Jordan Government

The government of Jordan can be described as a parliamentary monarchy in which the monarch holds the highest political power and is considered the head of state. The 1952 Constitution of Jordan vests the executive authority of the country in the king and his cabinet, this gives the king the power to execute, sign, and veto laws in the state. The king can also approve amendments to the constitution (after passing by both parliaments), appoint and dismiss judges, can declare war or join a wartime coalition, as well as being the supreme leader of the armed forces of Jordan. Although the King previously appointed the Prime Minister and Cabinet they are now elected positions within the Jordanian government.

During 1957, martial law was declared in Jordan, and political parties and rallies were banned which effectively put a halt on all political discourse. This state of martial law lasted until 1989 when civil unrest led the government to concede to an election. Protests in 2011 led to further political reform and election freedoms in the country, and the 2016 Jordanian national polls were unanimously praised by observers for their transparency and fairness.

The house of parliament in Jordan is located in the northeastern part of the capital city Amman, near King Abdullah I Mosque and the Abdali Mall. The Senate has 65 members, and all are appointed by King Abdullah II. The Jordanian House of Representatives has 130 elected members who serve four-year terms. Although the political system looks somewhat democratic at this level, multi-party politics are yet to develop in the nation's political culture.

The two major political parties in Jordan are the Jordanian National Youth Party and the Islamic Action Front.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Amman
Languages	Arabic (official), English (widely understood among upper and middle classes)
Ethnic Groups	Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
Religion	Muslim 97.2% (official; predominantly Sunni), Christian 2.2% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), Buddhist 0.4%, Hindu 0.1%, Jewish <0.1, folk religionist <0.1, unaffiliated <0.1, other <0.1 (2010 est.)
Government	Parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Independance	25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Area	89,342.00 km²
Water Area	540.00 km²
Land Area	88,802.00 km²
Population	8,185,384.00 Population heavily concentrated in the west, and particularly the northwest, in and around the capital of Amman; a sizeable, but smaller population is located in the southwest along the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba
Location	Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia, between Israel (to the west) and Iraq
No. Bordering Countries	5
Bordering Countries	Iraq 179 km, Israel 307 km, Saudi Arabia 731 km, Syria 379 km, West Bank 148 km
GDP(PPP)	$86,190,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$11,100.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are textiles, fertilizers, potash, and phosphates.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Saudi Arabia, China, and the United States.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include crude oil, refined petroleum products, machinery, and transport equipment.
Climate	Mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)
Terrain	Mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates eastern and western banks of the Jordan River
Learn More	Jordan

Jordan Government

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