In a marked flare-up in tensions within Jordan’s royal household, Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein, the former crown prince and half-brother of ruling monarch Abdullah, has reportedly been placed under house arrest as part of a crackdown on critics.
- Jordan is an Arab country in the Levant region of Western Asia, on the East Bank of the Jordan River.
- Jordan is bordered by Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Israel and Palestine (West Bank).
- The Dead Sea is located along its western borders and the country has a 26-kilometre coastline on the Red Sea in its extreme south-west.
- Its capital city is Amman.
- The sovereign state is a constitutional monarchy, but the king holds wide executive and legislative powers.
- Sunni Islam, practised by around 95% of the population, is the dominant religion and coexists with an indigenous Christian minority.
SOURCE: THE HINDU ,THE ECONOMIC TIMES ,MINT