Religious Tourism in Jordan

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Chapter 4: Discussion and Analysis

Jordan: An Overview

Geography & Demographics

Officially called the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Jordan is located in the southern western of Asia. Its neighboring countries are Iraq (to the North East), the West Bank and Israel (to the West), Saudi Arabia (to both South and East) and Syria (to the North).It is the home to 6.2 million people which include 47% Palestinian, 14% Iraqi and 30% Jordanian origin. Although the official language of Jordan is Arabic, many people speak English as well and the number of citizens who speak French is also increasing day by day. The climate of Jordan is mostly barren with the bodies of water limited to Jordan River, Gulf of Aqaba and the Dead Sea. Jordan is 89,342 sq. km in size which is slightly smaller than the state of Indiana having an urban population over 78%. (Andreas 2009)

Political Condition

Jordan declared its independence from Britain in the year 1946.It is a constitutional monarchy whose legal system is based on French code and the Islamic Law. The executive authority is vested in the King as he signs all the laws and executes them. This authority or so called veto power can be over ruled if two-thirds of both the houses of parliament are against it. King Abdullah dismissed the cabinet in December 2009 in order to strengthen the governance and to reform the country. Then in July 2010, he reshuffled the cabinet by appointing nine new members. (Michael 2005)

The legislative power rests in the two chambered parliament. The lower house of parliament is elected by the universal law of voting for a 4 year term which can be dissolved by the King. The upper house consists of 55 members who are appointed by the King for a 4 year term. Elections for mayors and municipal councils were for the first time held in July 2007 where 20 percent of the seats were reserved for women. Three categories of courts are provided by the Jordan constitution: Religious, civil and special. 12 governorates divide Jordan administratively and each governorate is appointed by the king and headed by a governor. They are the only authorities for all the government departments and the development projects in their respective areas. (Stefan 2005)

Surviving a number of challenges to his rule, King Hussein ruled Jordan for 46 years from 1953 to 1999 while he served as a symbol of stability and unity for both Palestinian and the East Bank communities in the country. Jordan government legalized political parties in the year 1992. Though political parties do not have huge influence on the political process, it is the King who keeps a watch on the public policies in order to keep the public happy. The Jordanians have had a positive and long lasting relationships with their kings and the smooth transition between them have kept the country's internal politics stable. After the death of King Hussein in February 1999, King Abdullah II became the successor to the ...