Jordan
The Kingdom of Jordan was formed after World War I from a huge part of the British Mandate for Palestine. It was intended to be a homeland for Arab Muslims. This desert country is populated with 6.5 million people, mainly urban and of Bedouin origin.
A constitutional monarchy, Jordan is ruled with mixed elements of civil and Islamic law. After decades of conflict, the kingdom has in recent years been a peaceful nation. Human rights however are not robust in Jordan: press freedom is curtailed; there is gender discrimination, and torture is still practised. In the Arab Spring of 2011, Jordan saw street demonstrations calling for greater freedoms. How will Jordan be further influenced by the events of neighboring Arab states? Read more about Jordan at Suite 101.
topic editor
Jen L. Jones - Based in Canada, Jones writes on human rights, history,and the natural world. She focuses also on Turkish and Scottish travel and ...