Yemen

Geography

Economics

Demographics

Military

Politics

Surface

Surface (in square kilometers)

Surface (in square miles)

Surface (water)

Water Surface (in square kilometers)

Water Surface (in square miles)

Share of water (%)

Temperature

Average temperature (in Celcius)

Average temperature (in Farenheit)

Average high temperature (in Celcius)

Average high temperature (in Farenheit)

Average low temperature (in Celcius)

Average low temperature (in Farenheit)

Rainfall

Average rainfall (mm)

Average rainfall (inch)

Distance to other capitals (kilometers)

Distance to other capitals (miles)

Proximity

Economic organizations

Gross Domestic Product (US$)

Gross Domestic Product per capita

Amount of memberships (economic organizations)

Absolute earnings for every 1$

Relative earnings

GDP in PPP per capita (in US$)

GDP in PPP per capita

Gross Domestic product (in million US$)

GDP per capita (in US$)

Yemen is a member of 10 international economic organizations. This makes it the 165th most connected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations:

Alliance for Financial Inclusion
International Monetary Fund
Islamic Development Bank
World Bank Group
World Customs Organization
World Trade Organization
Indian Ocean Rim Association
International Renewable Energy Agency
International Solar Alliance
Group of 77

Surface GDP

GDP per square kilometer (in US$)

GDP per square mile(in US$)

Relative GDP in PPP

Population

Population density

Emigration

Immigration

Literacy

Health

Population density (in km2)

Population density (in mi2)

Religion

Christianity (share of the total population)

Islam (share of the total population)

Buddhism (share of the total population)

Hinduism (share of the total population)

Judaism (share of the total population)

Other religions (share of the total population)

Non-religious (share of the total population)

Military spending (in % of GDP)

Military spending

In total, Yemen spends US$1.357 million on its military, or 6.48 percent of its GDP. This makes Yemen the 73rd highest military spender in the world and represents 0.071 percent of total global military expenditure.

The military of Yemen, the Armed Forces of Yemen consists of an army, a Navy and an air force. The military was established when both North and South Yemen joint each other in 1990. Its military is currently supported by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates which also deliver military equipment.

Military membership

Yemen is also a member of 4 international military organizations. This makes it the 142nd most militarily connected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations:

Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
International Atomic Energy Agency
Non-Aligned Movement

Military membership

International wars

Yemen has partaken in 10 international wars. These are:

Second Yemeni–Asiri War 1919-1913
Bombardment of Yemen 1911-1911
Zaraniq rebellion 1915-1919
Najran conflict 1931-1931
Saudi–Yemeni War 1934-1934

Arab–Israeli War 1948-1949
Eritrean War of Independence 1961-1991
North Yemen Civil War 1961-1970
Al-Wadiah War 1969-1969
South Yemen insurgency 2009-present

Number of international wars fought

Military spending (in US$ million)

Membership (international political organizations)

In total, Yemen is a member of 9 international political organizations. This makes it the 168th most connected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations:

Member state of the United Nations
International Labour Organization
Asian–African Legal Consultative Organization
International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property
Arab League
Organization of Islamic Cooperation
Interpol
Association of World Election Bodies
World Organization for Animal Health

Political Membership

Democracy/dictatorship rating

It is the 171st most democratic state in the world which is largely due to the military conflict. This has led to a violent repression of opposition parties by the government as well as the Houti insurgency.

Democracy/Dictatorship

The politics of Yemen take place in the form of a semi-presidential republic where the president is head of state, and the Prime Minister is head of government. The Prime Minister is appointed by the president of Yemen. After joining North and South Yemen, politics have been dominated by a single political party which controls the upper chamber, the lower chamber and the judicial system.

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Known for its ancient skyscrapers, its cuisine as well as its internal conflict, Yemen, or the Republic of Yemen, has been one of the most poverty-stricken states in the world. From the eighth century BC, there have been several kingdoms throughout its territory. This was because of its location on important Sea trade routes between Asia, Africa and Europe. By the sixth century, the area was under control of the Himaryte kingdom which collapsed following the expansion of the Sassanid empire. During the seventh century, Islam started to spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and, until the 16th century, the area was ruled by several dynasties until the arrival of the Ottoman Empire which conquered part of the territory of Yemen. After being expelled in the 17th century, the area became contested between the United Kingdom and the Ottoman Empire with both seeking control over ships passing through the Red Sea. After the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the northern parts of Yemen gained its independence in 1918. After the withdrawal of British troops, the southern part of Yemen united under the People's Republic of Yemen. After a communist takeover, the southern part of Yemen joined the Soviet bloc. In 1990, both states united and became the Republic of Yemen. However, there were large religious, ideological and economic differences between both states which led to an attempt of the South to secede from the north. After this rebellion was crushed by the central government, other groups started to gain power within Yemen, most notably Al Qaeda and Ansar al Allah, better known as the Houthis. After the Houthis successfully took over the capital, the president of Yemen requested military aid from Saudi Arabia which joined the fight in 2015 against the Houthis, which are supported by Iran. This Civil War also gave way to the rise of Islamic radicalism with groups such as Al Qaeda and the Islamic state gaining territory. No peace resolution has been found.

Located in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula, the geography of Yemen consists of a high mountain range that is located in the western part and a low mountain range that is located in the eastern part. Most of its terrain is covered by deserts with the exception of its mountainous terrain which is lightly vegetated and is the only part that is used for agriculture. In total, Yemen borders two other states with Saudi Arabia to its north and Oman to its east. To the south it is located on the Gulf of Aden on its west it is located on the red Sea.

It is the 49th largest state with a total surface area of 530.608 square kilometers or 204.869 square miles. This makes Yemen slightly smaller than Thailand and slightly larger than Kenya.

It does not have permanent large bodies of water.

Below, a graph is shown which displays the absolute amount of water of each state in square kilometers and square miles.

Yemen has a water deficit and is struggling to meet the demand. Because of the war, it also has a shortage of clean drinking water which has led to the rise of waterborne diseases such as E. coli and salmonella.

The climate of Yemen is a desert climate with hot and dry weather all year round. The average temperature is 25.4 degrees Celsius or 78 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes Yemen the 51st warmest state in the world.

The average high temperature is 29.9 degrees Celsius or 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

The average low temperature is 23.7 degrees Celsius or 74.7 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rainfall is extremely scarce with on average, 5.3 centimetres or 2.1 inches of rainfall per year which ranks it as the 194th highest in the world. Most of its rainfall occurs between December to February and from August to October and mainly falls down in its mountain ranges.

The capital of Yemen, Sana'a, is home to roughly 2.5 million people. The closest capital is Djibouti City, Djibouti, with a distance of 441 kilometers or 274 miles. The capital that is furthest removed is Apia, Samoa, with a distance of 16.140 kilometers or 10.029 miles.

The economy of Yemen has been devastated throughout the last decades. Currently, it is heavily reliant on the sale and extraction of oil as well as the sale of agricultural products and fish. However, its main source of income is in the form of foreign aid which is provided by Arab states as well as the United States and the European union. Most of its products are exported to Egypt which is solely responsible for nearly 50 percent of all exports. Most of its imports come from China and the United Arab Emirates which combined represent 35 percent of all imports.

Yemen

It has a GDP of US$25.521 million, which makes it the 107th highest in the world and represents 0.03 percent of total global GDP.

Its GDP per surface area is the 171st highest in the world with US$48.098 per square kilometer or US$124.574 per square mile.

Its GDP per capita is the 171st highest in the world with US$874.

The absolute earnings (GDP per capita) reflect the average yearly income. The figure below shows how much, on average, an inhabitant of another state earns for every $1 earned by a citizen of this state.

Its purchasing power parity per capita is the 193rd highest in the world with US$978.

The relative Gross Domestic Product in Purchasing Power Parity compares the purchasing power of this state with that of the rest of the world. The graph on the left shows how much purchasing power of 1$ compared to the purchasing power of other states

Yemen is the 48th most populous state in the world with a total population of 29.2 million people. The vast majority of the population identifies as Arab and it has Arab as its official language.

It has the 126th highest population density in the world with 55 people per square kilometer or 142 people per square mile.

More than 1.2 million people, or 4.3 percent of its population has migrated to other states. This makes Yemen the 55th state with the highest number of emigrants and represents 0.5 percent of total global emigration. The main destination for Yemeni refugees has been Saudi Arabia which is solely responsible for 60 percent of all refugees.

Immigration to Yemen is represented by 1.2 percent of the population, or just over 350,000 people. The largest supplier of migrants has been Somalia due to its internal conflict.

The literacy rate in Yemen is 64.4 percent which is the 170th highest in the world. Education has been unevenly distributed throughout Yemen and there is a large difference between male and female school attendance due to cultural and religious reasons. Its current literacy rate is likely to decline due to a lack of funding, infrastructure as well as personnel to educate the next generation.

The healthcare system of Yemen is limited, and it is argued that Yemen is facing a health crisis. Nearly half of the population does not have access to healthcare while the available healthcare is overburdened and mostly available for wealthy citizens. Aside from the war, the destruction of infrastructure has also led to the rise in communicable diseases, mostly waterborne diseases. The average life expectancy is 66.5 years which is the 133rd highest in the world. Women have an average life expectancy of 68.2 years, while men have an average life expectancy of 64.7 years.

The government of Yemen provides freedom of religion for all religions. However, with Islam being the state religion, there has been reports of discrimination towards religious minorities.

Christianity is represented by 0.2 percent of the population which makes Yemen the 191st most Christian state in the world. From the first until the sixth century, Christianity flourished in Yemen, but after the Arab conquest, many Christians converted to Islam.

On the right, the global share of Christians per state is displayed

Islam is the largest religion in Yemen in this represented 99.1 percent of the population. This makes it the sixth most Islamic state in the world. It was introduced by a disciple of Mohammed and has become the dominant religion since the seventh century. The largest denomination is the Sunni denomination, with a large Shia minority which represents roughly 35 percent of the population.

There are no official Buddhist organizations in Yemen.

Hinduism is represented by 0.6 percent of the population and are mainly immigrants from Nepal that are looking for economic opportunities.

Judaism has been present in Yemen for more than 2000 years and had a Jewish kingdom in the sixth century. During the Ottoman Empire, many Jews migrated to Palestine and the remaining Jewish population migrated to Israel after its foundation.

Other religions are virtually non-existent.

Irreligion is also non-existent due to social stigma and not being counted as a group during national censuses.