from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Yemen
Introduction
Background: 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.
Geography
Location: Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden,
and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Geographic 15 00 N, 48 00 E
coordinates:
Map Middle East
references:
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 - slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming
comparative:
Land total: 1,746 km
boundaries: border countries: Oman 288 km, Saudi Arabia 1,458 km
Coastline: 1,906 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: 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 lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m
extremes: highest point: Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,760 m
Natural petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble; small deposits of
resources: 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 5,500 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural sandstorms and dust storms in summer
hazards:
Environment - very limited natural fresh water resources; inadequate
current supplies of potable water; overgrazing; soil erosion;
issues: desertification
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - strategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking
note: the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most
active shipping lanes
People
Population: 21,456,188 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 46.4% (male 5,067,762/female 4,881,333)
15-64 years: 51% (male 5,568,078/female 5,375,263)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 275,878/female 287,874)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 16.6 years
male: 16.6 years
female: 16.6 years (2006 est.)
Population 3.46% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 42.89 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 8.3 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 59.88 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 64.55 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 54.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 62.12 years
expectancy at male: 60.23 years
birth: female: 64.11 years (2006 est.)
Total 6.58 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.1% (2001 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 12,000 (2001 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
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.)
Government
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 republic
type:
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 19 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah);
divisions: 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 of 1918 (from the Ottoman
Empire) and South Yemen had become independent on 30
November 1967 (from the UK)
National Unification Day, 22 May (1990)
holiday:
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 chief of state: President Ali Abdallah SALIH (since 22
branch: 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 Abd al-Qadir BA
JAMAL; Deputy Prime Ministers Rashid Muhammad al-ALIMI,
Alawi Salah al-SALAMI, Ahmad Muhammad Abdallah al-SUFAN
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 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%, Faisal bin
SHAMLAN 21.8%
Legislative a new constitutional amendment ratified on 20 February
branch: 2001 created 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 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 Supreme Court
branch:
Political there are more than 12 political parties active in
parties and Yemen, some of the more prominent are: General People's
leaders: Congress or GPC [President Ali Abdallah SALIH]; 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]
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
organization (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
participation: ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer),
OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
(observer)
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Abd al-Wahab Abdallah
representation al-HAJRI
in the US: chancery: 2319 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 965-4760
FAX: [1] (202) 337-2017
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas C. KRAJESKI
representation embassy: Sa'awan Street, Sanaa
from the US: mailing address: P. O. Box 22347, Sanaa
telephone: [967] (1) 755-2000 ext. 2153 or 2266
FAX: [967] (1) 303-182
Flag three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and
description: 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
Economy - Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the Arab world,
overview: has reported meager growth since 2000. Its economic
fortunes depend mostly on oil. Oil revenues increased
in 2005 due to 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. The
people have grown increasingly upset over the economic
situation. In July 2005, a reduction in fuel subsidies
sparked riots; over 20 Yemenis were killed and hundreds
were injured.
GDP $19.36 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $14.34 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 2.8% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $900 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 13.5%
composition by industry: 47.2%
sector: services: 39.3% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 5.83 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - note: most people are employed in agriculture and
by occupation: herding; services, construction, industry, and commerce
account for less than one-fourth of the labor force
Unemployment 35% (2003 est.)
rate:
Population 45.2% (2003)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 3%
income or highest 10%: 25.9% (2003)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 33.4 (1998)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 11.8% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 14.2% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $5.616 billion
expenditures: $5.719 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt: 34.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - grain, fruits, vegetables, pulses, qat, coffee, cotton;
products: dairy products, livestock (sheep, goats, cattle,
camels), poultry; fish
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 3% (2003 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 3.848 billion kWh (2003 est.)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 100%
production by hydro: 0%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 2.827 billion kWh (2003 est.)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 387,500 bbl/day (2005 est.)
production:
Oil - 80,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: 370,300 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Oil - proved 4.37 billion bbl (2005 est.)
reserves:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
imports:
Natural gas - 478.6 billion cu m (2005)
proved
reserves:
Current $1.224 billion (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $6.387 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - crude oil, coffee, dried and salted fish
commodities:
Exports - China 36.5%, Chile 19.2%, Thailand 12.5%, Japan 5.4%,
partners: South Korea 4.4%, US 4.1% (2005)
Imports: $4.19 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - food and live animals, machinery and equipment,
commodities: chemicals
Imports - UAE 14.6%, Saudi Arabia 11.6%, China 9.1%, Kuwait 5%,
partners: India 4.5% (2005)
Reserves of $6.143 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $5.347 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $2.3 billion (2003-07 disbursements)
recipient:
Currency Yemeni rial (YER)
(code):
Currency code: YER
Exchange Yemeni rials per US dollar - 192.67 (2005), 184.78
rates: (2004), 183.45 (2003), 175.63 (2002), 168.67 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 798,100 (2004)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 2 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: since unification in 1990, efforts
system: 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 AM 6, FM 1, shortwave 2 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 1.05 million (1997)
Television 7 (plus several low-power repeaters) (1997)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 470,000 (1997)
Internet .ye
country code:
Internet 171 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 1 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 220,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 46 (2006)
Airports - total: 16
with paved over 3,047 m: 4
runways: 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 - total: 30
with unpaved over 3,047 m: 3
runways: 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 total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 15,400 GRT/18,072 DWT
marine: 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 Aden, Nishtun
terminals:
Military
Military Army (includes Special Forces), Navy (includes
branches: Marines), Air Force (includes Air Defense Force) (2006)
Military in May 2001, Yemen's National Defense Council abolished
service age compulsory military service and authorized a voluntary
and program for military service (2004)
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 4,058,223
available for females age 18-49: 3,868,112 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 2,790,705
for military females age 18-49: 2,792,406 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 236,517
reaching females age 18-49: 230,641 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $992.2 million (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 6.4% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Military - a Coast Guard was established in 2002
note:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - Yemen protests Eritrea fishing around the Hanish
international: Islands awarded to Yemen by the ICJ in 1999; Saudi
Arabia still maintains the concrete-filled pipe as a
security barrier along sections of the border with
Yemen in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities;
Yemen protests Saudi erection of a concrete-filled pipe
as a security barrier in 2004 to stem illegal
cross-border activities in sections of the boundary
Refugees and refugees (country of origin): 63,511 (Somalia) (2005)
internally
displaced
persons: