Log in Sign up
Back to Discover
🗺️

Yemen

geography Maturity 11-13 religion
This article covers sensitive topics: religion. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

Yemen is a big country.

Yemen - Location Map (2013) - YEM - UNOCHA.svg
Yemen - Location Map (2013) - YEM - UNOCHA.svg
It sits by the sea. It has many hills.
Haraz Mountains, Yemen (12633745063).jpg
Haraz Mountains, Yemen (12633745063).jpg
People have lived there for a long time. It is a special place. Can you see it on the map?

47 words

Yemen is a country in West Asia.

Yemen - Location Map (2013) - YEM - UNOCHA.svg
Yemen - Location Map (2013) - YEM - UNOCHA.svg
It sits on a large part of land called Arabia. It is near the Red Sea and the sea called the Arabian Sea.
Yemen (orthographic projection)2.svg
Yemen (orthographic projection)2.svg

Many people live in Yemen. Most people there are Arab Muslims. The largest city is called Sanaa.

People have lived there for a very long time. Long ago, they built a great dam. This dam helped stop floods from the water.

Jemen1988-022 hg.jpg
Jemen1988-022 hg.jpg

For a long time, Yemen was known for coffee. People sent it away through a port called Mocha.

Today, life in Yemen can be very hard. There is a war in the land. Many people need help to live well.

129 words

Yemen is a country in West Asia.

Yemen - Location Map (2013) - YEM - UNOCHA.svg
Yemen - Location Map (2013) - YEM - UNOCHA.svg
It sits on the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. To the north is Saudi Arabia. To the northeast is Oman. The country has coasts on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Yemen (orthographic projection)2.svg
Yemen (orthographic projection)2.svg

Yemen is a large place with many people. It has about 34.7 million people. Most people are Arab Muslims. The capital city is Sanaa.

History has filled this land for thousands of years. Long ago, the Sabaean Kingdom lived here. They built the Great Dam of Marib to stop floods.

Jemen1988-022 hg.jpg
Jemen1988-022 hg.jpg
For many years, Yemen was famous for coffee. People sent coffee through a port called Mocha.

Today, life in Yemen is very difficult. There has been a long civil war. This war makes it hard for people to find food or stay safe. Many people need help to live. The country also faces changes in the weather that make life even harder.

Water Stress, Top Countries (2020).svg
Water Stress, Top Countries (2020).svg

172 words

Yemen is a country located in West Asia.

Yemen - Location Map (2013) - YEM - UNOCHA.svg
Yemen - Location Map (2013) - YEM - UNOCHA.svg
It sits on the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. To its north lies Saudi Arabia, and Oman is to the northeast. The land meets the sea in several places. The Gulf of Aden is to the south, and the Red Sea is to the west.
Yemen (orthographic projection)2.svg
Yemen (orthographic projection)2.svg
Yemen also includes the Socotra Archipelago. It is the second largest country on the peninsula by area. However, it is the largest by population.
Yemen (orthographic projection)2.svg
Yemen (orthographic projection)2.svg

Many different people have lived in Yemen throughout history. For over 7,000 years, it has been a crossroads for many civilizations. Long ago, the Sabaeans built a successful trading kingdom. They even built the Great Dam of Marib around 940 BC.

Jemen1988-022 hg.jpg
Jemen1988-022 hg.jpg
Later, the Himyarite Kingdom ruled much of the land. This kingdom was influenced by Judaism. In the fourth century, Christianity arrived in the region. By the seventh century, Islam spread very quickly. Yemen then became a major center for Islamic learning.

Over the centuries, many different groups held power in Yemen. Between the 9th and 16th centuries, many dynasties rose and fell. In the 1800s, the country was divided by two empires. These were the Ottoman and British empires. After World War I, the Kingdom of Yemen was formed. Later, the country split into North Yemen and South Yemen.

Divided Yemen.svg
Divided Yemen.svg
In 1990, these two states joined together. They formed the modern Republic of Yemen. Ali Abdullah Saleh was the first president of this united nation.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh-cropped.jpg
President Ali Abdullah Saleh-cropped.jpg

Today, Yemen faces many very difficult challenges. Since 2011, the country has dealt with a political crisis. This led to a civil war that began in 2015.

Yemeni Civil War.svg
Yemeni Civil War.svg
Different groups are now fighting to govern the land. This conflict has caused a severe humanitarian crisis. Many people in Yemen are struggling to survive. In 2019, the United Nations said 24 million people needed aid.
019 Rally (39025071401).jpg
019 Rally (39025071401).jpg
This is nearly 75% of the whole population. The country is also one of the poorest in its region.

There are other important facts about life in Yemen. The country has about 34.7 million people. Most of these people are Arab Muslims. Yemen is also very vulnerable to climate change.

Koppen-Geiger Map YEM present.svg
Koppen-Geiger Map YEM present.svg
It is one of the most water-stressed places in the world.
Water Stress, Top Countries (2020).svg
Water Stress, Top Countries (2020).svg
This makes it hard to grow food or find water. Yemen is also known for its history of making coffee. For a long time, people sent coffee through the port of Mocha.
Mocha1692.jpg
Mocha1692.jpg
This helped make Yemen a famous place for trade.

447 words

Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a nation located in West Asia.

Yemen - Location Map (2013) - YEM - UNOCHA.svg
Yemen - Location Map (2013) - YEM - UNOCHA.svg
It occupies a strategic position on the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. The country shares land borders with Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the northeast.
Yemen (orthographic projection)2.svg
Yemen (orthographic projection)2.svg
To the south, Yemen meets the Gulf of Aden. The Red Sea lies to its west. It also shares maritime borders with several nations across the Horn of Africa, including Djibouti, Eritrea, Somaliland, and Somalia. The nation includes the Socotra Archipelago. Covering approximately 455,503 square kilometres, it is the second largest country on the Arabian Peninsula by area. However, it is the largest by population, with an estimated 34.7 million people. Most residents are Arab Muslims.

Because of its unique geography, Yemen has served as a crossroads for many civilizations for over 7,000 years. This location made it a vital hub for international trade. One of the earliest major powers was the Sabaean Kingdom, which existed from 1000 BC to 275 AD. The Sabaeans were known for their advanced engineering. They constructed the Great Dam of Marib around 940 BC to manage seasonal flash floods.

Jemen1988-022 hg.jpg
Jemen1988-022 hg.jpg
Their leaders often held the title of Mukarrib, meaning a unifier or priest-king. These rulers worked to bring various tribes together under one authority. After the Sabaeans, the Himyarite Kingdom rose to power. This kingdom spanned much of the territory seen in Yemen today. The Himyarites were heavily influenced by Judaism before Christianity arrived in the fourth century. By the seventh century, Islam spread rapidly throughout the region.

Religious and political shifts shaped the landscape of ancient Yemen. Following the arrival of Islam, Yemen became a significant center for Islamic learning. Yemeni troops also played a major role in early Islamic conquests. For many centuries, the region was famous for its agricultural production. It was a primary producer of coffee, which was exported globally through the port of Mocha.

Mocha1692.jpg
Mocha1692.jpg
Various dynasties rose and fell between the 9th and 16th centuries. During the 19th century, the territory was divided by two major global powers. The Ottoman Empire and the British Empire controlled different parts of the land. This division lasted until the mid-20th century when independence movements began to reshape the nation.

Modern Yemeni history is marked by a period of division and eventual unification. After World War I, the Kingdom of Yemen was established. In 1962, a civil war led to the creation of the Yemen Arab Republic, also known as North Yemen. Later, in 1967, the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, or South Yemen, gained independence from the British Aden Protectorate.

Divided Yemen.svg
Divided Yemen.svg
South Yemen became the first and only communist state in the Arab world. These two separate states finally united in 1990 to form the modern Republic of Yemen. Ali Abdullah Saleh served as the first president of this unified nation. He remained in power until his resignation in 2012 following the Arab Spring protests.

Since 2011, Yemen has faced a deep and ongoing political crisis. Street protests began due to issues like poverty, unemployment, and corruption. These tensions eventually escalated into a full-scale civil war in 2015.

Yemeni Civil War.svg
Yemeni Civil War.svg
Multiple groups are currently fighting for control of the government. These include the internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council and the Houthi movement's Supreme Political Council. This conflict has expanded to involve various foreign powers. The fighting has resulted in a severe and widespread humanitarian crisis across the country.

Today, Yemen faces extreme economic and social challenges. It is one of the least developed and poorest countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The human impact of the conflict is very high. In 2019, the United Nations reported that roughly 24 million people needed humanitarian aid. This number represents nearly 75% of the total population.

019 Rally (39025071401).jpg
019 Rally (39025071401).jpg
Furthermore, Yemen has faced significant struggles regarding food security. In 2020, it was ranked second-worst on the Global Hunger Index. The nation also ranks highly on the Fragile States Index and the Global Peace Index, which measures levels of violence and instability.

Environmental factors also threaten the stability of the nation. Yemen is among the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change. It is also one of the least prepared to manage the resulting effects. The country suffers from extreme water stress, making it difficult to sustain its population.

Water Stress, Top Countries (2020).svg
Water Stress, Top Countries (2020).svg
This scarcity of water is a major obstacle to sustainable development. As the climate changes, the difficulty of finding water and growing food continues to grow. These environmental pressures combine with political and economic struggles to create a very complex situation for the people living in Yemen.

783 words
🖼️ Images & Media (40)
United States Navy Band - United Republic.ogg
File:Yemen (orthographic projection)2.svg
Yemen (orthographic projection)2.svg
File:Yemen - Location Map (2013) - YEM - UNOCHA.svg
Yemen - Location Map (2013) - YEM - UNOCHA.svg
File:Jemen1988-022 hg.jpg
Jemen1988-022 hg.jpg
File:Dhamar Ali Yahbur (bust).jpg
Dhamar Ali Yahbur (bust).jpg
File:South Arabian - Stele with a Female Bust - Walters 2173.jpg
South Arabian - Stele with a Female Bust...
File:British Museum Yemen 04.jpg
British Museum Yemen 04.jpg
File:Great Mosque of Sana'a1.jpg
Great Mosque of Sana'a1.jpg
File:Taiz (15095300476) (cropped).jpg
Taiz (15095300476) (cropped).jpg
File:Slaves Zadib Yemen 13th century BNF Paris.jpg
Slaves Zadib Yemen 13th century BNF Paris.jpg
File:Assault on Aden.jpg
Assault on Aden.jpg
File:Jemen1988-153 hg.jpg
Jemen1988-153 hg.jpg

+ 28 more

Up Next
🗺️
Somalia
Geography
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.