Area: 536,869 sq km (207,286 sq miles).
Population: 19,000,000 (official estimate 2003). Population Density: 36 per sq km Capital: Sana’a. Population: 1,410,000 (UN estimate 2001; including suburbs). 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 Shauib. In contrast is Tihama, a flat semi-desert coastal plain to the west, 50 to 100km (30 to 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. Government: Republic since 1990. Head of State: President Ali Abdullah Saleh since 1990. Head of Government: Prime Minister Abdul Bajammal since 2001. Language: Arabic. English is widely spoken as a second language. Religion: Sunni Muslim (especially in the north) and Shia Muslim, with some small Christian and Hindu communities. There is also a small Jewish minority. 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. Mobile telephone: GSM 900 network. Operators include Spacetel and Yemen Mobile Phone Company. Fax: Some hotels have facilities. Internet: ISPs include TeleYemen (website: www.y.net.ye). There are Internet cafes in Mukalla and Sana’a. Telegram: Facilities are available. Yemen Telecommunications Company has 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: Sat-Thurs 0800-1400 and 1600-2000. Press: Daily and weekly Arabic newspapers include 26 September, Al-Jumhuriaya and Ath-Thawra. The Yemen Observer and The Yemen Times are published in English. Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.
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