1. Sacred royal lineage: The King of Jordan, Abdullah II, belongs to the Hashemite royal family, who consider themselves descendants of the Prophet Muhammad
2. Economy: The Jordanian economy is heavily affected by a lack of supply of water, oil and other natural resources. In addition, budget deficits, national debt, poverty and high unemployment weigh on the economy
3. Tourism: Tourism accounts for around 10-12% of Jordan’s gross domestic product and in 2010 there were approximately 8 million tourists and other visitors to the country. The most famous tourist attractions are the cities of Petra and Jerash
4. Health tourism: Jordan has been a destination for medical tourism since the 1970s. In 2010, 250,000 patients from 102 countries were treated in Jordan, bringing in over USD 1 billion
5. Military: Due to Jordan’s extremely important strategic location between Israel, the West Bank, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, as well as its close proximity to Lebanon and Egypt, the Jordanian military receives a lot of support from the US, UK and France
Fact: John the Baptist baptized Jesus in Bethabara – and these excavations in Jordan are believed to be Bethabara
6. Peacekeeping troops: Jordan contributes one of the highest number of peacekeeping troops of any country in the UN
7. Early history: Throughout history, present-day Jordan has been part of several powerful empires – including the Akkadian Empire (2335-2193 BC), Ancient Egypt (15th – 13th centuries BC), the Hittites (14th and 13th centuries BC), Assyria (13th – 1020 BC), the Neo-Assyrian Empire (911 – 605 BC), the Hittites (14th and 13th centuries BC), Assyria (13th – 1020 BC), and the Neo-Assyrian Empire (911 – 605 BC).), the Hittite Empire (14th and 13th centuries BC), Assyria (1365 – 1020 BC), the Neo-Assyrian Empire (911 – 605 BC), the Neo-Babylonian Empire (604 – 539 BC) and the Achaemenid dynasty. In addition, the Israelites have also ruled the area for shorter periods, and the Persians and Macedonian Greeks have dominated the region
8. The Caliphates: Jordan has also been part of several of the Caliphates (Rashidun Caliphate, Umayyad Caliphate and Abbasid Caliphate), after which it fell to the Mongols, Crusaders, Ayyubid dynasty and Mamluks respectively
9. The Ottoman Empire: In 1516, present-day Jordan became part of the Ottoman Empire and remained part of it until 1918, when the Hashemite army along with local Transjordanian tribes took power during the so-called ‘Arab Revolt’
10. Independence: In 1922, Transjordan was recognized as a state under the British Mandate by the League of Nations. The country remained under British rule and League of Nations protection until May 25, 1946, when the UN recognized Transjordan as an independent kingdom. The country changed its name from ‘Transjordan’ to ‘Jordan’ in 1948
Fact: Petra and Jerash are the most popular tourist attractions in Jordan
