Official name

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Form of state

Constitutional monarchy

National legislature

Bicameral National Assembly: a directly elected Chamber of Deputies of 120 members and a Senate of 40 members appointed by the king. Under the constitution, senators are selected from among prominent political and public figures

Electoral system

Direct universal suffrage

National elections

Last election November 2010; next election is due in November 2014

Head of state

King Abdullah ibn Hussein al-Hashemi

National government

Council of Ministers headed by the prime minister, who is appointed by the king; ministers are appointed by the king, partly on the advice of the prime minister. The Council of Ministers is responsible to the Chamber of Deputies

Main political organisations

Active parties include the Jordanian National Alliance; the Popular Unity Party; the Future Party; the Unionist Arab Democratic Party; the Islamic Action Front; the Democratic Party of the Left; the National Constitutional Party; and the Baathist and Communist parties. The professional associations are also politically influential

Prime minister & defence minister: Marouf Bakhit

Deputy prime minister & interior minister: Saad Hayel Srour

Key ministers

Agriculture: Samir Habashneh

Awqaf & Islamic affairs: Abdel Rahim Akour

Culture: Tareq Masarweh

Education: Tayseer Nueimi

Energy & mineral resources: Khaled Toukan

Environment: Taher Shakhshir

Finance: Mohammad Abu Hammour

Foreign affairs: Nasser Judeh

Health: Yassin Husban

Information & communications technology: Atef Tal

Justice: Hussein Mjalli

Labour: Mahmoud Al Kafawin

Media affairs & communications: Taher Odwan

Municipal affairs: Hazem Qashou

Planning & international co-operation: Jafar Hassan

Public-sector development & political development: Mazen Saket

Social development: Salwa Damen

Tourism & antiquities: Haifa Abu Ghazaleh

Trade & industry: Hani Mulki

Transport: Mohannad Qudah

Water & irrigation: Mohammad Najjar

Head of the Royal Court

Nasser Lozi

Central Bank governor

Faris Sharaf