By Ulises Canales, Special Correspondent, Prensa Latina,
Amman : The home of tribes and civilizations, with a legacy of thousands of years of history, Jordan currently stands out for its pacifist vocation in the Middle East and a pro-integration view, which transcends its geographical environment.
The fact that it is also home to sacred sites and events for Christians, Jewish, Muslim and other peoples may explain the atmosphere of peace, stability and fraternity which dazzles those who come from abroad.
Located in the historic Fertile Crescent region, the annals refer to this country since a bout 2000 BC, when Semitic Amorites settled in the margins of the Jordan River, in the area known as Canaan, which is often cited in the Bible.
Later, Hittites, Egyptians, Israelites, Assyrians, Persians, Babylonians, Greeks, Nabateans, Romans, Arabs, Christian Crusaders, Mameluks and Ottoman Turks joined the list of cultures and beliefs that gave birth to the Jordan we know today.
Current Jordan was founded by King Abdullah I after World War I. Since then, his son, King Hussein, and his grandson, current King Abdullah II, have tried to give it a well-known though often controversial prominence in the Middle East.
At home, it was less traumatic to conciliate the respect for the vast, ancient culture with the ultramodernity that can be witnessed in Amman, the capital. However, abroad, several Arab neighbors criticized the peace pact signed with Israel in October 1994.
Ancient Transjordan (as it was named until 1950) and Egypt are the only Arab countries which have diplomatic links with the Jewish State, a controversial step, but perceived here as a matter of security and a premise for stability and economic take-off.
Besides, the fact that it shelters the largest community of Palestinians refugees, encourages peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis and is a valid interlocutor in negotiation processes in the area, have underpinned the prominence of this tiny country.
As well as its ever increasing economic growth, which is obvious in the construction and foreign investment sectors, Jordan is identified as an Arab and Islamic country, and its authorities are very careful in acting accordingly.
Official figures indicate that over 92 percent of Jordanians are Sunni Muslims, and six percent are Christians, mostly belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church.
Small communities of Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptics, Armenians, and some Protestant denominations, and small groups of Siite and Druse Muslims also coexist in this country.
Undoubtedly, equal veneration for relics of high significance to the three Monotheistic religions of the region shows the value granted by the Jordan monarchy to ethnic and religious diversity and tolerance of its population.
However, according to Jordanian authorities, besides seeking a greater rapprochement with its natural environment, the country is interested in consolidating its economic, commercial links with Europe and the United States, and has set its sights on Latin America, an emerging area with which Amman plans to establish strategies for economic, political and cultural cooperation.