Portal:Jordan

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location of Jordan

Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and the Palestinian West Bank and Israel to the west. The Jordan River, flowing into the Dead Sea, is located along the country's western border, while Jordan has a small coastline along the Red Sea in its southwest, separated by the Gulf of Aqaba from Egypt. Amman is Jordan's capital and largest city, as well as the most populous city in the Levant.

Modern-day Jordan has been inhabited by humans since the Paleolithic period. Three kingdoms emerged in Transjordan at the end of the Bronze Age: Ammon, Moab and Edom. In the third century BC, the Arab Nabataeans established their Kingdom centered in Petra. Later rulers of the Transjordan region include the Assyrian, Babylonian, Roman, Byzantine, Rashidun, Umayyad, Abbasid, and the Ottoman empires. After the Great Arab Revolt against the Ottomans in 1916 during World War I, the Greater Syria region was partitioned by Britain and France. The Emirate of Transjordan was established in 1921 by the Hashemite, then Emir, Abdullah I, and the emirate became a British protectorate. In 1946, Jordan gained independence and became officially known as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The country captured and annexed the West Bank during the 1948 Arab–Israeli 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 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. The dominant majority, or around 95% of the country's population, is Sunni Muslim, with a mostly Arab Christian minority. Jordan was mostly unscathed by the violence that swept the region following the Arab Spring in 2010. From as early as 1948, Jordan has accepted refugees from multiple neighbouring countries in conflict. An estimated 2.1 million Palestinian and 1.4 million Syrian refugees were present in Jordan in 2015, with most Palestinian refugees holding Jordanian citizenship. The kingdom is also a refuge for thousands of Christian Iraqis fleeing persecution by the Islamic State. While Jordan continues to accept refugees, the recent large influx from Syria placed substantial strain on national resources and infrastructure.

The sovereign state is a constitutional monarchy, but the king holds wide executive and legislative powers. Jordan is a founding member of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation. The country has a high Human Development Index, ranking 102nd, and is considered a lower 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. (Full article...)

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The University of Jordan (Arabic: الجامعة الأردنية), often abbreviated JU, is a public university located in Amman, Jordan. It was founded in 1962 by royal decree, and it is the largest and oldest institution of higher education in Jordan. It is located in the capital Amman in the Jubaiha area of the University District. It is composed of 20 faculties, and it contains over 95 departments. The university's stated main strategy and rule is to be global and productive in all its educational fields.

The University District where the University of Jordan is located is considered one of the most developed parts of Amman, with a rich history of education, culture, and a high population density. The University of Jordan is often nicknamed The Mother University (Arabic: الجامعة الأُم), with the nickname stemming from the fact that it is the first university in Jordan and it has graduated many public and political figures who haven taken on important roles in government and media. UJ alumni have also helped establish other universities in Jordan and neighboring countries. (Full article...)

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Abdullah El Tell
Abdullah El Tell (Arabic: عبدالله التل, 17 July 1918 – 1973) served in the Transjordanian Arab Legion during the 1948 war in Palestine rising from the rank of company commander to become Military Governor of the Old City of Jerusalem. He was later accused of being involved in the assassination of King Abdullah I−which he denied−and spent many years in Egypt before returning to Jordan in 1967. (Full article...)

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For editor resources and to collaborate with other editors on improving Wikipedia's Jordan-related articles, see WikiProject Jordan.

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A pre-1920 photograph of the train station in Ma'an. The Hejaz Railway is still operational today.
Ma'an (Arabic: مَعان, romanizedMaʿān) is a city in southern Jordan, 218 kilometres (135 mi) southwest of the capital Amman. It serves as the capital of the Ma'an Governorate. Its population was approximately 41,055 in 2015. Civilizations with the name of Ma'an have existed at least since the Nabatean period—the modern city is just northwest of the ancient town. The city is an important transport hub situated on the ancient King's Highway and also on the modern Desert Highway. (Full article...)

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Culture of Jordan

  • Dabke is a traditional native Levantine folk dance often performed at weddings.
  • Jordan is one of the larger producers of olives in the country and as such Jordanian cuisine relies heavily on the use olive oil.
  • Many Western films requiring desert scenes, such as Lawrence of Arabia and The Hurt Locker have been shot in Jordan, especially in the Wadi Rum.
  • Jordanians primarily speak a dialect of Arabic called Jordanian Arabic, with the occasional usage of English, especially amongst the upper classes.

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The Tafila Wind Farm in southern Jordan is the first and largest onshore wind farm in the Middle East.

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