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| Independence Year : 1946 Population : 5083000 Life Expectancy : 77.4 Capital : 1786 GNP : 7526.00 GNP Old : 7051.00 Local Name : Al-Urdunn Government Form : Constitutional Monarchy Location : Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia, east of Israel Terrain : - Climate : Mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April) Ethnic Group : Mostly Arab but small communities of Circassians, Armenians, and Kurds Religions : Sunni Muslim 96%, Christian 4%. Official Website :www.kingabdullah.jo/homepage.php | 
Genral Information - Jordan
Background
For most of its history since independence from British administration in 1946, Jordan was ruled by King HUSSEIN (1953-99). A pragmatic ruler, he successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population, through several wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he resumed parliamentary elections and gradually permitted political liberalization; in 1994 a formal peace treaty was signed with Israel. King ABDALLAH II - the eldest son of King HUSSEIN and Princess MUNA - assumed the throne following his father's death in February 1999. Since then, he has consolidated his power and established his domestic priorities, including an aggressive economic reform program. Jordan acceded to the World Trade Organization in January 2000, and signed free trade agreements with the United States in 2000, and with the European Free Trade Association in 2001. (Source: CIA - The World Factbook) |
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