As one of countries starting with Y, Yemen, officially the Arab Al-Djumhurijja al-Jamanijja [d ʒ environmentally], German Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia, in the south of the Arabian peninsula (2018) 28.5 million residents; The capital is Sanaa.
The national territory includes the islands of Kamaran and Hanisch in the Red Sea, the volcanic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb strait and the Socotra archipelago off the eastern tip of Africa.
The flag of Yemen is a horizontal red, white and black striped tricolor. It was adopted with the unification of the two Yemeni states in 1990 and is based on the flags of the two predecessor states.
Country facts
- Official name: Republic of Yemen
- License plate: YEM
- ISO-3166: YE, YEM (887)
- Internet domain:.ye
- Currency: 1 Yemen rial (Y.RI) = 100 fils
- Area: 527,970 km²
- Population (2018): 28.5 million
- Capital: Sanaa
- Official language (s): Arabic
- Form of government: Presidential Republic
- Administrative division: 21 governorates, capital district
- Head of State: President Abd Rabbo Mansur Hadi
- Head of Government: Maeen Abdul Malek
- Religion (s) (2010): 99% Muslim, 1% other / n / a
- Time zone: Central European Time +2 hours
- National holiday: May 22nd
Location and infrastructure
- Location (geographical): Arabian Peninsula
- Location (coordinates): between 12 ° and 19 ° north latitude and 42 ° 25 ‘and 53 ° east longitude
- Climate: desert climate with high humidity, summer rain in the mountains
- Highest mountain: Jabal an-Nabi Shu’aib (3 760 m)
- Road network (2005): 6 200 km (paved), 65 100 km (unpaved)
Population
- Annual population growth (2020): 2.0%
- Birth rate (2020): 25.8 per 1000 inh.
- Death rate (2020): 5.6 per 1000 residents.
- Average age (2018): 19.8 years
- Average life expectancy (2020): 66.9 years (men 64.7; women 69.3)
- Age structure (2020): 39.2% younger than 15 years, 2.8% older than 65 years
- Literacy rate (15-year-olds and older) (2015): 70.1%
- Mobile phone contracts (pre-paid and post-paid) (2017): 54 per 100 residents
- Internet users (2017): 27 per 100 residents
Business
- GDP per capita (2018): US $ 873
- Total GDP (2018): US $ 27 billion
- GNI per capita (2014): US $ 1,460
- Education expenditure (2008): 5.2% of GDP
- Military expenditure (2014): 4% of GDP
- Unemployment rate (15 years and older) (2017): 13.8%
Climate
The Tihama is one of the hottest and humid areas on earth, but has only very little rainfall (less than 100 mm, on the edge of the mountains about 250 mm per year). The western flank of the highlands receives incline rain (two rainy seasons: March-May and July-September; in some areas up to 1,000 mm per year) Occasionally snow falls 000 m above sea level. In the inner highlands and on the southern edges of the Djol, the annual precipitation reaches only 150–400 mm, further to the east it is even lower. The extremely dry inland desert shows large daily temperature fluctuations. – The rivers of the west and south mountain flanks rarely reach the sea,
Vegetation
The dry forests that were once widespread in the mountains (e.g. with balsam and myrrh) have almost disappeared due to thousands of years of settlement and use. In their place one usually only finds thorn bushes and succulents (many Euphorbiaceen). Only along the wadis has there been more lush vegetation (ficus species). In drier regions (Tihama, Ostjemen) acacia are common in Mahra are still frankincense trees (Boswellia) to find.
Dragon blood tree in the Socotra Archipelago
The Socotra Archipelago is located on a group of islands belonging to Yemen in the Indian Ocean, south of the Gulf of Aden off the eastern tip of Africa. On the main island of Socotra there are probably 500 year old, primeval dragon blood trees.
Wildlife
The original animal world has also been severely decimated. In places there are still baboons, gazelles and desert foxes; Numerous species of birds live in damp valleys; Kites, eagles and Egyptian vultures are widespread, as are reptiles (agamas, snakes). The island group of Socotra is a specialty, which was declared the first biosphere reserve in the Arab region by UNESCO in 2003 due to its endemic forms and has been a World Heritage Site since 2008.
Population
The main part of the population is made up of Arabs, who in the coastal plain of Tihama as well as in the oases of southern Yemen show a strongly African influence, which points to the old relationship with East Africa. In the Wadi Hadramaut, on the other hand, the Malay impact is unmistakable; Indians and Somals have settled on the coast of the Gulf of Aden. In the Tihama and at the foot of the mountain, the rural population lives in closed villages, in the western outskirts the mountain farmers live in multi-storey residential towers. In the urban settlements, the houses, which are up to eight storeys high and made of adobe bricks, are often decorated with white ornaments (e.g. in Sanaa and Shibam ; UNESCO World Heritage Sites).
Yemen: Sanaa
Sanaa (Yemen) has a unique, intact Arab cityscape with four to eight-story residential castles and is therefore a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Shibam
The adobe brick houses in the old town of Shibam in East Yemen are up to 29 m high and are built close to one another in the 16th century.
Less than 10% of the population are nomads. The population density is 54 residents / km 2. 36% of the population live in cities, but the number is steadily increasing as people leave rural areas. The biggest cities are Sanaa, Aden, Taiz, Hodeida and Makalla (Mukalla). According to estimates by the United Nations, the number of internally displaced persons is around 2 million (2017).
The biggest cities in Yemen
| Biggest Cities (residents 2004) | |
| Sanaa | 1 707 500 |
| Aden | 588 900 |
| Taiz | 467,000 |
| Hodeida | 410,000 |
| Ibb | 213,000 |
Aden. Most important port city and second largest city in Yemen. The old town lies in the crater of an extinct volcano.
Social: The standard of living is very low, a large part of the population lives in poverty. As a result of the civil war, almost 20 million people are dependent on humanitarian aid. The health system has collapsed; a cholera epidemic has broken out in parts of the country.
Religion
The constitution defines Islam as the state religion, whereby all citizens, regardless of their religious beliefs, are guaranteed equality before the law. The practice of non-Islamic religions in private rooms and in one’s own worship buildings is permitted. Mission among Muslims and conversions by Muslims are prohibited.
Almost 100% of the population professes Islam. About 65% are Sunnis of schafiitischen law school (especially in the Tihama and in the south), around 35% Shiites (Saiditen and Ismailis, especially the residents of the highlands). The numerically vanishingly small Christian minority (mainly Catholics and Coptic Orthodox) and the small Hindu community (Indians) are mainly limited to foreigners living in the south. The once important Jewish community, whose historical roots go back to the 3rd century, today only has a few members in Saada and the surrounding area.
