Travelling Club - Yemen

Fact Sheet: Yemen

• 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
• Area: total: 527,970 sq km
• 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
• Natural hazards: sandstorms and dust storms in summer
• Population: 21,456,188 (July 2006 est.)
• Ethnic groups: predominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asians, Europeans
• Religions: Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi'a), small numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu
• Languages: Arabic
• Government type: republic
• Capital: name: Sanaa
• Currency code: Yemeni rial (YER)
• Exchange rates: Yemeni rials per US dollar - 192.67 (2005), 184.78 (2004), 183.45 (2003), 175.63 (2002), 168.67 (2001)
• Internet country code: .ye
• Airports: 46 (2006)