Jordan

This week we are looking at Jordan an Arab nation on the east bank of the Jordan River, is defined by ancient monuments, nature reserves and seaside resorts. It’s home to the famed archaeological site of Petra, the Nabatean capital dating to around 300 B.C. Set in a narrow valley with tombs, temples and monuments carved into the surrounding pink sandstone cliffs, Petra earns its nickname, the "Rose City."

The population is around 12 million.

The capital is Amman, which is a modern city with numerous ancient ruins. It is one of the region's principal commercial and transportation centers as well as one of the Arab world's major cultural capitals.

The Jordanian dinar has been the currency of Jordan since 1950. The dinar is divided into 100 qirsh or 1000 fulus. It is pegged to the US dollar. The Central Bank of Jordan commenced operations in 1964 and became the sole issuer of Jordanian currency, in place of the Jordan Currency Board.

The country’s official language is Arabic, everyone in the country, including the minority communities, speak Arabic in their day-to-day dealings.

In addition to the Arabic language, English has become a significant component in the school curriculum. While Arabic remains the official language in Jordan, English has been taught in Jordan's schools and universities since the independence of Transjordan as a Kingdom.

The flag of Jordan is made up of three horizontal bands of black, white, and green, with a red chevron and a white seven-pointed star in the middle of the white band. The flag was adopted on April 16, 1928.

The colours and the star represent the following 

• Black: Represents the Abbasid Caliphate
• White: Represents the Umayyad Caliphate
• Green: Represents the Fatimid Caliphate
• Red: Represents the Hashemite dynasty and the Arab Revolt
• Star: The seven points of the star represent the seven verses of the opening chapter of the Quran, the Al-Fatiha. It also represents the unity of the Arab people, faith in one God, humility, national spirit, virtue, social justice, and aspiration.

More than 92% of the population are Muslims and approximately 8% are Christians. Most Christians belong to the Greek Orthodox Church; but there are also Greek Catholics, Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and a few Protestant denominations.

Jordan is a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral National Assembly. The king is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The prime minister is the head of government and is responsible for carrying out the day-to-day tasks of the executive branch. The judicial branch is independent of the other two branches. Which are the executive branch and the legislative branch.

The government operates comprehensive health facilities, including a national health insurance program. The government supervises and coordinates social and charitable organizations. 

The government has the power to block and censor websites. 

Although the constitution provides for the freedom to practise one's religion in accordance with the customs that are observed in the Kingdom, unless they violate public order or morality.

However, such things as wanting to convert from Islam to another religion isn’t allowed and are not recognised as anything other than Islam and are still considered legally Muslims and face immense societal pressure.

There are many restrictions against religious minorities such as.

• Jordan's government may deny recognition to a religion.
• Baháʼís are not permitted to establish schools, places of worship or cemeteries.
• Aside from Christians, all other non-Muslim minorities do not have their own courts to adjudicate personal status and family matters.
• Muslim women may not marry non-Muslim men, such as Christians, unless the men legally convert to Islam.
• Since Muslims are prohibited from converting to other religions according to the Sharia law, converts from Islam cannot change their religion on governmental records. However, converts to Islam are required to change their religious identification to "Muslim" on governmental records and civil documents.

When it come to women’s rights, they suck, females over the age of 15 need a male guardian’s permission to marry for the first time. A marriage to a non-Muslim is not recognised.

They cannot travel abroad with their children without the consent of a male guardian or having judicial consent. They are subject to restrictions when it comes to employment and general prohibited from night work.