King Hussein Ibn Talal
(1935 - )
Official name: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Capital: Amman; Population (1989): 936,300
Population of Nation: Excluding West Bank: 3,059,000
Arab population of West Bank: 1,014,900
Population profile: Predominantly Arab, with approximately 90% Muslim and 10% Christian.
Other communities are Circassian, Shishan, Armenian and Druze.
Land area: 92,300 sq km
Language: Arabic is the official language. English is widely spoken and French is the most commonly used third language.
Currency: Jordanian dinar (US $1=0.6648 dinar) divided into 1,000 fils.
Government: Monarchy, under the 1951 constitution.
Head of State: His Majesty King Hussein Ibn Talal
Official religion: Islam—Sunnite Muslims form the majority, Shiite Muslims a small minority.
Electricity: 220 volts, 60 cycles.
Weights and measures: Metric
Jordan is a constitutional monarchy—a constitution which was first proclaimed on January 8th 1952 and which has since been amended several times to meet the Kingdom’s changing needs.
Legislative powers lie with the Senate and the House of Deputies. Members of the former are appointed by the King and of the latter by direct election.
All men and women over the age of 18 have the right to vote. The Prime Minister is also appointed by the King and does not serve a fixed term.
HIS MAJESTY KING HUSSEIN IBN TALAL
King Hussein is a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad.
He was born in Amman on November 14, 1935.
Hussein was brought up in a democratic environment under the supervision of his grandfather the late King Abdullah, his father the late King Talal, and his mother, Queen Zein. The King has two brothers, Their Royal Highnesses Prince Mohammad and Prince Hassan, and one sister, Her Royal Highness Princess Basma.
The King began his education at the age of five at the National School. He continued his elementary education at the Bishops School and the Islamic Educational College in Amman, receiving his secondary education at Victoria College in Alexandria, Egypt. In 1951 he attended Harrow School in England.
He was proclaimed King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on August 11, 1952. As His Majesty was only seventeen years of age, a Regency Council was appointed until his formal accession to the Throne on May 2, 1953.
During this period, the King attended the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in England, where he received his military education.
King Hussein has five sons: Prince Abdullah, born January 30, 1962; Prince Faisal, born October 11, 1963; Prince Ali, born December 23, 1975; Prince Hamza, born March 29, 1980; and Prince Hashem, born June 10, 1981. He has five daughters: Princess Alia, born February 13, 1956; the twin Princesses Zein and Aisha, born April 23, 1968; Princess Haya, born May 3, 1974; and Princess Iman, born April 24, 1983.
His Majesty married Her Majesty Queen Noor in June, 1978. They have four children, Prince Hamza, Prince Hashem, Princess Inan, and Princess Raiyah.
His Majesty,s autobiography "Uneasy lies The Head" was published in English in 1962.
Other books published about His Majesty are: "My War with Israel" by Vic Vance & Pierre Lauer (1969)
"Husseinll by Peter Snow (1972)
"Mon Metier de Roil’ by Faridon Saheb-Jam (1975)