The Collaborative International Dictionary
Jordan \Jordan\ prop. n.
A landlocked country of the Middle East, surrounded by
Israel, Iraq, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, and that area on the
west bank of the Jordan river which was once claimed by
Jordan, and is at present occupied by Israel and in part
governed by a Palestinian authority. It has a population of
4,212,152 (1996) in a total area of 89,213 sq km. The
population is predominantly Arab and Moslem. Officially known
as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, it was formerly called
Trans-Jordan when occupied by the British. The government
is a constitutional monarchy, with King Hussein Bin Talal Al
Hashimi as its ruler since 2 May 1953. Jordan is a small
developing Arab country, having a Gross Domestic Product of
$19.3 billion in 1995.
--CIA Factbook 1996.