Short facts about the government of Jordan
| Country
name: |
conventional long
form: Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan
conventional short form: Jordan
local long
form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah
local short
form: Al Urdun
former:
Transjordan |
| Government
type: |
constitutional
monarchy |
| Administrative divisions: |
12 governorates (muhafazat, singular -
muhafazah); Ajlun, Al 'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At
Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an,
Madaba |
| Independence: |
25 May 1946 (from League of Nations
mandate under British administration) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day, 25 May
(1946) |
| Constitution: |
8 January
1952 |
| Legal
system: |
based on Islamic law and French codes;
judicial review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: |
20 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Crown Prince HAMZAH (half
brother of the monarch, born 29 March 1980)
head of government:
Prime Minister Ali Abul RAGHEB (since 19 June 2000)
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the
monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime
minister appointed by the monarch |
| Legislative
branch: |
bicameral National Assembly or Majlis
al-'Umma consists of the Senate (a 40-member body appointed by the monarch from
designated categories of public figures; members serve four-year terms) and the
House of Representatives (80 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis
of proportional representation to serve four-year
terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 4 November
1997 (next to be held NA November 2001)
election results: House
of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - National
Constitutional Party 2, Arab Land Party 1, independents 75, other
2
note: the House of Representatives has been convened and
dissolved by the monarch several times since 1974; in November 1989 the first
parliamentary elections in 22 years were held |
| Judicial
branch: |
Court of Cassation; Supreme Court
(court of final appeal) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Al-Umma (Nation) Party [Ahmad
al-HANANDEH, secretary general]; Arab Land Party [Dr. Muhammad al-'ORAN,
secretary general]; Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'eed THIYAB,
secretary general]; National Constitutional Party [Abdul Hadi MAJALI, secretary
general] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Council of Professional Association
Presidents [Ahmad al-QADIRI, chairman]; Jordanian Press Association [Sayf
al-SHARIF, president]; Muslim Brotherhood [Abd-al-Majid DHUNAYBAT, secretary
general] |
| International organization participation: |
ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC,
ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTAET, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Marwan Jamil MUASHER
chancery: 3504
International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202)
966-2664
FAX: [1] (202)
966-3110 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador William J. BURNS
embassy: Abdoum,
Amman
mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; APO AE
09892-0200
telephone: [962] (6) 5920101
FAX: [962]
(6) 5920121 |
| Flag
description: |
three equal horizontal bands of black
(top, the Abbassid Caliphate of Islam), white (the Ummayyad Caliphate of Islam),
and green (the Fatimid Caliphate of Islam) with a red isosceles triangle
(representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916) based on the hoist side bearing a
small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven verses of the opening Sura
(Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven points on the star represent faith in
One God, humanity, national spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and
aspirations | Source: World Factbook |
