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Jordan: Small Country, Big Ideas

Batir Wardam

09 Enero 2004

An Introduction to Jordan

Woman farmer in Jordan

If one country’s fate is determined by its geo-political location, this country has to be Jordan. Situated in a politically and culturally volatile area, Jordan faces the test of surviving, developing and excelling in a tough neighborhood. Furthermore, being in a semi-arid zone, the country is not blessed with natural resources and, ever since its establishment in 1923, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has lived with the challenge of managing its fragile natural environment. The two most important natural resources needed for development, water and oil, are in short supply, but Jordan’s main wealth is in its human resources

Political History

The now-known Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was a product of the Arab revolt against the Turkish Empire in 1916. The Hashemite family that led the revolt was hoping to establish an independent “Greater Syria” in the fertile crescent area (Syria-Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq). The Hashemite’s revolution was supported by Arab nationalism and the colonial aspirations of both Great Britain and France who were rushing to fill the gap left by the Turks after World War I.

The Hashemites and the Arabs discovered the reality of political alliances with Britain

The Hashemites and the Arabs discovered the reality of political alliances with Britain, and were left with only the arid area of East Jordan to rule, after the West Bank of the Jordan River (Palestine) was declared by Britain as a “national home land” for the Jewish people worldwide.
The Anglo-Jordanian treaty in 1923 established the Emirate of East Jordan, and full independence of Jordan was gained in 1946.

The political system of Jordan has always been a constitutional monarchy, with short periods of political openness, overtaken by long years of rigidity that stopped political development. Nevertheless, by comparison with neighboring Arab regimes, the system has not deprived Jordanian citizens from their dignity.

The kingdom suffered a tragic civil war in 1970-1971 between the Jordanian regime and emerging fighters of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). The heavy military confrontation resulted in full authority of the regime, the expulsion of Palestinian fighters to Lebanon, declaration of marshal laws, and a deep socio-political mistrust between regime supporters, from mainly east Jordanian roots, and PLO supporters that is still evident today.

During the late 1980’s, a big economic recession coupled with corruption resulted in civil outrage and many demonstrations throughout Jordan, with special concentrations in the regime’s main social base: the southern Jordanian towns and tribes. This public movement resulted in political openness and the resumption of parliamentary life for the first time since 1967. Free parliamentary elections were held in 1989, and replicated in 1993 and 1997 before a “stoppage time” between 2001 and 2003 when the latest elections were held. Political development, however, did not reach a satisfactory level for Jordanian politicians and activists in political parties and other institutions.

Media is still under strict government control

Media is still under strict government control and public freedoms are subject to the political mood in the country.

People and religions

The Hashemite kingdom of Jordan was established in 1923 based on a small community of Jordanian tribal settlers and Bedouins. During Turkish rule, a group of Jordanian cities and towns developed their own social fabric, and were joined together in the new Kingdom. Immigrants from neighboring countries (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon) composed a small percentage of the Jordanian population at that time, plus other ethnic minorities like Circasseans, Chechens, Armenians and Kurds. Muslims form the majority of the population (93%) while Christians in Jordan enjoy religious freedoms and active participation in social and political life.

A major shift in Jordanian population identity took place when Jordan had to welcome the influx of more than 0.5 million Palestinian refugees in 1948 during the establishment of the state of Israel. In the war of 1967 Jordan lost the West Bank including Jerusalem which fell under Israeli occupation. Another wave of Palestinian refugees entered Jordan. Those refugees and their descendents enjoyed Jordanian citizenship immediately, and still compose a large percentage of the Jordanian population.

Politics and Development

Faced with shortages and scarcity of natural resources, Jordan has to come up with many developmental plans to support its fast growing population. In 1990 Jordan had the world’s fastest growing population with a growth rate of 3.4%. This was mainly due to political instability in the region and many migrations to Jordan from Palestine.

Volatile political surroundings did sustainable damage to Jordan’s developmental strategies. Always hostage to the Arab-Israeli conflict and the deep-rooted political instability of the region, Jordan has taken a semi-liberal approach in its policies and economy compared to Arab nationalism slogans raised in Syria, Egypt and Iraq.

the shortage of natural resources in Jordan has encouraged development of human resources

This approach has put Jordan at the receiving end of pan-Arab political conflicts. However, the shortage of natural resources in Jordan has encouraged development of human resources. High levels of education, vocational skills, and entrepreneurship characterize the people of Jordan.

A Regional Model?

In 1999 King Abdullah II accessed the throne after the death of his father King Hussein Bin Talal, the true builder of the Jordanian state for 37 years. The new King was faced with a fragile economy, a stagnant political life, and major regional conflicts in Palestine and Iraq. King Abdullah wanted to insert a new spirit in the Jordanian state, and actively pursued full economic liberalization, political openness and gradual democratization, and acted to put the country in a leading regional role in many sectors including ICT, tourism, trade, human development and developing a knowledge society. The experience of Jordan is gaining more momentum in light of the global debate on the identity and future of the Arab World and its attitudes and vision. Jordan is trying to be a regional model in economic development, tolerance, democratization and investing in human resources.
This is why monitoring the Jordanian experiment is vital for crystallizing potential for indigenous-driven changes in the Arab World in the 21st century.