Yemen

This article is about the country in West Asia. For other uses, see Yemen (disambiguation).

Republic of Yemen
ٱلْجُمْهُورِيَّةُ ٱلْيَمَنِيَّةُ (Arabic)
al-Jumhūriyyatu l-Yamaniyyatu (formal)
al-Jumhūriyyah l-Yamaniyyah (informal)
Motto: ٱللَّهُ، ثُمَّ ٱلْوَطَنُ، ٱلثَوْرَةُ، ٱلْوَحْدَةُ
Allāhu, thumma l-Waṭanu, ath-Thawratu, al-Waḥdatu
"God, then Country, Revolution, Unity"
Anthem: الجمهورية المتحدة
al-Jumhūriyyatu l-Muttaḥidatu
"United Republic"
Status
Capital
and largest city
Sanaa[n 1]
15°20′54″N 44°12′23″E / 15.34833°N 44.20639°E / 15.34833; 44.20639
Capital-in-exileAden[n 2]
Official language
and national language		Arabic[2]
Ethnic groups
(2000)[3]
92.8% Arabs
3.7% Somalis
3.5% other
Religion
(2020),[4] also see Religion in Yemen
Demonym(s)Yemeni
Yemenite
GovernmentUnitary provisional republic
Rashad al-Alimi (disputed)[n 3]
Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak (disputed)[n 4]
Sultan al-Barakani
Ahmed Obaid Bin Dagher
LegislatureParliament
• Upper house
Shura Council
• Lower house
House of Representatives
Establishment
22 May 1990
16 May 1991
Area
• Total
530,000[a] km2 (200,000 sq mi) (49th)
• Water (%)
negligible
Population
• 2023 estimate
34,449,825[6] Increase (48th)
• Density
65.0/km2 (168.3/sq mi) (152nd)
GDP (PPP)2023 estimate
• Total
Increase $69.963 billion[7] (109th)
• Per capita
Increase $2,053[7] (180th)
GDP (nominal)2023 estimate
• Total
Decrease $21.045 billion[7] (123th)
• Per capita
Decrease $617[7] (184th)
Gini (2014)36.7[8]
medium inequality
HDI (2022)Decrease 0.424[9]
low (186th)
CurrencyYemeni rial (YER)
Time zoneUTC+3 (AST)
Drives onright[10]
Calling code+967
ISO 3166 codeYE
Internet TLD.ye, اليمن.

Yemen,[b] officially the Republic of Yemen,[c] is a country in West Asia.[11] Located in southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to the north, Oman to the northeast, the Red Sea to the west, and the Indian Ocean to the south, sharing maritime borders with Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia across the Horn of Africa. Covering roughly 528,000 square kilometres (203,861 square miles),[12] with a coastline of approximately 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles), Yemen is the second largest country on the Arabian Peninsula.[13] Sanaa is its constitutional capital and largest city. Yemen's estimated population is 34.7 million, mostly Arab Muslims.[14] It is a member of the Arab League, the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Owing to its geographic location, Yemen has been at the crossroads of many civilisations for over 7,000 years. In 1200 BCE, the Sabaeans formed a thriving commercial kingdom that included parts of modern Ethiopia and Eritrea.[15][16][17] In 275 CE, it was succeeded by the Himyarite Kingdom, which spanned much of Yemen's present-day territory and was heavily influenced by Judaism.[18] Christianity arrived in the fourth century, followed by the rapid spread of Islam in the seventh century. Yemenite troops played a crucial role in early Islamic conquests.[19] Various dynasties emerged between the 9th and 16th centuries.[20] During the 19th century, the country was divided between the Ottoman and British empires. After World War I, the Kingdom of Yemen was established, which in 1962 became the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) following a coup. In 1967, the British Aden Protectorate became the independent People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen), the first and only officially socialist state in the Arab world. In 1990, the two Yemeni states united to form the modern Republic of Yemen, with Ali Abdullah Saleh serving as the first president until his resignation in 2012 in the wake of the Arab Spring.[21][22]

Since 2011, Yemen has been enduring a political crisis, marked by street protests against poverty, unemployment, corruption, and President Saleh's plan to amend Yemen's constitution and eliminate the presidential term limit.[23] By 2015, the country became engulfed by an ongoing civil war with multiple entities vying for governance, including the Presidential Leadership Council of the internationally recognized government, and the Houthi movement's Supreme Political Council. This conflict, which has escalated to involve various foreign powers, has led to a severe humanitarian crisis.[24][25][26][27][28][29]

Yemen is one of the least developed countries in the world,[30] facing significant obstacles to sustainable development,[31] and is one of the poorest countries in the Middle East and North Africa.[32] In 2019, the United Nations reported that Yemen had the highest number of people in need of humanitarian aid, amounting to about 24 million individuals, or nearly 75% of its population.[33] As of 2020, Yemen ranked highest on the Fragile States Index[34] and second-worst on the Global Hunger Index, surpassed only by the Central African Republic.[34] Additionally, it has the lowest Human Development Index out of all non-African countries.


Cite error: There are <ref group=n> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=n}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ Al-Sakani, Ali (19 April 2022). "Yemen inaugurates new presidential council". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 8 May 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2022. Yemen's Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, along with other senior government officials, had also arrived in Aden, which serves as Yemen's temporary capital, before the swearing-in ceremony.
  2. ^ "Yemen's Constitution of 1991 with Amendments through 2015" (PDF). Constitute Project. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Yemen – Flora, Fauna, Ecosystems". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 5 February 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Yemen". Central Intelligence Agency. CIA World Factbook. 6 December 2013. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  5. ^ "IAEA's support to animal health services in Yemen". IAEA. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  6. ^ "Yemen population". Yemen population 2023 Estimate based on UN World Bank. World Population Review. Archived from the original on 4 January 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Yemen)". International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  8. ^ "GINI index (World Bank estimate)". World Bank. Archived from the original on 16 December 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  9. ^ "Human Development Report 2023/24". United Nations Development Programme. 13 March 2024. Archived from the original on 19 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  10. ^ "Yemen". International News Safety Institute. Archived from the original on 5 May 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2009.
  11. ^ "Yemen | History, Map, Flag, Population, Capital, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Yemen", The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 22 March 2024, archived from the original on 8 May 2021, retrieved 3 April 2024
  13. ^ McLaughlin, Daniel (1 February 2008). Yemen. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-84162-212-5. Archived from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  14. ^ "Yemen Population (2023) - Worldometer". www.worldometers.info. Archived from the original on 11 May 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  15. ^ Burrowes, Robert D. (2010). Historical Dictionary of Yemen. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 319. ISBN 978-0-8108-5528-1.
  16. ^ St. John Simpson (2002). Queen of Sheba: treasures from ancient Yemen. British Museum Press. p. 8. ISBN 0-7141-1151-1.
  17. ^ Kenneth Anderson Kitchen (2003). On the Reliability of the Old Testament. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 116. ISBN 0-8028-4960-1.
  18. ^ Yaakov Kleiman (2004). DNA & Tradition: The Genetic Link to the Ancient Hebrews. Devora Publishing. p. 70. ISBN 1-930143-89-3.
  19. ^ Marta Colburn (2002). The Republic of Yemen: Development Challenges in the 21st Century. CIIR. p. 13. ISBN 1-85287-249-7.
  20. ^ Karl R. DeRouen; Uk Heo (2007). Civil Wars of the World: Major Conflicts Since World War II, Volume 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 810. ISBN 978-1-85109-919-1.
  21. ^ Laura Etheredge (2011). Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 137. ISBN 978-1-61530-335-9.
  22. ^ Burrowes, Robert. "Why Most Yemenis Should Despise Ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh". Yemen Times. Archived from the original on 16 June 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  23. ^ James L. Gelvin (2012). The Arab Uprisings: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford University Press. p. 68. ISBN 978-0-19-989177-1.
  24. ^ Mareike Transfeld (2014). "Capturing Sanaa: Why the Houthis Were Successful in Yemen". Muftah. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  25. ^ Steven A. Zyck (2014). "Mediating Transition in Yemen: Achievements and Lessons" (PDF). International Peace Institute. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 April 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  26. ^ Silvana Toska (26 September 2014). "Shifting balances of power in Yemen's crisis". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  27. ^ "Houthi leader vows to defend 'glorious revolution'". Al Jazeera. 8 February 2015. Archived from the original on 8 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  28. ^ Aboueldahab, Noha. "Yemen's fate was sealed six years ago". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 31 August 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  29. ^ Borger, Julian (5 June 2015). "Saudi-led naval blockade leaves 20 m Yemenis facing humanitarian disaster". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 June 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  30. ^ "LDCs at a Glance | Department of Economic and Social Affairs". Economic Analysis & Policy Division | Dept of Economic & Social Affairs | United Nations. 25 May 2008. Archived from the original on 29 March 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  31. ^ "Least Developed Countries (LDCs) | Department of Economic and Social Affairs". Economic Analysis & Policy Division | Dept of Economic & Social Affairs | United Nations. 23 September 2010. Archived from the original on 20 June 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  32. ^ "Overview". Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  33. ^ "Yemen: 2019 Humanitarian Needs Overview [EN/AR]". ReliefWeb. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). 14 February 2019. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  34. ^ a b "Global Data | Fragile States Index". fragilestatesindex.org. Archived from the original on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2020.


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