Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan
The land that became Jordan forms part of the richly historical Fertile Crescen. Its history began around 2000 BC in the Neolithic period, when Semitic Amorites settled around the Jordan River in the area called Canaan. Subsequent invaders and settlers included Hittites, Egyptians, Israelites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arab Muslims, Seljuks, Christian Crusaders, Eyyubids, Mongols, Mameluks, Ottoman Turks, Circassians, and, finally, the British.
The name "Amman" comes from "Rabbath Ammon," or "Great City of the Ammonites," who settled in the region after 1200 BC. The Bible records that King David captured the city in the early 10th century BC. Ptolemy II Philadelphus renamed the city "Philadelphia" after himself and the city was incorporated into Pompey the Great's province of Syria, and later into the province of Arabia created by Trajan (106 AD).
Amman became the capital of the Emirate of Transjordan in 1921, and of the newly-created Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in 1947. Amman and its suburbs today remains the most important urban area in Jordan, containing over half of the country's population or about 3 million out of 5 million people. One of the most significant civilizations that existed in the region now occupied by Jordan was the Nabatean kingdom, who had their capital in Petra and were the creators of the modern Arabic alphabets.
Hussein bin Talal was the King of Jordan from the abdication of his father, King Talal, in 1952, until his death in 1999. Hussein guided Jordan during the Cold War and through four decades of Arab-Israeli conflict, balancing the pressures of Arab nationalism and the allure of Western-style development against the stark reality of Jordan's geographic location. His commitment to democracy, civil liberties and human rights helped to make Jordan a model state for the Middle East. The kingdom is internationally recognized for having the most exemplary human rights record in the region. He worked tirelessly and continuously throughout his life to advance the cause of peace between Jordan and Israel (which he successfully achieved in 1994), as well as between Palestinians and Israelis. Hussein's family claims a line of descent from the Islamic prophet Muhammad. "We are the family of the prophet and we are the oldest tribe in the Arab world", the king once said of his Hashemite ancestry.
King Hussein heavily invested in human capital in his 47 years as King. As a result, Jordan had the most advanced health and education systems in the Arab World. The King Hussein Medical City became the regional hub for treatment and surgery. King Abdullah II succeeded his father King Hussein in 1999. Jordan's rapid reinstitution of political and civil liberty continued throughout the 1990s and the 2000s. Economic liberalization policies were especially introduced by King Abdullah II creating one of the freest economies in the Middle East. Political liberalization is occurring but at a slower pace than in the past.
King Abdullah II continues to pursue liberal policies but has concentrated on implementing economic reforms. Jordan has embarked on an aggressive economic liberalization program under King Abdullah II in an effort to stimulate the economy and raise the standard of living. Jordan's economic growth peaked at 8% in 2004 and has been averaging at 6%.
Six months after meeting at a dinner party King Abdullah and Rania Al-Yassin were married. She was proclaimed Queen of Jordan by her husband on 22 March 1999. As a global figure she is considered by some to be one of the world’s most powerful women. In Jordan, Queen Rania focuses her work on the caliber and quality of education for Jordanian children, while abroad she advocates for global education and for world leaders to fulfill their commitments towards the second Millennium Development Goals, Universal Primary Education. Queen Rania’s activities have encompassed issues such as community empowerment and sustainability, education, health, children, youth, women, and the environment, among others.