The Republic
of
Yemen is situated in the
South of the Arabian Peninsula between the latitudes
12-20 of the Northern Hemisphere and the longitudes
41-54 East of Greenwich
. The Kingdom
of
Saudi Arabia is situated to the
North of Yemen
, to the South of the Republic is the Arabian Sea
and the Indian Ocean, in the West the
Red Sea. The Sultanate of Oman
borders the Republic
of
Yemen to the East, which
also stretches to the Ruba Al-Khali (the
Empty Quarter).
The area of the
Republic
of
Yemen covers 555.000 km2 (excluding the
Ruba Al-Khali). According to the
last census of 2000 in Sana'a and of 2005 in
Adenand taking into
consideration the annual rate of increase,
the population of the
Republic
of
Yemenis about 22.500.000.
Concerning the physical structure the
Republic of Yemen
can be divided into five regions:
- The Mountainous Region
- The Plateau Region
-
The Costal Region
- The Ruba Al-Khali Region
- The
Yemeni Isles Group
First:
The Mountainous Region of Yemen was created due to the
African split which occurred by the drift apart of the
African and the Asian continents and hence formed the
Red Sea and the
Gulf
of
Aden Height. This Height is
gradually rising from 1000 to 3600m as the peak of the
Mount Nabi Shuaib reaches 3666m, which is the highest
peak of the
Arabian Peninsulaand the Sham countries.
The distribution line of water derived from these
mountains from where water runs to the East, West, North
and South. The main Wadies (canyons) are:
- The Wadies running water to the
Red Sea: Wadi Harad, Wadi
Mour, Wadi Surdud,
- The Wadies pouring in the Gulf of Aden and the
Arabian Sea: Wadi Tuban,
Wadi Bana,
Wadi Ahur and Wadi Hadramaut,
- The Wadies sloping to the East: Wadi Khabb, Wadi
Al-Jawf and Wadi Adhan
- The Wadies sloping to the North East and
North Westare: Wadi Harib, Wadi
Markha, Wadi Jardan, Wadi Aiot Al-Sayer, Wadi Ramah and
Wadi Shuaith.
The mountain chain in
its longest extension is permeated by plain lowlands and
beds forming vast areas between the mountains forming
blockades for "syol" rushing floods and beds dams for
feeds through channels to irrigate vast agricultural
areas, the main of these lowlands are: Sa'da Lowland,
Al-Bon Lowland, the bed of Sana'a, Jahran Lowland,
between Ibb & Dhamar, Al-Hoban Lowland (in Taiz), Wadi
Al-Hadramaut and Wadi Baihan in Shabwa, Harz Lowland
(Hadramaut), Aiwa Lowland (Hadramaut) and Shuaith
Lowland (in Al-Mahara).
Second: The Plateau Region is
situated in the East of the
Mountainous
Heightsand parallel to it
but it is expanded more towards the
Ruba Al-Khali and gradually begins to descend. Its
maximum height is 1000m. and
it includes the Sa'da Region,
Al-Jawf
Province,
Shabwa
Province, as well as
Hadramaut and
Al-Mahra
Provinces.
It is formed from hill rocks and water slopes to it from
the Mountainous Area. Its edges are interweaved to the
Ruba Al-Khali from the Nort
Fourth:
The Ruba Al-Khali Region is part of the desert region of
Yemenwhich is permeated by
some land plants and is especially in the
edges intercepted with the Plateau Region through the
seasonal wadies and sand routes.
The names of the Ruba al-Kali Region were numerous
throughout the historical periods of
Yemen. Thus we find it named
the '
Quivering
Sea', the '
Clear
Sea', the '
Great
Yemeni
Desert', the '
Cruvilineal
Desert; etc.. And whenever we
go far inside the Ruba Al-Khali the
plant life and waters become rare and the moveable sand
dunes increase, which vanishes the
features and traces of this desert.
Third:
The Costal Region includes the plan coast of the Red
Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the
Arabian Sea. They are linked to
each other forming a costal strip that
extends from the border of the Sultanate of Oman
to the South West towards the Bab
Al-Mandab Straight and turns into the direction of the
Saudi Arabian border. Its length is
nearly 2000km. The width of this area varies between 30
and 60km.
The Yemen Isles Group is scattered in the sea zone of
Yemen in the Red Sea and in the
Arabian Seaand has its own
climate, weather and environment as well
as its own natural reliefs and formations. Most of the
islands are located in the
Red Seaand distributed along
the Yemeni coast forming an archipelago. The main and
largest one is
Kamaran
Islandwhich is inhabited by
people and has some rare animals. To the North of it lay
the Islands of Baklan, Al-Tair and Al-Fashit and to the
South of Kamaran Island lay Hanesh Al-Kabeer and
Hanesh
Al-Saquir
Islands. The
Island
of
Mayoon"Tarim" divides the Bab
Al-Mandab Straight into two parts.
The Yemeni islands in the Arabian Sea are found close to
each other and the most known of them is Socotra Island
of Andem and Dam Al-Akhwan where olibanum medicinals,
incensesand dyes are produced, some of which are used
for decoration. Also found on this island are some
animals of African origin.
Near
Socotra
Islandthere is also a group
of small isles, the main of which is
the
Islandof
Abdel Kuriand the
Islandsof the Two Brother
(Samha & Darsa).
Yemen
's climate differs from region to region according to
their reliefs and their nearness to the equator. The
climate degrades from the hot and humid orbital climate
to cold climate.
In general, the
Republic
of
Yemenis
distanced by the high temperature in
the coastal regions and by the high rate of humidity
in the summer and by a moderate water temperature.
But in the internal and in the mountainous regions
the climate is marked by moderate temperatures in the
summer and cold temperatures in the water.
The official language of the
Republic
of
Yemenis Arabic and Islam is
the official religion. Still, there is also a minority
of Jewish living in the North of Yemen enjoying all
citizens' rights which are guaranteed
by Islam and by the Yemeni Constitution.
Its political system
is constituted of several authorities of the state
insinuated from the Constitution.
These authorities
are:
The
Council of Representative,
which is the legislative body.
The
Presidential Council,
which is the executive authority.
The
Council of Ministers,
which is also the executive Authority.
Judiciary and General Prosecution: the Judiciary is an
independent authority in performing its duties.
The
Yemeni constitution also carries the principles of
Separation of Power between the authorities and
the Yemeni Charter attributes that "The people own
the power and its resource and practice is directly
through referendum and general elections, as well as
carrying it in an indirect way through the legislative,
executive and judicial bodies and through the
locally elected councils."
Work in the government
offices and banks commences daily from 08.00 am to 14.00
pm. It is to be noted that exchange services close at
12.00 noon. Commercial places open for business
from 08.00 am to 09.00 pm.
