1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
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--comparative
slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming
Climate
mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east
Coastline
1,906 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m highest point: Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,760 m
Environment--current issues
very limited natural fresh water resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environment--international 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
Geographic coordinates
15 00 N, 48 00 E
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
Irrigated land
3,600 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 1,746 km border countries: Oman 288 km, Saudi Arabia 1,458 km
Land use
arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 30% forests and woodland: 4% other: 63% (1993 est.)
Location
Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Map references
Middle East
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
Natural hazards
sandstorms and dust storms in summer
Natural resources
petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble, small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper, fertile soil in west
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
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 48% (male 4,118,292; female 3,971,886) 15-64 years: 49% (male 4,243,809; female 4,065,429) 65 years and over: 3% (male 278,133; female 264,681) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
43.31 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
9.88 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
predominantly Arab; Afro-Arab concentrations in western coastal locations; South Asians in southern regions; small European communities in major metropolitan areas
Infant mortality rate
69.82 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
Arabic
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 59.98 years male: 58.17 years female: 61.88 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 38% male: 53% female: 26% (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun: Yemeni(s) adjective: Yemeni
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
16,942,230 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
3.34% (1999 est.)
Religions
Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi'a), small numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu
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: 1.05 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
7.06 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
17 governorates (muhafazat, singular--muhafazah); Abyan, 'Adan, Al Bayda', Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al Mahwit, 'Ataq, Dhamar, Hadhramawt, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Ma'rib, Sa'dah, San'a', Ta'izz note: there may be a new governorate for the capital city of Sanaa
Capital
Sanaa
Constitution
16 May 1991; amended 29 September 1994
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
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: 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 vote--NA
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
Government type
republic
Independence
22 May 1990 Republic of Yemen was established with and the Marxist-dominated People's Democratic Republic of Yemen independent on NA November 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and South Yemen had become independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK)
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, OPCW, 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 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
Judicial branch
Supreme Court Political parties and leaders: there are over 12 political parties active in Yemen, some of the more prominent are: General SALAAM] note: President SALIH's General People's Congress or 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 or 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
Legal system
based on Islamic law, Turkish law, English common law, and local tribal customary law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 party--NA; seats by party--GPC 189, Islah 52, Nasserite Unionist Party 3, National Arab Socialist Baath Party 2, independents 54, election pending 1 note: in May 1997, the president created a consultative council, sometimes referred to as the upper house of Parliament; its 59 members are all appointed by the president
National holiday
Proclamation of the Republic, 22 May (1990)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture--products
grain, fruits, vegetables, qat (mildly narcotic shrub), coffee, cotton; dairy products, poultry, beef; fish
Budget
revenues: $2.3 billion expenditures: $2.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 budget est.)
Currency
Yemeni rial (YRl) (new currency)
Debt--external
$4.9 billion (1998)
Economic aid--recipient
$176.1 million (1995)
Economy--overview
Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, reported strong growth in the mid-1990s with the onset of oil production, but was harmed by low oil prices in 1998. Yemen has embarked on an IMF-supported structural adjustment program designed to modernize and streamline the economy, which has led to foreign debt relief and restructuring. Yemen will work in 1999 to maintain tight control over spending and implement additional components of the IMF program. The high population growth rate of 3.3%, internal political dissension, and continued low prices make the government's task especially difficult.
Electricity--consumption
1.9 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
1.9 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
Yemeni rials (YRl) per US$1--140.940 (October 1998), 129.286 (1997), 94.157 (1996), 40.839 (1995), 12.010 (official fixed rate 1991-94)
Exports
$1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Exports--commodities
crude oil, cotton, coffee, dried and salted fish
Exports--partners
China 31%, South Korea 19%, Thailand 17%, Thailand 5%, Brazil 5%, Japan 5% (1997)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity--$12.1 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 16% industry: 46% services: 38% (1996)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$740 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
1.8% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 30.8% (1992)
Imports
$2.8 billion (c.i.f., 1998 est.)
Imports--commodities
food and live animals, machinery and equipment, manufactured goods
Imports--partners
UAE 9%, Saudi Arabia 8%, US 7%, France 6%, Brazil 5% (1997)
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of cotton textiles and leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; small aluminum products factory; cement
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
11% (1998 est.)
Labor force
NA
Labor force--by occupation
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
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
30% (1995 est.)
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios
325,000 (1993 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 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
Telephones
131,655 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations
7 (in addition, there are several low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions
100,000 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Airports
48 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 12 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 36 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 3 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 64,725 km paved: 5,243 km unpaved: 59,482 km (1996 est.)
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 (1998 est.)
Pipelines
crude oil 644 km; petroleum products 32 km Ports and harbors: Aden, Al Hudaydah, Al Mukalla, As Salif, Mocha, Nishtun
Railways
0 km
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Forces, paramilitary (includes Police)
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$413.6 million (1999)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
7.6% (1999)
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 3,776,075 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 2,119,308 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--military age
18 years of age
Military manpower--reaching military age annually
males: 212,005 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
a large section of boundary with Saudi Arabia is not defined; Hanish Islands dispute with Eritrea resolved by arbitral tribunal in October 1998