Syria vs. Jordan
Government
| Syria | Jordan | |
|---|---|---|
| Country name | conventional long form: Syrian Arab Republic conventional short form: Syria local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah local short form: Suriyah former: United Arab Republic (with Egypt) etymology: name ultimately derived from the ancient Assyrians who dominated northern Mesopotamia, but whose reach also extended westward to the Levant; over time, the name came to be associated more with the western area | 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 |
| Government type | presidential republic; highly authoritarian regime | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Capital | name: Damascus geographic coordinates: 33 30 N, 36 18 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins midnight on the last Friday in March; ends at midnight on the last Friday in October etymology: Damascus is a very old city; its earliest name, Temeseq, first appears in an Egyptian geographical list of the 15th century B.C., but the meaning is uncertain | 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" |
| Administrative divisions | 14 provinces (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al Ladhiqiyah (Latakia), Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda', Dar'a, Dayr az Zawr, Dimashq (Damascus), Halab (Aleppo), Hamah, Hims (Homs), Idlib, Rif Dimashq (Damascus Countryside), Tartus | 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 |
| Independence | 17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration) | 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) |
| National holiday | Independence Day (Evacuation Day), 17 April (1946); note - celebrates the leaving of the last French troops and the proclamation of full independence | Independence Day, 25 May (1946) |
| Constitution | history: several previous; latest issued 15 February 2012, passed by referendum and effective 27 February 2012; note - in late January 2021, UN-sponsored talks, which began in late 2019 between delegates from government and opposition forces to draft a new constitution, resumed following a delay in mid-2020 because several delegates tested positive for the COVID-19 virus amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by one third of the People's Assembly members; following review by a special Assembly committee, passage requires at least three-quarters majority vote by the Assembly and approval by the president | 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 |
| Legal system | mixed legal system of civil and Islamic (sharia) law (for family courts) | mixed system developed from codes instituted by the Ottoman Empire (based on French law), British common law, and Islamic law |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice President Najah al-ATTAR (since 23 March 2006) head of government: Prime Minister Hussein ARNOUS (since 30 August 2020); Deputy Prime Minister Ali Abdullah AYOUB (Gen.) (since 30 August 2020) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 May 2021(next to be held in 2028); the president appoints the vice presidents, prime minister, and deputy prime ministers election results: Bashar al-ASAD elected president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD (Ba'th Party)95.2%, Mahmoud Ahmad MAREI (Democratic Arab Socialist Union) 3.3%, Abdullah Sallum ABDULLAH (Socialist Unionist Party) 1.5% | 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 |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral People's Assembly or Majlis al-Shaab (250 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority preferential vote to serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 19 July 2020 (next to be held in 2024) election results: percent of vote by party - NPF 80%, other 20%; seats by party - NPF 200, other 50; composition - men 217, women 33, percent of women 13.2% | 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
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| Judicial branch | highest courts: Court of Cassation (organized into civil, criminal, religious, and military divisions, each with 3 judges); Supreme Constitutional Court (consists of 7 members) judge selection and term of office: Court of Cassation judges appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), a judicial management body headed by the minister of justice with 7 members, including the national president; judge tenure NA; Supreme Constitutional Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the SJC; judges serve 4-year renewable terms subordinate courts: courts of first instance; magistrates' courts; religious and military courts; Economic Security Court; Counterterrorism Court (established June 2012) | 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 |
| Political parties and leaders | legal parties/alliances: Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party [Bashar al-ASAD, regional secretary] Arab Socialist Renaissance (Ba'th) Party [President Bashar al-ASAD] Arab Socialist Union of Syria or ASU [Safwan al-QUDSI] Democratic Arab Socialist Union [Hassan Abdul AZIM, general secretary] National Progressive Front or NPF [Bashar al-ASAD, Suleiman QADDAH] (alliance includes Arab Socialist Renaissance (Ba'th) Party, Socialist Unionist Democratic Party) Socialist Unionist Party [Fayiz ISMAIL] Socialist Unionist Democratic Party [Fadlallah Nasr al-DIN] Syrian Communist Party (two branches) [Wissal Farha BAKDASH, Yusuf Rashid FAYSAL] Syrian Social Nationalist Party or SSNP [Ali HAIDAR] Unionist Socialist Party [Fayez ISMAIL] Major Kurdish parties Kurdish Democratic Union Party or PYD [Shahoz HASAN and Aysha HISSO] Kurdish National Council [Sa'ud MALA] other: Syrian Democratic Party [Mustafa QALAAJI] | 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] |
| International organization participation | ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, ICSID, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WBG, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) | 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 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); note - embassy closed in March 2014 chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-6313 FAX: [1] (202) 234-9548 note: Embassy ceased operations and closed on 18 March 2014 | 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/ |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); note - on 6 February 2012, the US closed its embassy in Damascus; Czechia serves as a protecting power for US interests in Syria embassy: Abou Roumaneh, 2 Al Mansour Street, Damascus mailing address: 6110 Damascus Place, Washington DC 20521-6110 email address and website: USIS_damascus@embassy.mzv.cz https://sy.usembassy.gov/ | 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/ |
| Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; two small, green, five-pointed stars in a horizontal line 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); identical to the former flag of the United Arab Republic (1958-1961) where the two stars represented the constituent states of Syria and Egypt; the current design dates to 1980 note: similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band; Iraq, which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band; and that of Egypt, which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band | 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 |
| National anthem | name: "Humat ad-Diyar" (Guardians of the Homeland) lyrics/music: Khalil Mardam BEY/Mohammad Salim FLAYFEL and Ahmad Salim FLAYFEL note: adopted 1936, restored 1961; between 1958 and 1961, while Syria was a member of the United Arab Republic with Egypt, the country had a different 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 |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICC | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICC jurisdiction |
| National symbol(s) | hawk; national colors: red, white, black, green | eagle; national colors: black, white, green, red |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Syria; if the father is unknown or stateless, the mother must be a citizen of Syria dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years | 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 |
Source: CIA Factbook
