The region of Transjordan is a semi-autonomous area of Palestine, carved out by the British in the 1920's. It was managed by Great Britain, but was granted independence in 1946 and adopted Jordan as the new name of the state in 1950.
Jordan is a constitutional monarchy and was under long-time ruler King Hussein (1953-99) who successfully steered the country through pressures from super powers (US, USSR, and UK), from several Arab states, Israel, and from a large internal Palestinian population to weather wars and various coup attempts. A pragmatist in general the King re-instituted Parliamentary elections and gradual political liberalization in 1989; and in 1994 he signed a peace treaty with Israel.
The official state symbol is the
Jordan flag, which consists of three equal horizontal bands of black, white, and green that are all connected by a red triangle on the hoist side. The colors on the horizontal bands represent the Abbasid, Umayyad and Fatimid Caliphates while the red triangle is for the Hashemite Dynasty and the Arab Revolt.
A seven-pointed star was added that distinguish it from the flag of Palestine, and it stands for the seven verses of the first surah in the Qur'an, and also for the unity of the Arab race. But some attributes the seven-pointed star on the red triangle to the seven hills on which the capital Amman was built.
The economy of Jordan is solely based on agriculture and phosphates and its entry into the World Trade Organization in 2000 could bring in needed revenues through reforms and increased trade. Though it lacks oil, Jordan aims to harness the full potential of its limited natural resources; and through cooperative agreements with neighbors in the development of renewable energy.
by:
The Flagman
