POPULATION: 14,587,807 (official estimate 1994).

POPULATION DENSITY: 27.2 per sq km.

CAPITAL: Sana'a. Population: 926,595 (1993). Economic & Commercial Capital: Aden. Population: 400,783 (1993).

GEOGRAPHY: The Republic of Yemen is bordered in the northwest, north and northeast by Saudi Arabia, in the east by Oman and in the south by the Gulf of Aden. To the west lies the Red Sea. The islands of Perim and Karam in the southern Red Sea are also part of the Republic. Yemen is predominantly mountainous, supporting terraced agriculture. The Hadramaut is a range of high mountains in the centre of the country. Highlands rise steeply in central Yemen, ranging in height from approximately 200m (656ft) to the 4000m (13,123ft) peak of Jabal Nabi Shoveb. In contrast is Tihama, a flat semi-desert coastal plain to the west, 50-100km (30-60 miles) wide. Surface water flows down from the mountains through the valleys during the rainy season and the area is cultivated for cotton and grain. In the east the mountains drop away to the Rub al-Khali or 'Empty Quarter' of the Arabian Peninsula, a vast sea of sand. The arid coastal plains are fringed with sandy beaches.

LANGUAGE: Arabic. English is spoken in some urban areas.

RELIGION: Sunni Muslim (especially in the north) and Shia Muslim, small Christian and Hindu communities.

TIME: GMT + 3.

ELECTRICITY: 220/230 volts AC, 50Hz.

COMMUNICATIONS: Telephone: IDD is available in parts of the country. Country code: 967. Outgoing international code: 00. Fax: Some hotels have facilities. Telegram: Telegram facilities are available. Yemen Telecommunications Co. have offices at Steamer Point (24 hours) and at Crater. Post: Airmail to Western Europe from Sana'a takes about four days; mail to and from other towns may take longer. Post office hours: 0800-1400 and 1600-2000 Saturday to Thursday. Press: No English-language newspapers are published in the Republic of Yemen. Dailies include Ash-Sharara and Al-Thaura.

Top    

Your Local Time