Jordan

= **//JORDAN //** By: Alison Arnold= ==
 * Modern and ancient maps of Jordan **

Still many bedouins || Jordan was a "blessed landscape" to Arabs (shrines and tombs were there) || 34,495 square miles || King Abdullah || Petra was a commercial area with a lot of trade || Tourism is a major way of making money Exports: Phosphates, fertilisers, agricultural products || built in Jordan desert by Umayyads || 98% Arab many bedouins Use of camels || 2% Christian ||
 * || Ancient || Modern ||
 * Population || Mostly bedouins || 6,407,085
 * Per Capita Income ||  || $4,300 ||
 * Land Area || Petra became an important crossroad
 * Political System || Many people took over over time || Constitutional Monarchy
 * Imports/Exports || Exports: Sugar
 * Cultural Traditions || Caravan stops, bathhouses, and palaces
 * Religions || Islam || 98% Sunni

TIMELINE

1517 - Ottoman Turks conquer Jordan 1918 - Arab forces attack and conquer Deraa (Jordan) 1921 - Britian gains control of the territory which at the time was called Transjordan 1946 - Transjordan gained independence from Britian 1948- The country is now called Jordan. After Israel is created, Jordanians attack it and took control of East Jerusalem. 1952 - Jordan creates a constitution 1953 - King Hussein rules Jordan 1956 - Jordanians attack UN Palestine truce 1967 - Jordan and other Arab countries fight against Israel during the 6 Day War 1967 - Israel regains control of Jerusalem and many Palestinians flee to Jordan 1991 - Jordan becomes the fourth Arab country to sign on to a US-backed Middle East peace conference 1993 - King Hussein let Islamic parties run for parliament but rewrote voting rules so a limited number of seats could win 1994 - Israel and Jordan sign a peace treaty and open a path between the two countries for the first time 1997 - Parliamentary elections boycotted by parties, associations, and figures 1999 - King Hussein dies, prince Abdullah becomes king 
 * King Hussein**
 * Israel and Jordan Have a Peace Treaty**
 * Ancient City of Petra and a Bedouin Tribesman **
 * [|Modern Bedouins] **

Conclusion: Jordan has retained peaceful, diverse traditions for many years. Because 98% of the population are Sunni Arabs, most of the people share the same ideas so its easy for them to get along. Over time, Jordan has changed but kept some of its original factors as well. Petra, for example, was an important crossroad in ancient times and is still a very commercial area today. Of course the things that are being sold have changed from donkeys and camels to necklaces and bracelets but the Jordanians of the area still share similar values. Geographically, being in the dessert has created challenges yet new traditions for the Jordanians. In ancient times, bedouin tribesmen populated the area as they still do today. In modern times, there has been more conflict than in ancient times especially with Israel. For now, there is peace but the not so peaceful background between the two has caused major problems. The most important causes of changes in Jordan is first the allowance of Britian to let Jordan become its own country. Also, Petra in ancient and modern times has allowed a much better economy for the country. One source says that if Petra could become one of the seven wonders of the world, tourism would massively increase. Jordan relies a lot on tourism, and they've learned that the less war, the more tourists! As long as Jordan stays peaceful and beautiful as it was when I was there, it will be successful for many more years to come.

Bibliography: [|ABC Cleo] [|Timeline] [|BBC timeline] [|BBC Jordan] [|Bedouin Picture] [|Petra picture] [|King Hussein Picture] [|Peace Treaty Picture]