Assistance Per Capita (in US dollars) $125.60 Population without Electricity (%) 0%