Map of Yemen | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: North Yemen became independent from 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 and brief civil war in 1994 was quickly subdued. In 2000 Saudi Arabia and Yemen agreed to delineate their border. Fighting in the northwest between the government and the Huthis a Zaydi Shia minority began in 2004 and has since resulted in six rounds of fighting that ended in early 2010 with a cease-fire. The southern secessionist movement was revitalized in 2008. Public rallies in Sana'a against then President SALIH - inspired by similar demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt - slowly built momentum starting in late January 2011 fueled by complaints over high unemployment poor economic conditions and corruption. By the following month some protests had resulted in violence and the demonstrations had spread to other major cities. By March the opposition had hardened its demands and was unifying behind calls for SALIH's immediate ouster. In in late April 2011. the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in an attempt to mediate the crisis in Yemen proposed the GGC Initiative an agreement in which the president would step down in exchange for immunity from prosecution. SALIH's refusal to sign an agreement led to further violence. The UN Security Council passed Resolution 2014 in October 2011 calling for an end to the violence and completing a power transfer deal. In late November 2011 SALIH signed the GCC Initiative to step down and to transfer some of his powers to Vice President Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI. Following HADI's election victory in February 2012 SALIH formally transferred his powers. In accordance with the GCC initiative Yemen launched a National Dialogue Conference (NDC) in March 2013 to discuss key constitutional political and social issues. HADI concluded the NDC in January 2014. Subsequent steps in the transition process include constitutional drafting a constitutional referendum and national elections. Since the Arab Awakening in 2011 the Huthis have expanded their influence culminating in a major offensive against military units and tribes affiliated with their Yemeni rivals and enabling their forces to overrun the capital Sana'a in September 2014. In January 2015 the Huthis attacked the presidential palace and President HADI's residence and surrounded key government facilities prompting HADI and the cabinet to submit their resignations. HADI fled to Aden and in late February he rescinded his resignation. He subsequently escaped to Saudi Arabia and asked the GCC to intervene militarily in Yemen to protect the legitimate government from the Huthis. In late March the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia launched Operation Decisive Storm a series of airstrikes against Huthi and Huthi-affiliated forces. In late April the Saudi Government announced completion of the operation and initiated Operation Restoring Hope which focuses on humanitarian aid and a return to political dialogue. As of late April 2015 the Huthis controlled much of western Yemen.


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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 reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 527,968 km²
Land: 527,968 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes Perim Socotra the former Yemen Arab Republic and the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY or South Yemen)
Rank: 50
Comparative: almost four times the size of Alabama; slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming

Land boundaries
Total: 1601 km
Border countries: (2) Oman 294 km; Saudi Arabia 1307 km

Coastline: 1906 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
Extremes 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
Agricultural land: 44.5%
Forest: 1%
Other: 54.5%

Irrigated land: 6,801 km² (2004)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 2.1 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: sandstorms and dust storms in summer
Volcanism: limited volcanic activity; Jebel at Tair (elev. 244 m) which forms an island in the Red Sea erupted in 2007 after awakening from dormancy; other historically active volcanoes include Harra of Arhab Harras of Dhamar Harra es-Sawad and Jebel Zubair although many of these have not erupted in over a century

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


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Population: 26,737,317 (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 48
Growth rate: 2.47% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 25
Below poverty line: 54% (2014 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Yemeni
Adjective: Yemeni

Ethnic groups: predominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab South Asians Europeans

Languages: Arabic (official)
Note: a distinct Socotri language is widely used on the Socotra Archipelago; Mahri is still fairly widely spoken in eastern Yemen

Religions: Muslim 99.1% (official; virtually all are citizens an estimated 65% are Sunni and 35% are Shia) other 0.9% (includes Jewish Baha'i Hindu and Christian; many are refugees or temporary foreign residents) (2010 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 41.09%
15-24 years: 21.12%
25-54 years: 31.33%
55-64 years: 3.79%
65 years and over: 2.67% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 75.6%
Youth dependency ratio: 70.7%
Elderly dependency ratio: 4.9%
Potential support ratio: 20.4%

Median age
Total: 18.9 years
Male: 18.8 years
Female: 19 years

Population growth rate: 2.47% (2015 est.)
Rank: 25

Birth rate: 29.98 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 42

Death rate: 6.28 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 154

Net migration rate: 1 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 63

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 34.6% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 4.03% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: SANAA (capital) 2.962 million; Aden 882,000 (2015)

Environment
Current issues: limited natural freshwater resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male/female
25-54 years: 1.05 male/female
55-64 years: 0.86 male/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male/female
Total population: 1.03 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 48.93 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 53.14 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 44.5 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 38

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 65.18 years
Male: 63.05 years
Female: 67.41 years
Rank: 176

Total fertility rate: 3.91 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 40

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 27.7% (2006)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.2 physicians/1000 population (2010)

Hospital bed density: 0.7 beds/1000 population (2012)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.05% (2014 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 119
People living with hivaids: 7,200 (2014 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 104
Deaths: 300 (2014 est.)
Deaths rank: 96

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 14.2% (2014)
Rank: 121

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 35.5% (2011)
Rank: 3

Education expenditures: 4.6% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 67

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 70.1%
Male: 85.1%
Female: 55%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 9 years
Male: 11 years
Female: 8 years

Youth unemployment


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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 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

Administrative divisions: 21 governorates (muhafazat singular - muhafazah) and 1 municipality*; Abyan 'Adan (Aden) Ad Dali' Al Bayda' Al Hudaydah Al Jawf Al Mahrah Al Mahwit Amanat al 'Asimah (Sanaa City)* 'Amran Arkhabil Suqutra (Socotra Archipelago) Dhamar Hadramawt Hajjah Ibb Lahij Ma'rib Raymah Sa'dah San'a' (Sanaa) Shabwah Ta'izz

Dependent areas

Independence: 22 May 1990 (Republic of Yemen was 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 became independent in November 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and became a republic with the overthrow of the theocratic Imamate in 1962; South Yemen became independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK)

National holiday: Unification Day 22 May (1990)

Constitution: adopted by referendum 16 May 1991 (following unification); amended several times last in 2009; note - between March 2014 and January 2015 a presidentially formed Constitutional Drafting Committee drafted a new constitution and President Hadi reviewed it; the draft was slated for final revision by the National Authority followed by a national referendum; however with the resignation of the government in late January 2015 constitutional formation has been stalled (2015)

Legal system: mixed legal system of Islamic law Napoleonic law English common law and customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI ; note - President HADI submitted his resignation in late January 2015 but Parliament did not convene to accept it; he later rescinded his resignation and remains the internationally recognized President of Yemen; he fled to Saudi Arabia in late March 2015 but returned in September after government loyalist forces aided by a Saudi-led coalition regained control of Aden from Huthi rebels in July
Head of government: Prime Minister Khalid Mahfuz BAHAH; note - BAHAH submitted his resignation in late January 2015 but Parliament did not convene to accept it; BAHAH later rescinded his resignation and remains prime minister; on 13 April he was named vice president but continues to be the prime minister
Cabinet: appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 7-year term ; last election held on 21 February 2012 (next election NA); note - a special election held on 21 February 2012 to remove Ali Abdallah SALIH under the terms of a Gulf Cooperation Council-mediated deal during the political crisis of 2011; vice president appointed by the president; prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI elected as a consensus president with about 50% popular participation; no other candidates

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral Parliament or Majlis consists of the Shura Council or Majlis Alshoora and the House of Representatives or Majlis al Nuwaab (301 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms)
Elections: last held on 27 April 2003
Election results: House of Representatives percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GPC 238 Islah 47 YSP 6 Nasserite Unionist Party 3 National Arab Socialist Ba'th Party 2 independents 5

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court
Judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council chaired by the president of the republic and consisting of 10 high-ranking judicial officers; judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65
Subordinate courts: appeal courts; district or first instance courts; commercial courts

Political parties and leaders:
Note: there are at least seven more active political parties

International organization participation: AFESD AMF CAEU CD EITI (temporarily suspended) FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) LAS MIGA MINURSO MINUSMA MONUSCO NAM OAS (observer) OIC OPCW UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNISFA UNMIL UNMIS UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ahmed Awad AHMED bin Mubarak
In the us chancery: 2,319 Wyoming Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] 965-4,760
In the us FAX: [1] 337-2017
From the us note: US embassy operations suspended on 10 February 2015 amid growing violence; in March 2015 a team of US diplomats established the Yemen Affairs Unit in Jeddah Saudi Arabia
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Matthew H. TUELLER
From the us embassy: Sa'awan Street Sanaa
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 22,347 Sanaa
From the us telephone: [967] 755-2000 ext. 2,153 or 2,266
From the us FAX: [967] 303-182

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top) white and black; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black) overcome through bloody struggle (red) to be replaced by a bright future (white)
Note: similar to the flag of Syria which has two green stars in the white band and of Iraq which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt which has a heraldic eagle centered in the white band

National symbols: golden eagle; national colors: red white black

National anthem
Name: 'al-qumhuriyatu l-muttahida'
Lyrics and music: Abdullah Abdulwahab NOA'MAN/Ayyoab Tarish ABSI
Note: adopted 1990; the music first served as the anthem for South Yemen before unification with North Yemen in 1990

National heritage


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Economy overview: Yemen is a low-income country that is highly dependent on declining oil resources for revenue. Oil and gas revenues account for roughly 25% of GDP and 65% of government revenue. Yemen has tried to counter the effects of its declining oil resources and continuing attacks on its oil pipelines by diversifying its economy through a 2006 reform program that was designed to bolster non-oil sectors of the economy and foreign investment. In October 2009 Yemen exported its first liquefied natural gas as part of this diversification effort. In January 2010 the international community established the Friends of Yemen group that aimed to support Yemen's efforts toward economic and political reform. In 2012 the Friends of Yemen pledged nearly $7 billion in assistance to Yemen. The Yemeni Government also endorsed a Mutual Accountability Framework to facilitate the efficient implementation of donor aid. The unrest that began in early 2011 caused GDP to plunge almost 11% in that year. Progress toward achieving stability has been slow and uneven. Yemen continues to face difficult long-term challenges including declining water resources high unemployment severe food scarcity and a high population growth rate. The Yemeni Government regularly faces annual budget shortfalls. In July 2014 the government eliminated some fuel subsidies that accounted for approximately 25% of government spending in 2013; and in August 2014 the IMF approved a three-year $570 million Extended Credit Facility for Yemen. Deteriorating security restricts economic growth and the provision of government services.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 82

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 153

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 178

Gross national saving:
Rank: 161

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 70.6%
Government consumption: 15.7%
Investment in fixed capital: 19.6%
Investment in inventories: 4%
Exports of goods and services: 18.5%
Imports of goods and services: -28.5%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 9.2%
Industry: 26.8%
Services: 64%

Agriculture products: grain fruits vegetables pulses qat coffee cotton; dairy products livestock (sheep goats cattle camels) poultry; fish

Industries: crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of cotton textiles leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; aluminum products; cement; commercial ship repair; natural gas production

Industrial production growth rate: -1.5% (2014 est.)
Rank: 181

Labor force: 7.262 million (2014 est.)
Rank: 64
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:
Rank: 176

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 54% (2014 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.9%
Highest 10: 30.8%

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 73

Budget
Revenues: $10.26 billion
Expenditures: $14.34 billion
Surplus or deficit: -9% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 198

Taxes and other revenues: 22.6% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 141

Public debt:
Rank: 68

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 203

Central bank discount rate: NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 14

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 93

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 92

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 93

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance:
Rank: 152

Exports:
Rank: 106
Commodities: crude oil coffee dried and salted fish liquefied natural gas
Partners: China 28.3% South Korea 23% Thailand 11.2% Japan 8.1% UAE 5.3% (2014)

Imports:
Rank: 99
Commodities: food and live animals machinery and equipment chemicals
Partners: China 15.9% UAE 14% India 9.6% Saudi Arabia 6.6% Kuwait 5% Turkey 4.6% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 99

Debt external:
Rank: 109

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $N/A

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 5.834 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 117
Consumption: 4.137 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 123
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 217
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 218
Installed generating capacity: 1.533 million kW (2011 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 114
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 2
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 209
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 153
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 144

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 130,700 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 43
Crude oil exports: 43,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 46
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 146
Crude oil proven reserves: 3 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 30

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 86,330 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 76
Products consumption: 144,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 66
Products exports: 14,330 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 78
Products imports: 59,050 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 64

Natural gas
Production: 7.652 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 46
Consumption: 968.5 million m³ (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 91
Exports: 6.684 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 27
Imports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 82
Proven reserves: 478.5 billion m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 32

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 21.28 million Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 81

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 1.17 million
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4
Fixed lines rank: 71
Mobile cellular total: 17.1 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 66
Mobile cellular rank: 62

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 GSM and CDMA mobile-cellular telephone systems; fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity remains low by regional standards
International: country code - 967; landing point for the international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe ; 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 (2006)

Broadcast media: state-run TV with 2 stations; state-run radio with 2 national radio stations and 5 local stations; stations from Oman and Saudi Arabia can be accessed (2007)

Internet
Country code: .ye
Users total: 5 million
Users percent of population: 19.1%
Users rank: 67

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 12

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 2-year service obligation (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 57 (2013)
Rank: 84
With paved runways total: 17
With paved runways over 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 9
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways total: 40
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 3
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 7
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 16
With unpaved runways: 9 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines: gas 641 km; liquid petroleum gas 22 km; oil 1370 km (2013)

Railways

Roadways
Total: 71,300 km
Paved: 6,200 km
Unpaved: 65,100 km
Rank: 66

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 5
By type: chemical tanker 2 petroleum tanker 2 roll on/roll off 1
Registered in other countries: 14 (2010)
Rank: 126

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Aden Al Hudaydah Al Mukalla


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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: 5,934 (Ethiopia) (2014); 244,404 (Somalia) (2015)
IDPs: 1,439,118 (2015)

Illicit drugs