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.
Location
Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates
15 00 N, 48 00 E
Map references
Middle East
Area
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)
Area - comparative
slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming
Land boundaries
total
1,746 km
border countries
Oman 288 km, Saudi Arabia 1,458 km
Coastline
1,906 km
Maritime claims
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
Climate
mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east
Terrain
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
Elevation extremes
lowest point
Arabian Sea 0 m
highest point
Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,760 m
Natural resources
petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble; small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper; fertile soil in west
Land use
arable land
2.91%
permanent crops
0.25%
other
96.84% (2005)
Irrigated land
5,500 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards
sandstorms and dust storms in summer
Environment - current issues
Environment - international agreements
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
Geography - note
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
Population
22,230,531 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
46.3% (male 5,239,003/female 5,047,301)
15-64 years
51.1% (male 5,781,491/female 5,585,152)
65 years and over
2.6% (male 281,121/female 296,463) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
16.7 years
male
16.6 years
female
16.7 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
3.461% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
42.67 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
8.05 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.038 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.035 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.948 male(s)/female
total population
1.034 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
57.88 deaths/1,000 live births
male
62.48 deaths/1,000 live births
female
53.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
62.52 years
male
60.61 years
female
64.54 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
6.49 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
12,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
Nationality
noun
Yemeni(s)
adjective
Yemeni
Ethnic groups
predominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asians, Europeans
Religions
Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi'a), small numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu
Languages
Arabic
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
50.2%
male
70.5%
female
30% (2003 est.)
Country name
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]
Government type
republic
Capital
name
Sanaa
geographic coordinates
15 21 N, 44 12 E
time difference
UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
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
Independence
22 May 1990 (Republic of Yemen 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 had become independent in November 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and South Yemen became independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK)
National holiday
Unification Day, 22 May (1990)
Constitution
16 May 1991; amended 29 September 1994 and February 2001
Legal system
based on Islamic law, Turkish law, English common law, and local tribal customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
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); Deputy Prime Minister Rashad Muhammad al-ALIMI
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%
Legislative branch
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
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders
General People's Congress or GPC [Abdul-Kader BAJAMMAL]; Islamic Reform Grouping or Islah [Shaykh Abdallah bin Husayn al-AHMAR]; 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
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars, and of Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription), in a horizontal line centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt, which has a heraldic eagle centered in the white band
Economy - overview
Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, reported average annual growth of 3.5% from 2000 through 2006. Its economic fortunes depend mostly on oil. Oil revenues probably increased in 2006 as a result of higher prices. Yemen was on an IMF-supported structural adjustment program designed to modernize and streamline the economy, which led to substantial foreign debt relief and restructuring. However, government dedication to the program waned in 2001 for political reasons. Yemen is struggling to control excessive spending and rampant corruption. Yemen is dependent on foreign aid to finance its budget deficits and development projects. In November, Yemen secured $4.7 billion in assistance from Arabian Gulf and Western donors.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$20.63 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$15.07 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
2.6% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$1,000 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
12.5%
industry
43.8%
services
43.7% (2006 est.)
Labor force
5.759 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
note: most people are employed in agriculture and herding; services, construction, industry, and commerce account for less than one-fourth of the labor force
Unemployment rate
35% (2003 est.)
Population below poverty line
45.2% (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
3%
highest 10%
25.9% (2003)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
33.4 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
14.8% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
15.7% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$7.314 billion
expenditures
$6.984 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
Public debt
30% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products
Industries
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
Industrial production growth rate
3% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production
4.077 billion kWh (2004 est.)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
100%
hydro
0%
nuclear
0%
other
0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption
3.792 billion kWh (2004 est.)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production
387,500 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption
85,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports
370,300 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - imports
NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves
3.72 billion bbl (2006 est.)
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
478.6 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Current account balance
$1.69 billion (2006 est.)
Exports
$8.214 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities
crude oil, coffee, dried and salted fish
Exports - partners
China 29.9%, India 16.6%, Thailand 15.9%, South Korea 6.4%, US 6.4%, Switzerland 5.2% (2006)
Imports
$5.042 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities
food and live animals, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners
UAE 15.8%, China 12.3%, Saudi Arabia 7.5%, Switzerland 6.4%, Kuwait 5.6%, Malaysia 4% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$6.735 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$5.469 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$2.3 billion (2003-07 disbursements)
Currency (code)
Yemeni rial (YER)
Currency code
YER
Exchange rates
Yemeni rials per US dollar - 197.18 (2006), 192.67 (2005), 184.78 (2004), 183.45 (2003), 175.63 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
900,000 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular
2.075 million (2006)
Telephone system
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 cellular mobile telephone systems
international
country code - 967; 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
Radio broadcast stations
AM 6, FM 1, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios
1.05 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations
7 (plus several repeaters) (1997)
Televisions
470,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.ye
Internet hosts
171 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
1 (2000)
Internet users
220,000 (2005)
Airports
46 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
16
over 3,047 m
4
2,438 to 3,047 m
8
1,524 to 2,437 m
2
914 to 1,523 m
1
under 914 m
1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
30
over 3,047 m
3
2,438 to 3,047 m
7
1,524 to 2,437 m
5
914 to 1,523 m
11
under 914 m
4 (2006)
Pipelines
gas 71 km; liquid petroleum gas 22 km; oil 1,284 km (2006)
Roadways
total
71,300 km
paved
6,200 km
unpaved
65,100 km (2005)
Merchant marine
total
4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 15,400 GRT/18,072 DWT
by type
cargo 1, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1
registered in other countries
9 (Bolivia 1, Cambodia 3, North Korea 2, Panama 3) (2006)
Ports and terminals
Aden, Nishtun
Military branches
Army (includes Republican Guard), Navy (includes Marines), Yemen Air Force (includes Air Defense Force) (2007)
Military service age and obligation
in May 2001, Yemen's National Defense Council abolished compulsory military service and authorized a voluntary program for military service (2004)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
4,058,223
females age 18-49
3,868,112 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
2,790,705
females age 18-49
2,792,406 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
236,517
females age 18-49
230,641 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
6.6% (2006)
Military - note
a Coast Guard was established in 2002
Disputes - international
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 and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 78,582 (Somalia) (2006)
