Yemen

North Yemen became independent of the Ottoman Empire in 1918. The British, who had set up a protectorate area around the southern port of Aden in the 19th century, withdrew in 1967 from what became South Yemen. Three years later, the southern government adopted a Marxist orientation. The massive exodus of hundreds of thousands of Yemenis from the south to the north contributed to two decades of hostility between the states. The two countries were formally unified as the Republic of Yemen in 1990. A southern secessionist movement in 1994 was quickly subdued. In 2000, Saudi Arabia and Yemen agreed to a delimitation of their border.

Yemen

Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

15 00 N, 48 00 E

Middle East

total: 527,970 sq km

land: 527,970 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes Perim, Socotra, the former Yemen Arab Republic (YAR or North Yemen), and the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY or South Yemen)

slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming

total: 1,746 km

border countries: Oman 288 km, Saudi Arabia 1,458 km

1,906 km

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east

narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged mountains; dissected upland desert plains in center slope into the desert interior of the Arabian Peninsula

lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m

highest point: Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,760 m

petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble; small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper; fertile soil in west

arable land: 2.91%

permanent crops: 0.25%

other: 96.84% (2005)

5,500 sq km (2003)

4.1 cu km (1997)

total: 6.63 cu km/yr (4%/1%/95%)

per capita: 316 cu m/yr (2000)

sandstorms and dust storms in summer

limited natural fresh water resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

strategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active shipping lanes

Yemen

23,013,376 (July 2008 est.)

0-14 years: 46.2% (male 5,415,385/female 5,218,237)

15-64 years: 51.2% (male 5,996,202/female 5,795,779)

65 years and over: 2.6% (male 284,195/female 303,578) (2008 est.)

total: 16.7 years

male: 16.7 years

female: 16.8 years (2008 est.)

3.46% (2008 est.)

42.42 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

7.83 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

NA

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female

total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

total: 56.27 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 60.78 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 51.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

total population: 62.9 years

male: 60.96 years

female: 64.94 years (2008 est.)

6.41 children born/woman (2008 est.)

0.1% (2001 est.)

12,000 (2001 est.)

NA

degree of risk: high

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria

water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2008)

noun: Yemeni(s)

adjective: Yemeni

predominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asians, Europeans

Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi'a), small numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu

Arabic

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 50.2%

male: 70.5%

female: 30% (2003 est.)

total: 9 years

male: 11 years

female: 7 years (2005)

9.6% (2001)

Yemen

conventional long form: Republic of Yemen

conventional short form: Yemen

local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Yamaniyah

local short form: Al Yaman

former: Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]

republic

name: Sanaa

geographic coordinates: 15 21 N, 44 12 E

time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

19 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Abyan, 'Adan, Ad Dali', Al Bayda', Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al Mahwit, 'Amran, Dhamar, Hadramawt, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Ma'rib, Sa'dah, San'a', Shabwah, Ta'izz

note: for electoral and administrative purposes, the capital city of Sanaa is treated as an additional governorate

22 May 1990 (Republic of Yemen was established with the merger of the Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and the Marxist-dominated People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]); note - previously North Yemen became independent in November 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and became a republic with the overthrow of the theocratic Imamate in 1962; South Yemen became independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK)

Unification Day, 22 May (1990)

16 May 1991; amended 29 September 1994 and February 2001

based on Islamic law, Turkish law, English common law, and local tribal customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: President Ali Abdallah SALIH (since 22 May 1990, the former president of North Yemen, assumed office upon the merger of North and South Yemen); Vice President Maj. Gen. Abd al-Rab Mansur al-HADI (since 3 October 1994)

head of government: Prime Minister Ali Muhammad MUJAWWAR (since 31 March 2007)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 20 September 2006 (next to be held in September 2013); vice president appointed by the president; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president

election results: Ali Abdallah SALIH elected president; percent of vote - Ali Abdallah SALIH 77.2%, Faysal BIN SHAMLAN 21.8%

a bicameral legislature consisting of a Shura Council (111 seats; members appointed by the president) and a House of Representatives (301 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)

elections: last held on 27 April 2003 (next to be held in April 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GPC 228, Islah 47, YSP 7, Nasserite Unionist Party 3, National Arab Socialist Ba'th Party 2, independents 14

Supreme Court

General People's Congress or GPC [Abdul-Kader BAJAMMAL]; Islamic Reform Grouping or Islah [Mohammed Abdullah AL-YADOUMI (acting)]; Nasserite Unionist Party [Abdal Malik al-MAKHLAFI]; National Arab Socialist Ba'th Party [Dr. Qasim SALAM]; Yemeni Socialist Party or YSP [Ali Salih MUQBIL]; note - there are at least seven more active political parties

NA

AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

chief of mission: Ambassador Abd al-Wahab Abdallah al-HAJRI

chancery: 2319 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 965-4760

FAX: [1] (202) 337-2017

chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen A. SECHE

embassy: Sa'awan Street, Sanaa

mailing address: P. O. Box 22347, Sanaa

telephone: [967] (1) 755-2000 ext. 2153 or 2266

FAX: [967] (1) 303-182

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars in the white band, and of Iraq, which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt, which has a heraldic eagle centered in the white band

Yemen

Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, reported average annual growth in the range of 3-4% from 2000 through 2007. Its economic fortunes depend mostly on declining oil resources, but the country is trying to diversify its earnings. In 2006 Yemen began an economic reform program designed to bolster non-oil sectors of the economy and foreign investment. As a result of the program, international donors pledged about $5 billion for development projects. In addition, Yemen has made some progress on reforms over the last year that will likely encourage foreign investment. Oil revenues probably increased in 2007 as a result of higher prices.

$52.05 billion (2007 est.)

$21.66 billion (2007 est.)

3.1% (2007 est.)

$2,300 (2007 est.)

agriculture: 12.3%

industry: 41.5%

services: 46.2% (2007 est.)

6.316 million (2007 est.)

note: most people are employed in agriculture and herding; services, construction, industry, and commerce account for less than one-fourth of the labor force

35% (2003 est.)

45.2% (2003)

lowest 10%: 3%

highest 10%: 25.9% (2003)

33.4 (1998)

12.5% (2007 est.)

25.2% of GDP (2007 est.)

revenues: $7.407 billion

expenditures: $8.177 billion (2007 est.)

33.7% of GDP (2007 est.)

grain, fruits, vegetables, pulses, qat, coffee, cotton; dairy products, livestock (sheep, goats, cattle, camels), poultry; fish

crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of cotton textiles and leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; small aluminum products factory; cement; commercial ship repair

3.2% (2007 est.)

4.456 billion kWh (2005 est.)

fossil fuel: 100%

hydro: 0%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (2001)

3.381 billion kWh (2005 est.)

0 kWh (2005)

0 kWh (2005)

402,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

128,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

320,600 bbl/day (2004)

58,100 bbl/day (2004)

3.58 billion bbl (2007 est.)

0 cu m (2005 est.)

0 cu m (2005 est.)

0 cu m (2005 est.)

0 cu m (2005)

459 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

-$924 million (2007 est.)

$7.102 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

crude oil, coffee, dried and salted fish

China 21.8%, India 20%, Thailand 18.7%, South Korea 8.1%, Japan 7.1%, UAE 4.9%, US 4.1% (2006)

$6.735 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

food and live animals, machinery and equipment, chemicals

UAE 15.2%, China 12%, US 7.8%, Saudi Arabia 7.2%, Kuwait 5.3%, Germany 4.8%, Brazil 4.3% (2006)

$2.3 billion (2003-07 disbursements)

$7.76 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

$6.044 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

$NA

Yemeni rial (YER)

YER

Yemeni rials per US dollar - 199.14 (2007), 197.18 (2006), 192.67 (2005), 184.78 (2004), 183.45 (2003)

calendar year

Yemen

968,400 (2006)

2.978 million (2006)

general assessment: since unification in 1990, efforts have been made to create a national telecommunications network

domestic: the national network consists of microwave radio relay, cable, tropospheric scatter, and GSM mobile-cellular telephone systems; fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity remains low by regional standards

international: country code - 967; landing point for the international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 2 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and Djibouti

AM 6, FM 1, shortwave 2 (1998)

1.05 million (1997)

3 (including one Egypt-based station that broadcasts in Yemen); plus several repeaters (2007)

470,000 (1997)

.ye

5 (2007)

1 (2000)

270,000 (2006)

Yemen

50 (2007)

total: 17

over 3,047 m: 4

2,438 to 3,047 m: 8

1,524 to 2,437 m: 3

914 to 1,523 m: 1

under 914 m: 1 (2007)

total: 33

over 3,047 m: 3

2,438 to 3,047 m: 8

1,524 to 2,437 m: 5

914 to 1,523 m: 13

under 914 m: 4 (2007)

gas 71 km; liquid petroleum gas 22 km; oil 1,309 km (2007)

total: 71,300 km

paved: 6,200 km

unpaved: 65,100 km (2005)

total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 15,474 GRT/18,072 DWT

by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1

registered in other countries: 13 (Cambodia 2, Moldova 1, North Korea 2, Panama 6, St Kitts and Nevis 1, unknown 1) (2008)

Aden, Hudaydah, Mukalla

Yemen

Army (includes Republican Guard), Navy (includes Marines), Yemen Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Jamahiriya al Yemeniya; includes Air Defense Force) (2008)

voluntary military service program authorized in 2001; 2-year service obligation (2006)

males age 16-49: 5,080,038

females age 16-49: 4,852,555 (2008 est.)

males age 16-49: 3,585,947

females age 16-49: 3,619,195 (2008 est.)

males age 16-49: 268,468

females age 16-49: 258,196 (2008 est.)

6.6% (2006)

a Coast Guard was established in 2002

Yemen

Saudi Arabia has reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal cross-border activities

refugees (country of origin): 91,587 (Somalia) (2007)