<item><hi format=bold>Administrative divisions:</hi> 8 governorates (muhafazat, singular—muhafazah); Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Ma'an
<item><hi format=bold>Independence:</hi> 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
<item><hi format=bold>National holiday:</hi> Independence Day, 25 May (1946)
<item><hi format=bold>Constitution:</hi> 8 January 1952
<item><hi format=bold>Legal system:</hi> based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
<item><hi format=bold>Suffrage:</hi> 20 years of age; universal
<item><hi format=bold>Executive branch:</hi>
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<item>• <hi format=ital>chief of state:</hi> King HUSSEIN Bin Talal Al Hashimi (since 11 August 1952)
<item>• <hi format=ital>head of government:</hi> Prime Minister Abd al-Salam al-MAJALI (since May 1993)
<item>• <hi format=ital>cabinet:</hi> Cabinet appointed by the monarch
</list>
<item><hi format=bold>Legislative branch:</hi> bicameral National Assembly (Majlis al-'Umma)
<item><hi format=bold>House of Notables (Majlis al-A'ayan):</hi> consists of a 40-member body appointed by the king from designated categories of public figures
<item><hi format=bold>House of Representatives:</hi> elections last held 8 November 1993 (next to be held NA November 1997); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(80 total) Muslim Brotherhood (fundamentalist) 16, Independent Islamic bloc (generally traditionalist) 6, Radical leftist 3, pro-government 55
<list style=hang>
<item>• <hi format=ital>note:</hi> the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved by the King several times since 1974 and in November 1989 the first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held
</list>
<item><hi format=bold>Judicial branch:</hi> Court of Cassation
<item><hi format=bold>Political parties and leaders:</hi> NA; note—political parties were legalized in December 1992
<item><hi format=bold>Flag:</hi> three equal horizontal bands of black (top), white, and green with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a small white seven-pointed star; the seven points on the star represent the seven fundamental laws of the Koran