Government of Jordan
Long Conventional Name
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Short Conventional Name
Jordan
Long Local Name
Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah
Short Local Name
Al Urdun
Government Type
Constitutional Monarchy
Capital City
Amman
Administrative Divisions
12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ajlun, Al 'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba.
Independence Day
Saturday, 25th May 1946
Constitutional History
1 January 1952; amended many times
Legal System
Based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive Branch
Chief of State
King Abdallah II (since 7 February 1999); Prince Hussein (born 1994), eldest son of King Abdallah, is first in line to inherit the throne.
Head of Government
Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit (since 24 November 2005).
Cabinet
Cabinet appointed by the Prime Minister in consultation with the monarch.
Elections
None; the monarch is hereditary; Prime Minister appointed by the monarch.
Legislative Branch
Bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the Senate, also called the House of Notables (Majlis al-Ayan) (55 seats; members appointed by the monarch from designated categories of public figures; members serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies, also called the House of Representatives (Majlis al-Nuwaab) (110 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms); note - six seats are reserved for women and are allocated by a special electoral panel if no women are elected.
Judical Branch
Court of Cassation; Supreme Court (court of final appeal).
Flag Description
Three equal horizontal bands of black (top), representing the Abbassid Caliphate, white, representing the Ummayyad Caliphate, and green, representing the Fatimid Caliphate; a red isosceles triangle on the hoist side, representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, and bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations; design is based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I.