Yemen

                                  Geography


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 references: Middle East

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)

AreaÑcomparative: slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming

Land boundaries:
total: 1,746 km
border countries: Oman 288 km, Saudi Arabia 1,458 km

Coastline: 1,906 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 18 nm in the North; 24 nm in the South
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

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
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:
arable land: 3%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 30%
forests and woodland: 4%
other: 63% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 3,600 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: sandstorms and dust storms in summer

EnvironmentÑcurrent issues: very limited natural fresh water resources;
inadequate supplies of potable water; overgrazing; soil erosion;
desertification

EnvironmentÑinternational agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

GeographyÑnote: 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

                                   People


Population: 16,387,963 (July 1998 est.)
note: other estimates range as high as 16.6 million

Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 4,016,052; female 3,859,079)
15-64 years: 49% (male 4,066,601; female 3,902,686)
65 years and over: 3% (male 280,152; female 263,393) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.31% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 43.36 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 10.27 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

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: 1.06 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 72.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 59.47 years
male: 57.71 years
female: 61.32 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 7.14 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Yemeni(s)
adjective: Yemeni

Ethnic groups: predominantly Arab; Afro-Arab concentrations in western
coastal locations; South Asians in southern regions; small European
communities in major metropolitan areas

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: 38%
male: 53%
female: 26% (1990 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

Data code: YM

Government type: republic

National capital: Sanaa

Administrative divisions: 17 governorates (muhafazat, singularÑmuhafazah);
Abyan, Aden, Al Bayda, Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al Mahwit, 'Ataq,
Dhamar, Hadhramaut, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Ma'rib, Sa'dah, San'a', Ta'izz
note: there may be a new governorate for the capital city of Sanaa

Independence: 22 May 1990 Republic of Yemen was established on 22 May 1990
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}; previously North Yemen had become independent on NA
November 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and South Yemen had become
independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK)

National holiday: Proclamation of the Republic, 22 May (1990)

Constitution: 16 May 1991; amended 29 September 1994

Legal system: based on Islamic law, Turkish law, English common law, and
local tribal customary law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Ali Abdallah SALIH (since 22 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
NA October 1994)
head of government: Acting Prime Minister Dr. Abd al-Karim Ali al-IRYANI
(since NA April 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the advice of
the prime minister
elections: President SALIH was elected by the House of Representatives for a
five-year term, however, future presidents will be elected by direct,
popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 1 October 1994 (next to
be held NA 1999); 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 House of
Representatives voteÑNA

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives (301 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 April 1997 (next to be held NA April 2001)
election results: percent of vote by partyÑNA; seats by partyÑGPC 189,
Islaah 52, Nasserite Unionist Party 3, National Arab Socialist Baath Party
2, independents 54, election pending 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: there are over 12 political parties active in
Yemen, some of the more prominent are: General People's Congress (GPC),
President Ali Abdallah SALIH; Islamic Reform Grouping (Islaah), Shaykh
Abdallah bin Husayn al-AHMAR; Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP), Ali Salih UBAYD;
Nasserite Unionist Party, leader NA; National Arab Socialist Baath Party,
Dr. Qassim SALAAM
note: President SALIH's General People's Congress (GPC) won a landslide
victory in the April 1997 legislative election and no longer governs in
coalition with Shaykh Abdallah bin Husayn al-AHMAR's Islamic Reform Grouping
(Islaah) - the two parties had been in coalition since the end of the civil
war in 1994; the YSP, a loyal opposition party, boycotted the April 1997
legislative election

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC,
ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Abd al-Wahhab Abdallah al-HAJRI
chancery: Suite 705, 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 965-4760
FAX: [1] (202) 337-2017

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Barbara K. BODINE
embassy: Dhahr Himyar Zone, Sheraton Hotel District, Sanaa
mailing address: P. O. Box 22347, Sanaa
telephone: [967] (1) 238843 through 238852
FAX: [967] (1) 251563

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and
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 symbolic eagle centered in the white band

                                   Economy


EconomyÑoverview: The northern city Sanaa is the political capital of a
united Yemen, and the southern city Aden, with its refinery and port
facilities, is the economic and commercial capital. Future economic
development depends heavily on the attraction of foreign investment to
diversify the economy. Former South Yemen's willingness to merge stemmed
partly from the sharp decline in Soviet economic support. The low level of
domestic industry and agriculture has made northern Yemen dependent on
imports for practically all of its essential needs. Once self-sufficient in
food production, northern Yemen has become a major importer. Land once used
for export cropsÑcotton, fruit, and vegetables - has been turned over to
growing a shrub called qat, whose leaves are chewed for their stimulant
effect by Yemenis and which has no significant export market. Economic
growth in former South Yemen has been constrained by a lack of incentives,
partly stemming from centralized control over production decisions,
investment allocation, and import choices. Yemen's GDP has been supplemented
by remittances from Yemenis working abroad and by foreign aid. Since the
Gulf crisis, however, remittances have dropped substantially. Floods in June
1996 caused the loss of much valuable topsoil in the agricultural sector,
increasing the need for imports of foodstuffs. Oil production and GDP as a
whole are expected to increase moderately in 1998.

GDP: purchasing power parityÑ$31.8 billion (1997 est.)

GDPÑreal growth rate: 5% (1997 est.)

GDPÑper capita: purchasing power parityÑ$2,300 (1997 est.)

GDPÑcomposition by sector:
agriculture: 15%
industry: 39%
services: 46% (1995)

Inflation rateÑconsumer price index: 5% (1997 est.)

Labor force: no reliable estimates exist, most people are employed in
agriculture and herding or as expatriate laborers; services, construction,
industry, and commerce account for less than one-half of the labor force

Unemployment rate: 30% (1995 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.6 billion
expenditures: $2.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.1 billion
(1998 est.)

Industries: crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale
production of cotton textiles and leather goods; food processing;
handicrafts; small aluminum products factory; cement

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

ElectricityÑcapacity: 810,000 kW (1995)

ElectricityÑproduction: 1.85 billion kWh (1995)

ElectricityÑconsumption per capita: 126 kWh (1995)

AgricultureÑproducts: grain, fruits, vegetables, qat (mildly narcotic
shrub), coffee, cotton; dairy products, poultry, meat; fish

Exports:
total value: $2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
commodities: crude oil, cotton, coffee, dried and salted fish
partners: China 23%, South Korea 19%, Thailand 14%, Brazil 13%, Japan 12%,
Thailand 7% (1995)

Imports:
total value: $2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
commodities: textiles and other manufactured consumer goods, petroleum
products, foodstuffs, cement, machinery, chemicals
partners: US 12%, France 11%, UAE 10%, Saudi Arabia 7%, UK 5% (1995)

DebtÑexternal: $8 billion (1996)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $148 million (1993)

Currency: Yemeni rial (YRl) (new currency)

Exchange rates: Yemeni rials (YRl) per US$1Ñ129.158 (1997), 94.157 (1996),
40.839 (1995), 12.010 (official fixed rate 1991-94)

Fiscal year: calendar year

                               Communications


Telephones: 131,655 (1992 est.)

Telephone system: since unification in 1990, efforts have been made to
create a national telecommunications network
domestic: the network consists of microwave radio relay, cable, and
tropospheric scatter
international: satellite earth stationsÑ3 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 broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios: 325,000 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 10

Televisions: 100,000 (1993 est.)

                               Transportation


Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 64,725 km
paved: 5,243 km
unpaved: 59,482 km (1996 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 644 km; petroleum products 32 km

Ports and harbors: Aden, Al Hudaydah, Al Mukalla, As Salif, Mocha, Nishtun

Merchant marine:
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 12,059 GRT/18,563 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, oil tanker 2 (1997 est.)

Airports: 48 (1997 est.)

AirportsÑwith paved runways:
total: 11
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)

AirportsÑwith unpaved runways:
total: 37
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 3 (1997 est.)

                                  Military


Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary (includes Police)

Military manpowerÑmilitary age: 18 years of age

Military manpowerÑavailability:
males age 15-49: 3,611,419 (1998 est.)

Military manpowerÑfit for military service:
males: 2,026,175 (1998 est.)

Military manpowerÑreaching military age annually:
males: 204,674 (1998 est.)

Military expendituresÑdollar figure: $407 million (1998 est.)

Military expendituresÑpercent of GDP: 5% (1998 est.)

                            Transnational Issues


DisputesÑinternational: a large section of boundary with Saudi Arabia is not
defined; a dispute with Eritrea over sovereignty of the Hanish Islands in
the southern Red Sea has been submitted to arbitration under the auspices of
the International Court of Justice; a decision on the Islands is expected in
mid-1998