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| King Hussein of Jordan- Image from Wiki |
Jordan was first settled around 2000 B.C. Jordan was settled and conquered by many different groups which include the Egyptians, the Israelites, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Assyrians, the Hittites, and of course, both the Greeks and Romans. In 1516, Jordan was part of the Ottoman Empire and remained part of the Ottoman Empire until the end of World War I. Jordan was then awarded to the United Kingdom.
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| Coats of arms of Jordan featuring the eagle |
Factoids:
*Jordan is a constitutional monarchy and King Abdullah II has been their ruler since 1999. The official name is the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
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| The Dead Sea-image from twisted sifter |
*King Hussein ruled Jordan for over 46 years making him the longest serving political leader in the world, ever! Upon his death at age 63, his oldest son Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein assumed title of King of Jordan. Here is an interesting note, when using Arabic names, for exampl: Abdullah ibn al-Hussein, this is translated as Abdullah, son of Hussein. They use the word ibn to indicate son of. If this were a daughter, they would use the word bint to indicate daughter of. An example, Dina bint 'Abdu'l-Hamid who was Hussein's first wife. Dina daughter of 'Abdu'l-Hamid. Just a side note but very interesting and important for the culture.
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| http://country-facts.findthebest.com/l/186/Jordan |
*Amman is the capital.
*The currency is called the Jordanian Dinar.
*The Dead Sea is the lowest geographical point. This is the world's saltiest sea at 33.7% salinity.
*The Eagle is their national symbol which symbolizes power, fortitude, and loftiness.
*More than 6 million people call Jordan home.
*The highest geographical point is Jabal Ram.
*Jordan is just a little smaller than Indiana.
*Jordan is mostly desert.
*90% of the Jordanians live on only 10% of the land.
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| Petra-ancient city carved in a mountain. |
*Official language is Arabic but English is used among the upper and middles classes.
*Islam is the main religion in Jordan, specifically the Sunni-influenced Islam as 92% of Jordanians are Sunni Muslims. Other religions include Christianity, Protestant, Greek Orthodox, and Roman Catholic.
*Jordan declared their independence from the United Kingdom on May 25, 1946.
*The Petra is the most visited tourist attraction in Jordan.
*The Jordanian cuisine is very vegetarian-friendly.
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| Nubian ibex |
*In Jordan, legal age of consent is 16 and voting and drinking ages are both 18.
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| stripped hyena |
*Jordan is home to a variety of interesting animals including the Nubian ibex, the stripped hyena, and at least 18 different species of bats.
There is also a variety of beautiful birds in Jordan. Click here for a complete list.
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وداعا الآن-bye for now!
Read more:
National Geographic
More wildlife info
Famous folks from Jordan
Trivia for Jordan
So timely, we are working through the middle east right now.
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