Jordan vs. Iraq
Government
| Jordan | Iraq | |
|---|---|---|
| Country name | conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan conventional short form: Jordan local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah local short form: Al Urdun former: Transjordan etymology: named for the Jordan River, which makes up part of Jordan's northwest border | conventional long form: Republic of Iraq conventional short form: Iraq local long form: Jumhuriyat al-Iraq/Komar-i Eraq local short form: Al Iraq/Eraq former: Mesopotamia, Mandatory Iraq, Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq etymology: the name probably derives from "Uruk" (Biblical "Erech"), the ancient Sumerian and Babylonian city on the Euphrates River |
| Government type | parliamentary constitutional monarchy | federal parliamentary republic |
| Capital | name: Amman geographic coordinates: 31 57 N, 35 56 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in March; ends last Friday in October etymology: in the 13th century B.C., the Ammonites named their main city "Rabbath Ammon"; "rabbath" designated "capital," so the name meant "The Capital of [the] Ammon[ites]"; over time, the "Rabbath" came to be dropped and the city became known simply as "Ammon" and then "Amman" | name: Baghdad geographic coordinates: 33 20 N, 44 24 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) although the origin of the name is disputed, it likely has compound Persian roots with "bagh" and "dad" meaning "god" and "given" respectively to create the meaning of "bestowed by God" |
| Administrative divisions | 12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); 'Ajlun, Al 'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, Al `Asimah (Amman), At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba | 18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah (Arabic); parezgakan, singular - parezga (Kurdish)) and 1 region*; Al Anbar; Al Basrah; Al Muthanna; Al Qadisiyah (Ad Diwaniyah); An Najaf; Arbil (Erbil) (Arabic), Hewler (Kurdish); As Sulaymaniyah (Arabic), Slemani (Kurdish); Babil; Baghdad; Dahuk (Arabic), Dihok (Kurdish); Dhi Qar; Diyala; Karbala'; Kirkuk; Kurdistan Regional Government*; Maysan; Ninawa; Salah ad Din; Wasit |
| Independence | 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) | 3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration); note - on 28 June 2004 the Coalition Provisional Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 25 May (1946) | Independence Day, 3 October (1932); Republic Day, 14 July (1958) |
| Constitution | history: previous 1928 (preindependence); latest initially adopted 28 November 1947, revised and ratified 1 January 1952 amendments: constitutional amendments require at least a two-thirds majority vote of both the Senate and the House and ratification by the king; no amendment of the constitution affecting the rights of the king and the succession to the throne is permitted during the regency period; amended several times, last in 2016 | history: several previous; latest adopted by referendum 15 October 2005 amendments: proposed by the president of the republic and the Council of Minsters collectively, or by one fifth of the Council of Representatives members; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Council of Representatives, approval by referendum, and ratification by the president; passage of amendments to articles on citizen rights and liberties requires two-thirds majority vote of Council of Representatives members after two successive electoral terms, approval in a referendum, and ratification by the president |
| Legal system | mixed system developed from codes instituted by the Ottoman Empire (based on French law), British common law, and Islamic law | mixed legal system of civil and Islamic law |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Heir Apparent Crown Prince HUSSEIN (eldest son of the monarch, born on 28 June 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Bisher AL-KHASAWNEH (since 7 October 2020) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the monarch elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch | chief of state: President Barham SALIH (since 2 October 2018); vice presidents (vacant) head of government: Prime Minister Mustafa al-KADHIMI (since 7 May 2020) cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, approved by Council of Representatives elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by Council of Representatives (COR) to serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); COR election last held on 12 May 2018 (next NA) election results: COR vote in first round - Barham SALIH (PUK) 165, Fuad HUSAYN (KDP) 90; Barham SALIH elected president in second round - Barham SALIH 219, Fuad HUSAYN 22; note - the COR vote on 1 October 2018 failed due to a lack of quorum, and a new session was held on 2 October |
| Legislative branch | description: bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of: Senate or the House of Notables or Majlis al-Ayan (65 seats; members appointed by the monarch to serve 4-year terms) Chamber of Deputies or House of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwaab (130 seats; 115 members directly elected in 23 multi-seat constituencies by open-list proportional representation vote and 15 seats for women; 12 of the 115 seats reserved for Christian, Chechen, and Circassian candidates; members serve 4-year terms) elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held on 10 November 2020 (next to be held in November 2024) election results: Chamber of Deputies - note - tribal, centrist, and pro-government candidates dominated in the 130-seat election; the Islamic Action Front, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, garnered only 10 seats, down from 15 in the previous election; women, who are guaranteed 15 seats by Jordan's legislative quota system, only won the requisite number, down from the 20 seats won in the previous election
| description: unicameral Council of Representatives or Majlis an-Nuwwab al-Iraqiyy (329 seats; 320 members directly elected in 83 multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 9 seats at the national level reserved for minorities - 5 for Christians, 1 each for Sabaean-Mandaeans, Yazidis, Shabaks, Fayli Kurds; 25% of seats allocated to women; members serve 4-year terms); note - in early November 2020, the president ratified a new electoral law - approved by the Council of Representatives in late October - that eliminates the proportional representation electoral system elections: last held on 12 May 2018 (next to be held on 10 October 2021) election results: percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - Sa'irun Alliance 54, Al Fatah Alliance 48, Al Nasr Alliance 42, KDP 25, State of Law Coalition 25, Wataniyah 21, National Wisdom Trend 19, PUK 18, Iraqi Decision Alliance 14, Anbar Our Identity 6, Goran Movement 5, New Generation 4, other 48; composition - men 245, women 84, percent of women 25.5% |
| Judicial branch | highest courts: Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (consists of 15 members, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the king; other judges nominated by the Judicial Council, an 11-member judicial policymaking body consisting of high-level judicial officials and judges, and approved by the king; judge tenure generally not limited; Constitutional Court members appointed by the king for 6-year non-renewable terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Great Felonies Court; religious courts; military courts; juvenile courts; Land Settlement Courts; Income Tax Court; Higher Administrative Court; Customs Court; special courts including the State Security Court | highest courts: Federal Supreme Court or FSC (consists of 9 judges); note - court jurisdiction limited to constitutional issues and disputes between regions or governorates and the central government; Court of Cassation (consists of a court president, 5 vice presidents, and at least 24 judges) judge selection and term of office: Federal Supreme Court and Court of Cassation judges selected by the president of the republic from nominees selected by the Higher Judicial Council (HJC), a 25-member committee of judicial officials that manages the judiciary and prosecutors; FSC members appointed for life; Court of Cassation judges appointed by the HJC and confirmed by the Council of Representatives to serve until retirement nominally at age 63 subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal (governorate level); civil courts, including first instance, personal status, labor, and customs; criminal courts including felony, misdemeanor, investigative, major crimes, juvenile, and traffic courts |
| Political parties and leaders | Ahrar al-Urdun (Free People of Jordan) Party [Samir al-ZU'BI] Al-Awn al-Watani (National Aid) Party [Faysal al-AWAR] Al-Balad al-Amin Party [Khalil al-SAYED] Al-Itijah al-Watani (National Trend Party) [Ahmad al-KAYED] Al-Mustaqbal (Future) Party [Salah al-QUDAH] Al-Nida' Party [Abd-al-Majid ABU-KHALID] Al-Rayah Party (Flag Party) [Bilal DHEISAT] Al-Shahama Party [Mashhour ZREIQAT] Al-Shura Party [Firas al-ABBADI] Arab Socialist Ba'th Party [Zyad AL-HOMSI] Conservatives Party [Hasan RASHID] Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'eed DHIYAB] Democratic Sha'b Party (HASHD) [Abla ABU-OLBEH] Freedom and Equality Party [Hamad Abu ZEID] Islamic Action Front [Murad AL-ADAYLAH] Islamic Centrist Party [Madallah AL-TARAWNEH] Jordanian Al-Ansar Party [Awni al-RJOUB] Jordanian Al-Hayah Party [Abd-al-Fattah al-KILANI] Jordanian Communist Party [Faraj ITMIZYEH] Jordanian Democratic Socialist Party [Jamil al-NIMRI] Jordanian Democratic Tabiy'ah (Nature) Party [Ali ASFOUR] Jordanian Equality Party [Zuhair al-SHURAFA] Jordanian Fursan (Cavaliers Party) [Ali al-DHWEIB] Jordanian Justice and Development Party [Ali al-SHURAFA] Jordanian National Action Party [Abd-al-Hadi al-MAHARMAH] Jordanian National Constitutional Party [Ahmad al-SHUNNAQ] Jordanian National Democratic Grouping Party [Shakir al-ABBADI] Jordanian National Party [Muna ABU-BAKR] Jordanian National Union Party [Zeid ABU-ZEID] Jordanian Progressive Ba'th Party [Fu'ad DABBOUR] Jordanian Promise Party [Mahmoud al-KHALILI] Jordanian Reform Party [Eid DHAYYAT] Jordanian Social Justice Party [Abd-al-Fattah al-NSOUR] Jordanian Wafa' (Loyalty) Party [Mazin al-QADI] Justice and Reform Party [Sa'eed Nathir ARABIYAT] Modernity and Change Party [Nayef al-HAMAYDEH] National Congress Party [Irhayil GHARAYBEH] (formerly the Zamzam party) National Renaissance Front Party [Isma'il KHATATBEH] National Unity Party [Muhammad al-ZBOUN] Pan Arab Movement Party [Dayfallah FARRAJ] Partnership and Salvation Party [Muhammad al-HAMMOURI] Reform and Renewal Party [Mazin RYAL] Risalah Party [Hazim QASHOU'] Stronger Jordan Party [Rula al-HROUB] Unified Jordanian Front Party [Farouq AL-ABBADI] | Al Fatah Alliance [Hadi al-AMIRI] Al Nasr Alliance [Haydar al-ABADI] Al Sadiqun Bloc [Adnan al-DULAYMI] Al Sa'irun Alliance [Muqtda al-SADR] Badr Organization [Hadi al-AMIRI] Da`wa Party [Nuri al-MALIKI] Fadilah Party [Muhammad al-YAQUBI] Goran Movement [Omar SAYYID ALI] Iraqi Communist Party [Hamid Majid MUSA] Iraq Decision Alliance [Khamis al-KHANJAR, Usama al-NUJAYFI] Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq or ISCI [Humam HAMMUDI] Kurdistan Democratic Party or KDP [Masoud BARZANI] National Wisdom Trend [Ammar al-HAKIM] New Generation Movement [SHASWAR Abd al-Wahid Qadir] Our Identity [Muhammad al-HALBUSI] Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK [KOSRAT Rasul Ali, acting] State of Law Coalition [Nuri al MALIKI Wataniyah coalition [Ayad ALLAWI] numerous smaller religious, local, tribal, and minority parties |
| International organization participation | ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, CICA, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CICA, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Dina Khalil Tawfiq KAWAR (since 27 June 2016) chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664 FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110 email address and website: hkjconsular@jordanembassyus.org http://www.jordanembassyus.org/ | chief of mission: Ambassador Fareed Mustafa Kamil YASSEEN (since 18 January 2017) chancery: 3421 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 742-1600 FAX: [1] (202) 333-1129 email address and website: http://www.iraqiembassy.us/ consulate(s) general: Detroit, Los Angeles |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Henry T. WOOSTER (since 8 October 2020) embassy: Abdoun, Al-Umawyeen St., Amman mailing address: 6050 Amman Place, Washington DC 20521-6050 telephone: [962] (6) 590-6000 FAX: [962] (6) 592-0163 email address and website: Amman-ACS@state.gov https://jo.usembassy.gov/ | chief of mission: Ambassador Matthew TUELLER (since 9 June 2019) embassy: Al-Kindi Street, International Zone, Baghdad; note - consulate in Al Basrah closed as of 28 September 2018 mailing address: 6060 Baghdad Place, Washington DC 20521-6060 telephone: 0760-030-3000 email address and website: BaghdadACS@state.gov https://iq.usembassy.gov/ |
| Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of black (top), representing the Abbassid Caliphate, white, representing the Ummayyad Caliphate, and green, representing the Fatimid Caliphate; a red isosceles triangle on the hoist side, representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, and bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations; design is based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I | three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning "God is great") in green Arabic script is centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white); the Council of Representatives approved this flag in 2008 as a compromise replacement for the Ba'thist SADDAM-era flag note: similar to the flag of Syria, which has two stars but no script; Yemen, which has a plain white band; and that of Egypt, which has a golden Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band |
| National anthem | name: "As-salam al-malaki al-urdoni" (Long Live the King of Jordan) lyrics/music: Abdul-Mone'm al-RIFAI'/Abdul-Qader al-TANEER note: adopted 1946; the shortened version of the anthem is used most commonly, while the full version is reserved for special occasions | name: "Mawtini" (My Homeland) lyrics/music: Ibrahim TOUQAN/Mohammad FLAYFEL note: adopted 2004; following the ouster of SADDAM Husayn, Iraq adopted "Mawtini," a popular folk song throughout the Arab world; also serves as an unofficial anthem of the Palestinian people |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICC jurisdiction | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt |
| National symbol(s) | eagle; national colors: black, white, green, red | golden eagle; national colors: red, white, black |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Jordan dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 15 years | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Iraq dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years |
Source: CIA Factbook
