Jordan

Jordan is a country in the Middle East bordered by Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the West Bank. Amman is both its capital and largest city, Arabic is the official language, and the country is governed as a constitutional monarchy. Much of Jordan consists of desert and rocky plateau, while its western region includes the Jordan River Valley and the Dead Sea, the lowest exposed point on Earth.

Jordan has long stood at the crossroads of Africa, Asia, and Europe. Among the civilizations that controlled parts of the region were the Nabataeans, who established Petra as an important center of trade, followed by the Roman, Byzantine, Islamic, and Ottoman empires. After the First World War, the territory became the Emirate of Transjordan under British supervision. It gained independence in 1946 and became the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, ruled by the Hashemite royal family.