Yemen

I

Introduction

Yemen, officially Republic of Yemen, country in south-western Asia, on the south-western coast of the Arabian Peninsula, formed in 1990 through the union of the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen and the Yemen Arab Republic. Yemen is bordered on the north by Saudi Arabia, on the east by Oman, on the south by the Gulf of Aden, and on the west by the Red Sea. The interior boundaries are mostly undemarcated. Yemen includes the islands of Socotra in the Gulf of Aden, Kamaran in the Red Sea, and Perim in the strait of Bab el Mandeb. The area of Yemen is about 527,970 sq km (203,850 sq mi). The capital of the Republic of Yemen is Sana’a.

II

Land and Resources

The southern region of Yemen is hot and arid, with a coastline of about 1,200 km (745 mi) extending along the Gulf of Aden. The western area is semi-desert and has a coastline of about 450 km (280 mi) along the Red Sea. The interior is mountainous; abundant seasonal precipitation makes this the Arabian Peninsula’s rainiest area. In the south the coastal plain is a narrow, sandy, almost rainless area baked by high temperatures. Along the western coast a semi-desert region, the Tihamah, extends inland an average of 48 km (30 mi). Mountains, broken by deep valleys, and highland plateaux dominate the centre of the country, where abundant but irregular rainfall sustains an agricultural economy.

The highest mountain in Yemen is Jabal an-Nabi Shuayb, which rises to 3,760 m (12,336 ft) above sea level. The largest valley is Hadhramaut in the central region. The highlands have no permanent streams, but numerous wadis (watercourses that are dry except in the rainy season) have cut valleys and gorges in the terrain. Yemen’s most productive farmlands are found in the wadi areas and near springs and oases. Near the north-eastern border the elevations decrease, and the land is dominated by the great sandy desert of the Rub‘ al Khali (“Empty Quarter”).

A

Climate

The climate of the coastal plains is hot and dry; the average annual temperature is about 27.7° C (80° F). Average annual rainfall is 76 mm (3 in) on the southern coast, 229 mm (9 in) on the western coast. Winds blowing north-west in summer and south-west in winter bring severe sandstorms. The mountainous interior has a temperate climate, and the winters are generally cool. Annual rainfall in the highlands ranges from approximately 406 to 762 mm (16 to 30 in).

B

Natural Resources

Yemen has deposits of petroleum, copper, gold, lead, zinc, and molybdenum, at varying stages of exploration and exploitation.