Portal:Jordan/Selected topic overview

Selected topic overview 1

Highway 15 runs north-south for the entire length of Jordan, connecting the Syrian border north of Mafraq to Aqaba in the south.
Queen Alia International Airport is the Jordan's largest airport serving the city of Amman.
The city of Aqaba lies at the northern tip of the Red Sea and is Jordan's only seaport.

Jordan is a parliamentary monarchy with executive power resting with the King and the Prime Minister of Jordan is the head of government.
Jordan has three categories of courts in its judicial system: civil, special, and religious.
Twelve governorates of Jordan are the sole regional authorities for government departments and development projects in their local area.

Several important Neolithic archaeological sites are in Jordan, including Ein Ghazal.
Based on lead seals and copper coinage containing the historical references, the name "Jordan" dates from the 8th century AD, when the Ummayad Empire had control of the region.
In 1925, the League of Nations determined the British protectorate of Transjordan, founded in 1921, was considered a successor state of the Ottoman Empire.
Jordan secured independence in 1946 and the United Nations admitted Jordan in 1955. The country's independence was discussed at the last-ever meeting of the League of Nations.
King Abdullah II succeeded his father King Hussein as monarch in 1999.

The vast majority of Jordanians practice Sunni Islam, the state religion.
In addition to civil and special courts, Jordan has special religious courts which enforce Sharia law.
Jordan has Christian minorities, mostly in major cities, and several Druze communities exist in the country's north.

Jordan has substantial oil shale reserves underneath approximately 60% of the country.
The Baynouna Solar Power Plant, which will generate an estimated 3% of the country's power, began construction in 2017 near Amman.
In 2015, Jordan launched an initiative to have solar panels on every mosque in the country.
The Arab Gas Pipeline is a natural gas pipeline which runs north-south through Jordan, connecting Egypt with Syria and Lebanon.

Dabke is a traditional native Levantine folk dance often performed at weddings.
Jordan is one of the larger producers of olives in the country and as such Jordanian cuisine relies heavily on the use olive oil.
Many Western films requiring desert scenes, such as Lawrence of Arabia and The Hurt Locker have been shot in Jordan, especially in the Wadi Rum.
Jordanians primarily speak a dialect of Arabic called Jordanian Arabic, with the occasional usage of English, especially amongst the upper classes.