Jordan, country, Asia: Government

Jordan is a constitutional monarchy. Under the 1952 constitution as amended, the most powerful political and military figure in the country is the king, who is head of state. The government is headed by the prime minister, who is appointed by the monarch. The bicameral parliament consists of the 75-seat Chamber of Notables, or Senate, whose members are appointed by the king, and the 130-seat House of Deputies, whose members are popularly elected using a proportional system, with 15 seats reserved for women. All legislators serve four-year terms. Administratively, Jordan is divided into 12 governorates.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Recent History
• Jordan and the Palestinians
• Crisis and Conflict
• Early History to Independence
• History
• Government
• Economy
• Land and People
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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