Jordan

Jordan was formed in the post-World War I settlement in which Britain and France divided most of the Middle East between them. The British established the semi-autonomous entity Transjordan and installed a Hashemite monarchy under King Abdullah I. The territory became independent in 1946, and changed its name to Jordan in 1950. King Hussein assumed the thrown in 1953 and ruled for 46 years. He was seen as a pragmatic leader and successfully managed to place Jordan as a key player in the region.

Jordan lost the territory that we today refer to as the West Bank to Israel in the 1967 War.  While indigenous tribes essentially made up the country in the early 20th century, a majority of the population today are descendants of Palestinian refugees. The revolt in 1970, driven by the Palestinian groups, almost toppled the monarchy but was ultimately clamped down by government forces.  The event, called Black September, remains a pressing memory of still present tensions between Palestinians and the regime. Jordan is the second Arab nation along with Egypt that has signed a peace treaty with Israel. The country is thus widely considered a pivotal ally to the US and is a significant recipient of US foreign aid.

King Abdullah II succeeded his father to the throne in 1999, and has since been a staunch advocate of economic reform. The country has seen progress, but with limited natural resources it has less potential than many of its oil-rich neighbors. However, due to its delicate geographic position and strategic significance, Jordan receives much of its income from foreign aid. High rates of unemployment as well as inflation and a budget deficit spurred protests in early 2011, partly as a result of the wave of Arab revolts spreading across the region. The monarchy, however, has stood relatively firm and allowed minor concessions such as the implementation of a National Dialogue Commission in order to deal with the peoples’ demands.