Jordan–United States relations covers the bilateral relations between Jordan and the United States. Jordan has been a very close Major non-NATO ally in the Middle East since 1996.
Jordan is very safe to visit and, despite local dissatisfaction with issues such as Iraqi immigration, the Syrian refugee crisis, unemployment and high inflation, you are unlikely to feel any hint of the turmoil of neighbouring countries.
The unrest in Syria, part of a wider wave of the 2011 Arab Spring protests, grew out of discontent with the Syrian government and escalated to an armed conflict after protests calling for Assad's removal were violently suppressed.
There are about 1.8 million Syrian refugees in Jordan, only 20 percent are living in the Za'atari, Marjeeb al-Fahood, Cyber City and Al-Azraq refugee camps.
Jordan and Lebanon maintain a strong and cordial relationship, with Saad Hariri visiting Jordan in 2010. The countries also share together common concerns over Syria amidst the Syrian Civil War, in which Lebanon and Jordan host many Syrian refugees fleeing the country.
Jordan has been repeatedly referred to as an "oasis of stability" in a turbulent region. It has been mostly unscathed by the violence that swept the region following the Arab Spring in 2010. From as early as 1948, Jordan has accepted refugees from multiple neighbouring countries in conflict.
Sunni Islam is the dominant religion in Jordan. Muslims make up about 95% of the country's population. There are also a small number of Ahmadi Muslims, and some Shiites. Many Shia are Iraqi and Lebanese refugees.
The Eastern Desert or Badia Region
Comprising around 75% of Jordan, this area of desert and desert steppe is part of what is known as the North Arab Desert. It stretches into Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, with elevations varying between 600 and 900 meters above sea level.Jordanians (Arabic: ???????) are the citizens of Jordan, who share a common Levantine Semitic ancestry. Some 98% percent of Jordanians are Arabs, while the remaining 2% are other ethnic minorities. Around 2.9 million were non-citizens, a figure including refugees, legal and illegal immigrants.
Israel has allocated 86% of the land, in the west bank portion of the valley, to Israeli settlements. Annexation of the Jordan Valley to Israel has been proposed by a variety of Israeli politicians, most recently Netanyahu in September 2019.
The shift in Iraq–Jordan relations became apparent in August 1995, when Jordan granted political asylum to two Iraqi defectors. King Hussein of Jordan also openly criticized Iraqi policies on national television on 23 August 1995. However, majority of Jordanians supported Saddam Hussein.
