Middle eastern kingdom, formerly part of the Ottoman empire. Renamed Transjordan in 1921, it was under British protection from 1923 to 1946. It became an independent kingdom in 1946 and was renamed Jordan in 1949. It controlled the West Bank from 1950 until this was occupied by Israel in 1967. Its second king, Hussein, expelled Yassir Arafat and the Palestine Liberation organisation from Jordan in 1970, but by the time of his death in 1998 Hussein had become almost universally respected for his moderation.