Geography
Area: 527,970 sq. km. (203,796 sq. mi.); about the size of
California and Pennsylvania combined.
Cities: Capital--Sanaa. Other cities--Aden, Taiz,
Hodeida, and al-Mukalla.
Terrain: Mountainous interior bordered by desert with a flat and
sandy coastal plain.
Climate: Temperate in the mountainous regions in the western part of
the country, extremely hot with minimal rainfall in the remainder of
the country. Humid on the coast.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Yemeni(s).
Population (2003 est.): 19.3 million.
Annual growth rate: 4%.
Ethnic group: Predominantly Arab.
Religions: Islam, small numbers of Jews, Christians, and Hindus.
Language: Arabic.
Education: Attendance (2002 est.)—64% for primary level, 44%
for secondary level. Literacy (2003 est.)--50% overall,
including 30% of females.
Health: Infant mortality rate--65.02/1,000 live births. Life
expectancy--61 yrs.
Work force (by sector): Agriculture--53%; public services--17%;
manufacturing--4%; construction--7%; percentage of
total population--25%.
Government
Type: Republic; unification (of former south and north Yemen): May
22, 1990.
Constitution: Adopted May 21, 1990 and ratified May 1991.
Branches: Executive--president, and prime minister with
cabinet. Legislative--bicameral legislature with 111-seat
Shura Council and 301-seat House of Representatives. Judicial--the
constitution calls for an independent judiciary. The former northern
and southern legal codes have been unified. The legal system
includes separate commercial courts and a Supreme Court based in
Sanaa.
Administrative subdivisions: 18 governorates subdivided into
districts.
Main political parties: General People's Congress (GPC), Yemeni
Grouping for Reform (Islah), Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP)
Suffrage: Universal over 18.
National holiday: May 22 (Unity Day).
Economy
GDP (2003 est.): $11.3
Per capita GDP (2003 est.): $508.00
Natural resources: Oil, natural gas, fish and seafood, rock salt,
minor deposits of coal and copper.
Agriculture (est. 14.3% of GDP): Products--qat (a shrub
containing a natural amphetamine), coffee, cotton, fruits,
vegetables, cereals, livestock and poultry. Arable land
(est.)--3%.
Industry (est. 66% of GDP): Types--petroleum refining,
mining, wholesale and retail trade, transportation, manufacturing,
and construction.
Trade Exports--$3.9 billion: crude petroleum, refined oil
products, seafood, fruits, vegetables, hides, tobacco products.
Major markets--China, Thailand, India South Korea, Singapore,
Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates. Imports--$3.5
billion: petroleum products, cereals, feed grains, foodstuffs,
machinery, transportation equipment, iron, sugar honey. Major
suppliers--United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United
States, India, China, France, Switzerland.
Exchange rate (4th quarter, 2003): Market rate 184.31 rials per U.S.
$1. Yemeni rial (YR) floats freely based on an average of foreign
currencies. Since the floating of the YR, the market usually
reflects the official rate of exchange.
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