|
( Jordan)
Jordan (Arabic ???????? al-Urdunn), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern part of the Syrian Desert down to the Gulf of Aqaba. It shares borders with Syria to the north, Iraq to the north-east, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories to the west, and Saudi Arabia to the east and south. It shares control of the Dead Sea with Israel, and the coastline of the Gulf of Aqaba with Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Much of Jordan is covered by desert, particularly the Arabian Desert; however the north-western area, with the sacred Jordan River, is regarded as part of the Fertile Crescent. The capital city of Amman is in the north-west. Jordan has a rich history; its location in the central Middle East has long made it a prized possession. During its long history, Jordan has seen numerous civilisations, including such ancient eastern civilisations as the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Mesopotamian, and Persian empires. Jordan was for a time part of Pharaonic Egypt, and spawned the native Nabatean civilisation who left rich archaeological remains at Petra. Cultures from the west also left their mark, such as the Macedonian, Roman, and Byzantine empires. Since the seventh century the area has been under Muslim and Arab cultures, with the exception of a brief period under British rule. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a constitutional monarchy with representative government. The reigning monarch is the head of state, the chief executive and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The king exercises his executive authority through the prime ministers and the Council of Ministers, or cabinet. The cabinet, meanwhile, is responsible before the elected House of Deputies which, along with the House of Notables (Senate), constitutes the legislative branch of the government. The judicial branch is an independent branch of the government. The earlier roots of Jordan as an independent state can be traced back to The Kingdom of Petra, which was founded by The Nabataeans (Arabic ???????, Al-Anbat) an ancient Arabic Semitic people who invented the North Arabic Script that evolved into the Modern Arabic script. The Nabataeans Kingdom during its glory controlled the world trade lines by dominating a large area extended from the whole of modern Jordan to the south of Syria and the north of the Arabian Peninsula. As a result, Petra enjoyed prosperity, wealth and independence hundreds of years until it was occupied by the emerging Roman empire. Beside the Nabataeans, Jordan witnessed many other smaller ancient kingdoms including the Kingdom of Edom, the Kingdom of Ammon and the Kingdom of Moab, all of which are mentioned in the Bible as well as in many other old scriptures [reference needed]. During the Greco-Roman influence a number of semi-independent city-states also appeared in Jordan under the umbrella of the Decapolis including Gerasa (Jerash), Philadelphia(Amman), Raphana (Abila), Dion (Capitolias), Gadara (Umm Qays), and Pella(Irbid). Later, Jordan became part of the Arabic Islamic Empire across its different Caliphates satges including Rashidun Empire, Umayyad Empire and Abbasid Empire. After the decline of the Abbasid, Jordan was ruled by several conflicting powers including the Mongols, the Crusades, the Ayyubid and the Mamluk until it became part of the Ottoman Empire.
|
